Archbishop Okeke, Obi of Onitsha task students on excellence
By Aloysius Attah
Shanahan University, Onitsha’s first ever university has administered admission oath to its pioneer students during the maiden matriculation ceremony held at the Basilica square, Holy Trinity Cathedral , Onitsha on Saturday.
Preaching a homily titled “Going to the Promised Land” during the Holy Mass to herald the matriculation exercise, the Catholic Archbishop of Onitsha and Chancellor of the University, Most Rev. Valerian Okeke cited the Biblical account of Exodus when the Israelites moved out of Egypt on their way to Canaan, the Promised Land.
He told the students not to be afraid in their journey of academic pursuit but be clothed in the amour of faith, hard work, perseverance, consistency, discipline and culture of excellence.
He described university education as a movement towards freedom, emancipation, success, resourcefulness and leadership and prayed that the students would turn out to be positive change agents in society after their academic pursuit.
Chairman, Board of Trustees of Shanahan University, Chief Cletus Ibeto in a remark said that given the dream, mission and vision of the founding fathers of the university, the pioneer students gathered for the matriculation exercise are indeed lucky and privileged to be among the firsts of the university.
He said Shanahan University was conceptualized as a premium university designed to advance the frontiers of learning to an entirely different level in the contemporary world of learning and is hoped that the graduates will compare more than favourably with the products of any Ivy League university anywhere in the world.
Traditional Ruler and Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Alfred Nnamemeka Achebe while congratulating the new students described education as the greatest legacy to mankind. He thanked Archbishop Valerian Okeke for sustaining the legacies of Bishop Shanahan who laid down his life for the Igbo people towards provision of education, health and missionary activities.
The Obi of Onitsha expressed delight that the first university has birthed in Onitsha during his lifetime and lamented that the greatest tragedy of Nigeria today is shortage of good leadership. He said there is hope that the new students being groomed today will bridge the gap in the leadership deficit in the country.
Vice Chancellor of the University, Rev. Fr. (Prof) Obi Oguejiofor in an address said Shanahan University is poised to contribute to the Nigerian society and beyond , first and foremost by positively changing the lives of all its students.
He disclosed that Shanahan University started academic activities in October 2024 with 19 programmes but has just added 5 more programmes to its departments following the National Universities Commission resource verification exercise concluded in the 2nd week of February this year.
“The university is specifically aimed at improving the life of each of its students and through that the life of all and sundry. It is therefore not surprising that the motto of Shanahan University is taken from John 10:10 , that they may have life, life in its fullness , life both temporal and eternal.
“However, it is not every type of university education that can adequately prepare its students for life. This is where Shanahan University intends to make significant difference. Our university will not be “a university without its education”. It is tailored to be a university that prepares its students to face life confidently.
“Our aim is that whoever passes through Shanahan University will be able to find his/her niche everywhere in the world. It is not a university that glories only in issuing certificates for people to look for often non-existent jobs , but one that endows its students to be job creators through their creativity and inventiveness” Prof. Oguejiofor stated.
