From : Unical

AN ADDRESS PRESENTED BY THE VICE CHANCELLOR, AT THE 33RD MATRICULATION CEREMONY OF UNICAL    

Posted Date: Monday, March 28, 2011

AN ADDRESS PRESENTED BY THE VICE CHANCELLOR, PROFESSOR JAMES EPOKE AT THE 33RD MATRICULATION CEREMONY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALABAR HELD ON THURSDAY, MARCH 24TH, 2011 AT THE HOGAN BASSEY PAVILION

Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic)
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration)
Registrar and other Principal Officers
Provost, Deans and Directors
Heads of Departments
Distinguished Members of Senate
President and Executive members of the Students' Union
Matriculating Students
Malabites and Malabresses
Gentlemen of the Press
Ladies and Gentlemen

I welcome you all to the 33rd Matriculation Ceremony of the University of Calabar. I wish to specially welcome all parents, friends and relations as well as well-wishers of the matriculating students who have traveled from across the nation in order to witness this epoch making event and to share in the joy of their children, friends and relations who are about to be admitted, in this Ceremony, into full-fledged studentship of this University.

As you are aware, this is the first matriculation Ceremony I am presiding over in my capacity as Vice-Chancellor of this great Institution of learning.

Permit me therefore, to use this opportunity to once again thank the visitor and indeed, the Governing Council of the University for finding me worthy to serve this nation in the capacity of a Vice-Chancellor.

Our approved admission quota for the 2010/2011 Academic Session by the National Universities Commission (NUC), in collaboration with the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB), stands at 4,407. Our records also show that over 37,000 candidates applied for admission into the University of Calabar as either 1st or 2nd choice in their University Matriculation Examination. While the figure for Direct Entry applicants stood at 3,153. Of this huge number only 4,607 candidates have been admitted into various disciplines with the following breakdown: Science and Science based disciplines 1,446; Arts and Humanities (i.e. Education, Social and management Sciences) and Law 2,265; Medicine & Surgery and Medical related courses 896.

Thus you represent less than 15% of your peers who had dreamt to study in this University while the other 85% of those who had wished to be here could not make it. You represent therefore, the few that were chosen out of the many that were called. Please note that these figures do not include students of our Centre for Educational Services Programmes and the over 500 admitted from the Pre-degree Programmes.

For having successfully passed through the vigorous selection processes of JAMB and UNICAL Screening exercises, I once more congratulate you and urge you to make the best of this God-given opportunity which this admission presents to you.

I believe you have been cleared and you have registered for all your courses in your Department using the NUC Data Base. Ensure that all your records are properly captured in the Data Base because the data you present now will count for you even up to graduation time.

After this Matriculation Ceremony, every student who has paid university charges and registered with his/her department will go to the department and sign the matriculation register and obtain his/her matriculation number automatically. However, you will also be required to sign the Matriculation Register in the Registry.

This administration is determined to improve the welfare of students on campus. This was why the Governing Council on the request of the administration approved a slight increase of N 10, 000 (Ten thousand Naira) on students school charges for this academic session. A Special account has been opened for this purpose where the charges will be paid into and a student representative will serve on the project committee for student welfare who will monitor the use of these funds.


Our intention is to totally refurbish students Hostels, Classrooms and procure Laboratory equipment as well as replace classroom desks. We intend to ensure that we create a conducive atmosphere for students to learn.

We therefore urge you to quickly pay your charges to help us serve you better. I however regret to announce that less than 7,000 students, out of a population of about 35,000 students had paid their school charges as at the last count.

This administration will not accept a situation where students collect charges from their parents, direct it to private use and still turn round to blame the authorities for lack of teaching and learning materials. We have already directed Heads of Department, to ensure that no student who has not paid his/her charges is allowed to take part in any continuous assessment or semester examinations.

May I also inform you that the University has a students' welfare Committee. This body's major objective is the enhancement of the welfare of our students. Administration is also trying to sanitize the system so that students will not be unduly exploited or harassed either by their fellow students or staff. You should not hesitate to report any form of exploitation or harassment to your students Government Executive for prompt action by the Administration.

In order for you to help Administration's sustained effort at making life better for you, you all have a major role to play to make this University the centre of academic excellence which its founding fathers intended it to be a goal which we also intend to pursue vigorously. For you to know just what roles to play, you must study carefully the students' Handbook, which you are to receive in the course of your registration at the Department. In that document are clearly spelt out the "dos" and "don’ts" of this University. The rules and regulations you will find there are meant for your good and happiness throughout your years here and hereafter. I urge you to attach great importance to it and make it your companion.
 
I cannot end this address without sounding a word of caution to you against involvement in such anti-social activities as examination malpractice in its multifaceted dimensions, secret cult activities where the use of dangerous weapons such as guns, axes, daggers or machetes on campus are common. In addition, the university administration seriously frowns at drunkenness, indecent dressing, fighting, rape, stealing, impersonation, drug pedaling etc. all these malpractices are considered gross misconducts and culprits will be promptly expelled from the University and further handed over to appropriate law enforcement agencies for prosecution.

Furthermore, I do sincerely hope that all of you presented genuine admission credentials during the registration exercise. If you happen to present fake and forged credentials for the exercise and you were not detected at that point, be sure that your sins will definitely find you out sometime, some day, perhaps during the final screening which will come up before your degree examination. If at that point, it is discovered that you gained admission into this University with fraudulent credentials, the university reserves the right to nullify your matriculation today and send you to where you belong. You should therefore be well guided.

Finally, I urge you to demonstrate to the outside world that there are more civilized ways of seeking redress than resorting to vandalization and senseless destruction of life and property.

MAY SUCH BEHAVIOUR NOT BE YOUR PORTION, IN THE NAME OF JESUS. - AMEN! Remember you do not have any other university to be a student in but this. So do nothing that will tarnish its image and bring down its good name. Rather, pray fervently for peace and tranquility on this campus and for the well being of the university.

Let me assure all of you that the University Administration will always be there for you - to listen attentively to you with a view to redressing, as much as humanly possible, whatever genuine grievances are promptly reported to us through your elected leaders and representatives. Moreover, I urge you to take active interest and participate fully in sports and other social activities as "all work without play" can make John or Ada a dull boy or dull girl. That is the only way you can be properly integrated into the life and work of this university. By so doing you will not only be passing through the University, but you would also have allowed the University pass through you.

Once again, I welcome you to this great citadel of learning and warmly congratulate all the matriculants on assuming FULL membership and citizenship of our great University, May God bless us all.

Thank you for listening.