Wesley University produces 38 first-class graduates

Wesley University Ondo, Ondo State, has produced 38 first-class graduates out of 348 who graduated during its joint 11th & 12th convocation ceremony held on the school premises recently.

The faith-based university also conferred fellows and honorary doctorate awards on personalities which included Nigeria’s Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio; Prelate, Methodist Church Nigeria, His Eminence Dr. Oliver Ali Aba; Deputy Governor, Benue State, His Excellency, Dr. Samuel Ode; Member, House of Representative for Ondo East & West Federal Constituency, Hon. Abiola Peter Makinde among others.

The Vice-Chancellor, Wesley University Ondo, Rt. Rev. Prof. Samuel Sunday Obeka, while
breaking down the grades gotten by the graduands said 159 students bagged second class upper, 124 bagged second class lower and 12 students bagged third class while 13 students bagged pass, for their first degree.

Obeka, who urged the graduands to be good ambassadors of the university, noted that all the degrees offered by Wesley University have full accreditation by the National University Commission.

Speaking during the University’s convocation lecture, with the theme: ‘Early Church Fathers as Panacea for Sustainable Development in Nigeria’, Registrar, Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University Makurdi (JOSTUM) Benue State, Dr. John Ujo David, lamented that some of the faith-based universities in Nigeria, has gradually and steadily giving way to either highly commercialised and unaffordable schools.

David said it is worthy noting that the value of education is gradually being debased by its commercialisation contrary to the value attached to it by the forefathers.

The JOSTUM Registrar noted that church members’ children cannot attend some of the universities set up with their proceeds of offerings and tithes.

“Unfortunately, in spite of the sacrifices of the church fathers to the development of educational centres, the system has been compromised and it is a disgrace. What was meant to be a citadel of learning, a centre of knowledge and a centre of proferring solutions to societal problems as well as of reform as in the 21st century become a hotbed for power struggles, group rivalry and personality clashes.

“The university system today rather than being a catalyst for development, has regrettably become a breeding ground for cultism, banditry, kidnapping and violent lifestyles.

“No doubt, this has made the landscape incipient of chaos, indecency prompting many universities to place bans on indecent dressings on campuses, violence, instability and decay reading culture as the centrepiece of knowledge is seriously being eroded, thereby resulting in serious poor academic performances in schools, no thanks to mass usage of android and iPhones.

“However, exemption is made for some universities, especially private ones like Wesley University and few others which are free from these social vices. Notwithstanding, the products from these centres are in different sectors of the economy making meaningful contributions through provision of services or deployment of acquired knowledge as well as building peace and harmony across the country.

“On the other hand, lack of discipline has affected Nigerian patriotism to the extent that it has become a mere window dressing. It is self-centered and egoistic and the worst thing is that it has reached a crescendo. The best breed of citizen is being enmeshed in this negative attitude through unimaginable silence,” he concluded.