From David Onwuchekwa, Nnewi
The Bishop, Diocese on the Niger, Rt Rev Dr Owen Nwokolo, has announced the Federal Governement approval for the Diocese to start the University on the Niger, Umunya as he called on the new administration to restore the confidence of Nigerians.
These were contained in the Bishop’s charge delivered to the second session of the 32nd Synod at St John’s Anglican Church, Fegge, Onitsha in Onitsha South Local Governement Area of Anambra State.
Bishop Nwokolo said that the Federal Governement approved the recommendation of the National Universities Commission (NUC) to issue the Diocese a license to start the University on the Niger, Umunya.
He declared that the vision of the University was to be first among equals in academic and moral excellence, through the pursuit of excellence in knowledge and character-building blended with high-quality teaching, research and human development.
He added that the mission of the University was to develop the moral and academic life of humanity and produce graduates who are job creators and nation builders.
“With the approval of the NUC, the University takes off with four faculties and seventeen-degree programmes, namely faculty of medicine and dentistry; faculty of allied health sciences; faculty of science and computing; faculty of management and social sciences. More faculties and departments will be added in accordance with the academic brief of the University.
“The University is conventional in nature. It will focus on the disciplines of medicine; health sciences and technology; management and social sciences; arts; natural and applied sciences; law and legal studies; and engineering.
“The idea to commence the University with the above-stated faculties and departments is based on the need to start with marketable courses patterned to produce highly skilled, entrepreneurial and well-rounded graduates that will be useful to industries, society, commercial ventures and governement agencies soon after their graduation.
“Such graduates will be capable of establishing their own businesses thereby becoming employers of labour rather than being job seekers, ” the Bishop said.
The certificate of licence for the University was unveiled to the people of the Diocese on the Niger at the Synod Thanksgiving service.
The University, as gathered, is the only University in Nigeria single-handedly established by one Diocese.
On the state of the nation, the Bishop in his charge, called on the Federal Governement to consciously restore, without further delay, the confidence of Nigerians. He said that the Federal Governement, as a matter of national commitment, should rebuild the entire country without political, religious or tribal sentiments.
“We expect an egalitarian society built on the rule of law, natural justice, equity and good conscience. We earnestly expect a stronger economy in which currencies have strong bargaining power.
“Nigerians expect an effective educational system, provision of quality and maintenance of public facilities and above all, we need adequate protection of lives and property of Nigerians anywhere in the country, ” he said.
The Bishop commended Governor Charles Soludo of Anambra State who he said had been piloting the affairs of the state since he was sworn in.
He said the Synod appreciated the Governor’s candid efforts to open up the waterways and channels to guarantee the easy flow of rainwater and to forestall flooding which he noted had been a bane in Anambra State citing Onitsha as the worst affected.
The Bishop also said that the Synod was glad for various completed ongoing road projects the Governor had embarked on in many cities and communities in the State.
He, however, appealed to Governor Soludo to look into what he described as the rate of criminality, noise pollution and other social vices within the Upper Iweka axis of Onitsha with a view to finding a solution to them.
“Touts on major roads and streets in the State are a big embarrassment to the State. Governement should do something quickly to arrest the situation.
“Some major urban streets and roads as well as community link roads are bad and impassable. They need to be done before the rainy season,” he advised.