VERITAS University, Abuja (VUNA), owned by the Catholic Church, recently held its first convocation ceremony at its take-off campus in Obehie, Ukwa West local government area of Abia State. The event turned out to be a toast to the females after it kicked off with the opening procession.
And the big moment came when Miss Fakorede Bisola Esther was announced as the best graduating student with a Gross Cumulative Point Average of 4.83. Esther, like her forebear in the Bible, showed the diligence in her by clinching two additional academic prizes to knock off all competition from her male peers.
Of the 11 prizes up for grabs, Esther and her ‘sisters’ hauled eight, leaving just three for the males. Esther was followed by Ndukauba Chiamaka Jane, who finished with a GCPA of 4.75; Ndukwu Vivian Chika (4.66) and Onwunali Chinonso Emmanuella (4.41). Anyanwu Christiantus Izuchukwu, who scored a GCPA of 4.18, was the best male student and he received the Political Science and Diplomacy Head of Department’s award.
Esther, who read Applied Microbiology in the department of Biological Sciences, told The Guardian that she chose the course to equip her achieve her ultimate dream of becoming a medical doctor. According to her, she has always wanted to assist the sick and comfort the ailing.
With her feat, Esther has become a poster child of the success story of VUNA, whose pioneer graduating class recorded an outstanding result. Of the 59 graduands, six had First Class, 38 finished with Second Class Upper, while 15 had Second Class Lower degrees.
The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Michael Kwanashie, said: “As Nigeria tries to transform itself and build peace, it needs men and women of courage who will speak out and act in the light of truth. Veritas recognizes this challenge and tries to inspire her students to become agents of change in a troubled world. We have witnessed how unguarded our youth have embraced modern technology and have been connected to an unrestricted global community that is so free and preaches every type of lifestyle.
“Today, the internet has become more powerful than parents and institutions in molding the lifestyle of our youth and in directing their moral and social temperaments, which is posing serious challenges to those charged with education in the country.”
On his part, the Chancellor of VUNA, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, said the Catholic University of Nigeria is on course. “The modest achievements so far made since inception in 2008 is a clear indication that the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) has achieved the objective for which the university was set up.”
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