Pastor William Folorunsho Kumuyi, general superintendent, Deeper Christian Ministry (DCLM), has stressed the essence of university education in Nigeria, saying societies develop by the quality of their universities.
Kumuyi made the observation Wednesday at the maiden matriculation ceremony of the Anchor University Lagos (AUL), for 2016/2017 academic session.
Speaking in his capacity as the Chancellor of the new university, Kumuyi, himself a former lecturer, noted that the deregulation and licensing of private universities in the country was a step in the right direction.
“Our nation needs not just functional, but also productive and development-driven universities. Together with the government-owned universities, we ought to lead the way in showing the path for the nation to go, in endlessly throwing up ideas on how to solve old and new problems, whether in the area of science and technology, or in the arts, humanities and social sciences,” he said.
On the reason for the establishment of Anchor University, the Chancellor said: “AUL is established not only to focus on academic learning and excellence, but to harp on character development and mitigate the tide of moral degradation and delinquency that pervades our national life.”
According to Kumuyi, “The philosophy of Anchor University is the one that realises that the light of knowledge illuminates the mind, liberates the man and upgrades human qualities, faculties and professional skills that result in discernable impact on all areas of human endeavour. It believes in the power of education to create social and economic mobility and in the morality of social value making higher education accessible to everyone.”
Kumuyi, who traced the origin of university education in Nigeria, noted that private individuals and faith-based involvement in that regard was necessitated by the fact that government alone cannot provide the much needed university education.
In their various speeches at the event, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Joseph Afolayan; Pastor Philip Oluwi, chairman, Board of Trustees AUL, and Silas Dada, pro-Chancellor, urged the students to be focused and excel in their chosen fields, warning however, that Anchor University will not tolerate any form of anti-social behaviour.
“There are behaviours and decent lifestyle that is expected of you by the university which you must endeavour to keep. This university will not condone evil vices that are common with the youth today. May I vehemently inform you in strong terms that some of these vices such as taking of hard drugs, drinking of alcohol, smoking, immorality of all shades, indecent dressing, stealing and the likes, are reprehensible and highly prohibited in this school and any infraction attracts expulsion,” the Vice Chancellor reeled out.
Pastor Philip Oluwi, chairman, BoT AUL, enjoined the students to “shun dysfunctional and depraved values which have plagued many university communities in the land and circumvented the vision and dreams of past progenitors of older universities.”
Addressing the one hundred and three (103) matriculating students, the Pro-Chancellor, Silas Dada, said: “Your admission to Anchor is to give you inspiration to become leaders of tomorrow by becoming the best you can be. It is to turn you out as finished products and leaders; the likes of Physicist Albert Einstein, theologian Rowan Williams and Amazon founder, Jeff Bezos.”
