ADDRESS OF THE CHANCELLOR, MOST REV. IGNATIUS A. KAIGAMA, ARCHBISHOP OF ABUJA, AT THE 13TH CONVOCATION CEREMONY OF GODFREY OKOYE UNIVERSITY
ADDRESS OF THE CHANCELLOR, MOST REV. IGNATIUS A. KAIGAMA, ARCHBISHOP OF ABUJA, AT THE 13TH CONVOCATION CEREMONY OF GODFREY OKOYE UNIVERSITY, 6 DECEMBER 2025, AT THE MAIN CAMPUS, UGWUOMU-NIKE, ENUGU STATE.
Protocol :
The 13th convocation ceremony of our great University, Godfrey Okoye University, has come by God‘s grace. All you dignitaries and our noble guests are very heartily welcome to it.
The speed with which our University is growing, the success stories of our students, the progress reports from our alumni, the support and contributions of our many friends, the educational and research collaborations both in Nigeria and abroad and the peace and tranquility we enjoy in the university are all evidence of the divine hand of God upon the university.
Today, we shall confer different degrees on 660 well-deserving students who burnt the midnight oil for a number of years to qualify to be called graduates.
GoUniversity has pruned, polished, and transformed spiritually, academically and socially these students. They are now armed with degrees of competence in various fields of study. We hope the wider society will have the capacity to absorb them in terms of work to do for a living and for the improvement of their respective communities and the country at large.
It pains me as a bishop, whether sitting in the office or when in the peripheries doing pastoral visitations, to see scores of young, talented, and dynamic graduates tired from roaming aimlessly on the streets, come to ask me for jobs. They are, everyday, searching for what to do with the talents they struggled so hard to acquire in the university. While I was the Archbishop of Jos, in Plateau State, I had cartons containing CVs and credentials of young people looking up to me as a bishop to approach on their behalf, government departments, or to intervene with the “big people” in government for employment. To my greatest chagrin, I was not able to meet their demands, and they would naturally feel frustrated and disappointed. This was due to no fault of mine or theirs, but the system that does not give maximum attention to the dynamic and energetic youths in their millions, who are well educated and capable of contributing enormously to a new and better Nigeria.
The Catholic Church only employs people when and where necessary. She is not an agency for employment. That is the duty of government or companies. Now, in Abuja, for six years now, I have a long list of young graduates, and I am already having boxes of CVs and credentials from desperate students or their parents imploring that I should help them get jobs. Many believe that by virtue of being the Archbishop of Abuja and having the honour of meeting some prominent persons in the government in Abuja, I have the automatic ticket of taking the phone to call any minister or director to ask for anything and it would be granted. Many think that way because they believe that the Senate President and the Secretary of the Government of the Federation are Catholics. They get so nonplussed when I tell them that it is not as they think. If I had the chance to seek help for them and get a positive response, I would certainly do so. I am, however, still hoping that something good will come from the government so that I can help the youths.
For now, whatever we can do within our limited resources as a Church, we will try to do so. At each of my regular encounters with young people, rather than ask the question, “what can the government do for us”they ask “what is the church doing for us?” Yet, there is so much the church is doing even if we do not advertise these. These youths ask these questions because most of them were born into a generation when the Church despite her limited resources offers so much in terms of educational, vocational, medical, and other social services that these they now think that it is the duty of the Church to provide jobs and social services. Since they cannot easily reach their elected or appointed representatives in government but can easily burst into the offices or houses of priests and bishops, they pour out there frustration on the Church, hardly appreciating the tremendous role the church has played in the social transformation of what is today Nigeria.
When we the Catholic Bishops arriving from Ikotepkene/Elele after our national conference and pilgrimage on the 22nd of September, 2025, on our way to Nsukka paid His Excellency, Sir Peter Mbah, the Governor of Enugu State, a courtesy visit and he shared with us the vision and mission of his government. What struck me most is what he is doing in terms of security and education, among other things. He told us about things he had initiated during his administration in Enugu State, which are certainly significant developments and reforms across several key sectors. In the education sector, the government is building 260 technologically advanced Smart Green Schools, one in each ward, with an emphasis on experiential learning, robotics, and digital skills and in issues of security. In security matters, the governor established a high-tech Command and Control Centre using fiber-optic surveillance and AI-embedded patrol vehicles to enhance public safety. This is worthy of emulation by other state governments. If we all develop multidimensional initiatives like this, we are most likely to engage our youths functionally, instead of allowing them to roam the streets with some getting into drug-related problems, resulting in high mental health concern.
To all those God has used in making our university progress tremendously; to our beloved Proprietor of Godfrey Okoye University and Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Enugu, Most Rev. Dr. Callistus Valentine Chukwuma Onaga, and his formidable team of collaborators, to the parents, guardians, benefactors and benefactresses; to the Vice. Chancellor, Rev. Fr. Prof Dr. Christian Anieke, the Management and the entire staff of the university, your efforts have borne fruits for Nigeria, fruits that will last.
To our graduating students, each of you has travelled a unique journey filled with challenges, discoveries, and triumphs. You have endured sleepless nights, faced uncertainty, and yet, emerged stronger, wiser, and ready to face the world.
Please, always remember that education does not end with a degree, rather, it begins with a degree. The evidence of educated persons is not just what they know or what they were taught, but how they apply their knowledge for the progress of humanity and the society.
I challenge you to remain anchored in your values as defined in the vision of the University.
Let your success be defined not by what you achieve for yourselves, but by what you contribute in the lives of others and the society as a whole. Let discipline and integrity be your watchword wherever life leads you, whether in corporate offices, classrooms, hospitals, public service or in your personal business.
Let your conduct bring pride to your alma mater in all that you do.
Congratulations to you all, the graduating class, and may all your movements, plans, and endeavours be guided by God’s grace.
Let your conduct bring pride to your Alma mater.
Bon voyage as you journey into the world.
