Attorney1Lawz:

Civil servants and those who cant afford it should make do with other private or public Universities. Is COVENANT UNIVERSITY a must for every one.
Never seen where people who cant afford a service insist that services should be made free. Covenant University should be no exemption.

Nop that's not the point,The issue here is the foundation under which this University was built, I went to a state Uni ESUT, my younger Bro went to private In Benin Benson Idahosa and one of my Sisters went to a Federal Uni UNEC, I can tell you the Federal Uni was cheaper than the state Uni ,this is because of the foundation of which they where built

Palacedaughter:
Money, not monies.

OLODOOOO, You see your life,you want to correct me in things I know better than you,this is why you got F9 in English Language,I live in an English speaking country so I'm inclined to speak correctly,for your information the plural of money is Monies
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/monies

monies
[muhn-eez] Spell Syllables
Synonyms Examples Word Origin
noun
1.
a plural of money.
money
[muhn-ee] Spell Syllables
noun, plural moneys, monies.
1.
any circulating medium of exchange, including coins, paper money, and demand deposits.

arsetalks: The churches shouldnt collect tithes from the poor whose children can't afford to go to the schools that were established with the tithes the poor struggle to pay then?

People whose tithe and offering is used in establishing these schools have been priced out and he is defending it? The church has gone crazy obviously.

if they are poor how can their measly income build and run a university that can compete with the world
Alas common sense is not common

erico2k2:
OLODOOOO, You see your life,you want to correct me in things I know better than you,this is why you got F9 in English Language,I live in an English speaking country so I'm inclined to speak correctly,for your information the plural of money is Monies
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/monies

monies
[muhn-eez] Spell Syllables
Synonyms Examples Word Origin
noun
1.
a plural of money.
money
[muhn-ee] Spell Syllables
noun, plural moneys, monies.
1.
any circulating medium of exchange, including coins, paper money, and demand deposits.

Hey friend, I am happy that you went to check it out. You don't have to curse in a bid to assert yourself. You can go back to check/research again but this time with an unbiased mind. Nobody says 'money' can't be pluralized. The issue we have here is that in everyday English the word “money” is
uncountable. It is not used in the plural.
Thank me later.

kmcutez:

Nope, the church money is not being used in running the church. It is being used in buying private jets, setting up private universities for personal enrichment, building mansions for the pastors, buying the latest rides, paying the sisters in the lord for sex and so forth. The pastors take the little the poor have and add to their riches. Most Nigerian pastors are sociopaths and psychopaths.

You speak with so much conviction that one is tempted to think that you know what you are saying. You must be very ignorant. I will like to officially end our discussion right here because you are clearly grieved about something (that I do not know just yet) that is linked to churches. Never let that cloud your thinking; objectivity is celebrated nowadays.

Palacedaughter:
Hey friend, I am happy that you went to check it out. You don't have to curse in a bid to assert yourself. You can go back to check/research again but this time with an unbiased mind. Nobody says 'money' can't be pluralized. The issue we have here is that in everyday English the word “money” is
uncountable. It is not used in the plural.
Thank me later.

You still don't get it that your English is Wack. I placed the link there for you to get the gist still you are here spewing crap as usual,who told you money is uncountable?how do you know the amount of change you are meant to get if you don't count money?Go back to that link and learn something new. KMT

erico2k2:
You still don't get it that your English is Wack. I placed the link there for you to get the gist still you are here spewing crap as usual,who told you money is uncountable?how do you know the amount of change you are meant to get if you don't count money?Go back to that link and learn something new. KMT

Okay then.

phew09:


havent you heard of the saying "cut your coat according your material"

ofcos i hav heard....but please y must dey tell us dat it is because of misplaced priority dat is y d average nigerian wudnt send their kids to diz *ultra xpensive* university, in otherwords if the ordinary nigerian gets his priority right they can send their kids to diz private skools no mata d cost!
bros d analogy of burials wit 1m doesnt balance d eqtn, its just like wen obj said since nigerians can purchase a bottle of beer for #200, they shouldnt complain abt fuel hike,...
for christ sake d church must not lose touch wit the sufferings of ordinary nigerians....haba!

kmcutez: I wish his church members will tell him that they cannot afford to pay their tithes as it too expensive. Awon Ole.

He will slap them, remember the case of "the witch".

U made a good point ]Come on ....money spent on recharge card is a collective summation of more than 60 million phone users in the country. 1 million naira upwards spent on burial is not a yearly affair and usually is as a result of contribution to the bereaved from various sources.

One million as school fees comes from your pocket alone and not from other contributions sir! Is it easy to save 500k a year in this country? Take a look below

1. You spend money on fuel for your generator - No public power supply
2. You spend money on providing your household with potable drinking water
3. You spend money on filtering/treatment of borehole water
4. You spend money on maintaining the borehole ...yes the salty water affects the piping due to its salty nature
5. You pay your security guard monthly
6. You pay for neighborhood security
7. You fuel your car (black market or normal)
8. You spend money for household needs
9. You pay tithes in church + other church program tinz
10. You pay tax

I could go on and on not easy sir![/quote]

Education is expensive yet African Institute of Mathematical Sciences (AIMS) offers African scholars: free education (MSC Prog), free ticket to and fro, free accommodation, stipends (bursary) etc.

GboyegaD: Can you please tell to what extent his universities are world class? I think I lack the understanding of a world class and will appreciate a definition of same.

I have not said Covenant is [present tense] world class. There's another post where I said that as of today, CU isn't even as good as some government universities in some regards. Nevertheless, it is also clear that they are working in accordance with a clear vision. I quote from http://allafrica.com/stories/201409220390.html :

"Ever since I came to office, I was given the mandate tagged, 'Vision 10:2022' which is to get the university listed as one of the top ten universities in the world within the next ten years (2012 - 2022) which we have christened as ( 1 of 10 in 10). To accomplish this vision, we set yearly goals."

Whether they can achieve that vision or not is immaterial; there is however no doubting the passion with which Oyedepo is trying to make CU a world-class university. So, yeah, I stand by my assertion. Oh, by the way, going by their vision, a top-10 university is a world-class university, don't you think?

Endougs: President and founder of the Living Faith Church aka Winners Chapel Worldwide, Bishop David Oyedepo, has defended what many consider to be the exorbitant tuition fees charged by the church’s schools, describing the provision of quality education as an expensive venture.

Oyedepo defended the fees while addressing journalists on Friday in Ota, Ogun State, at a media chat organised as part of activities to celebrate his 60th birthday coming up on September 27, 2014.

Private schools, especially faith-based ones in the country, including Covenant and Landmark universities, owned by the church, are often criticised for being too expensive for average Nigerians to afford.

But the popular cleric highlighted some of the church’s humanitarian programmes which include providing scholarships and bursary awards to assist disadvantaged and brilliant students.

He said, “I’m sure we all agree that education is expensive. Education carries cost; nothing of value is free. Our mission for years long, before we started any university or secondary school, was a bursary awarding church and we have not stopped doing that till tomorrow”.

Oyedepo said that the church was committed to providing quality education to youths, adding that many Nigerians complain about the cost of education in private universities because they have got their priorities misplaced.

“Our problem most of the time is priority; an average Nigerian can spend N1m on burial but to spend N200,000 on education (is a problem), because of wrong priority.

“On a yearly basis, we have N1.5trn that Nigerians spend to overseas universities, so people thrive on it. Nigerians spend N463bn a month on recharge cards, how much are they paying for schools fees? So it’s all a matter of priority. This is the largest market for telephone in the world. Now, to pay N500,000, some people have only one son, they have huge business and houses all over the places, they will never pay it”.

Speaking further, Oyedepo, who seems to have developed thick skin to many controversial reports about him on the social media, revealed that it is a waste of time to respond to his critics.

He said, “My understanding of opposition, persecution is simply someone’s opinion harshly expressed. Everybody has a right to his opinion. Today, millions follow after Christ but you will be surprised that when you get to Israel some people do not believe that Christ has come.

“People have rights to their opinions. I naturally don’t feel it’s necessary (to respond). The energy I would need to react, I can use it to make moves. I have enough to think about than start running after a man who says you are a fool.

“If he says you are a fool and you are behaving so, then he’s right. If you leave your job and start pursuing somebody who says you are a fool, he has already said so, your going around doesn’t change it. So why going around, why don’t you settle on your job and make moves?

“I’ve also come to understand that those who make news hardly watch them, they are so busy making news while others are busy watching”.
Asked about the challenges he has faced in life and in his ministry, Oyedepo said he had never focused on his challenges but rather, has been fuelled by them.

He said, “Life essentially is full of challenges, it is those challenges that make champions. You can’t emerge a heavy weight boxing champion except you receive punches. You can’t change classes in school except you write exams.

“So to me, life is an adventure in challenges and I’ve said often that it is normal to be challenged but it’s unscriptural to be defeated. Challenges are the stepping stones for the making of champions”.

In 1981, at the age of 27, Oyedepo, who would later become a household name in Nigeria and beyond, started his ministry in Ilorin, Kwara State and sited his first church two years later in Kaduna State.

At the media chat, he said that the church, which had humble beginnings, is now located in 63 countries in the world and that the Faith Tabernacle, Ota, where he is the presiding Bishop, plays host to “over 200,000 worshippers every Sunday morning in four services”.

http://endougs..com/2014/09/oyedepo-defends-fees-charged-by-private.html

I am ashamed to identify myself as a Christian in the gathering of these charlatans. I know a family who contributed their money and time carrying blocks and cements for free to build the Convernant University but can't afford to send their children there. There was a time when Faith based universities were free, thereby engendering the ability of people like Oyedepo to attend school. But now, the Christ who put it in the minds of the then missionaries to give the older generation free education is now dead and is being replaced by a greedy "Get rich at all cost" Christ. My heart bleeds for these brood of vipers. No wonder we have so many Christians and iniquities is increasing!

Mordyb: if they are poor how can their measly income build and run a university that can compete with the world
Alas common sense is not common

You are spot on common sense is not common hence you do not know 1 naira each by 10000 people do not amount to 1 naira.

Odeechukwu retardeeen

atyms I jst wonder if sum ppl are for real....watin concern exorbitant fee,burial money nd even recharg card money.see flimsy excuse mtcheew
.

proffemi:

I have not said Covenant is [present tense] world class. There's another post where I said that as of today, CU isn't even as good as some government universities in some regards. Nevertheless, it is also clear that they are working in accordance with a clear vision. I quote from http://allafrica.com/stories/201409220390.html :

"Ever since I came to office, I was given the mandate tagged, 'Vision 10:2022' which is to get the university listed as one of the top ten universities in the world within the next ten years (2012 - 2022) which we have christened as ( 1 of 10 in 10). To accomplish this vision, we set yearly goals."

Whether they can achieve that vision or not is immaterial; there is however no doubting the passion with which Oyedepo is trying to make CU a world-class university. So, yeah, I stand by my assertion. Oh, by the way, going by their vision, a top-10 university is a world-class university, don't you think?

Anybody can have a vision and I do appreciate the fact that they have one however, I am yet to see any drive to get them in the top 100 let alone the top 10. I know one necessary condition is the quality of faculty they have and their research/publications which I don't think they have done so much on.

GboyegaD: Anybody can have a vision

Yes, anybody can, but few, very few actually do. CU is one of the very few. I'm happy you acknowledge that below.

and I do appreciate the fact that they have one however, I am yet to see any drive to get them in the top 100 let alone the top 10. I know one necessary condition is the quality of faculty they have and their research/publications which I don't think they have done so much on.

And how do you suppose they should attract quality faculty who can then do excellent research? Do you suppose they should simply place an ad for the world's 100 top researchers and pay over the odds to get them to Naija? That's never going to happen. Nobody risks his career that way. I'll tell you how: it's by first getting a reputation, and by putting certain things on ground. Only after that can you gradually ramp up the quality of your staff/students and research. "Certain things on ground" covers having the following (among others)

- well-run system;no bottlenecks, disciplined staff and students
- good/appropriate levels remuneration for quality scholarship when encountered or recruited (i.e. a flexible remuneration system)
- desire to court, (and ability to deliver) top-class faculty for short- or long-term visits
- demonstrated willingness to spend to acquire excellent facilities
- willingness to sponsor staff to fora where they can network, and thus possibly start collaborations
- demonstrated awareness of global trends and passion to key in etc

Once you get a reputation for the above, you then craft a solid pitch to lure quality faculty to commit to risking part of their careers to work with you.

I have never even seen the gate of Covenant University, so I have no inside info. However, going solely by what I read on the pages of newspapers, I'd say they are doing a better job of the above than basically any other Nigerian university. People think some of their moves are publicity stunts. Perhaps, they're simply trying to cultivate a certain reputation?. You say you are yet to see any drive? Perhaps you have not been looking or listening. Not when they recently made so much noise about having a Nobel laureate visit, and stated they are actively courting other laureates. Not when Coscharis motors recently praised them for being the fastest Nigerian university to respond to an opportunity to stake a claim to the Nigerian auto industry.

I repeat: CU may not be better than federal universities right now. But they have a clear vision. And contrary to what you say, there is evidence of passion. So, yeah, I'm still gonna have to stick to my initial assessment: it appears Oyedepo would love to show that he can operate a world-class university in Nigeria.

Bad beLle pple everywhere,if ur parent cAn avoid To sponsor u in dT kind of universiTy to stop complaining n Tank God for d one u atTended or going.

I'm not a member of Living Faith Church but I love Papa a lot. So so much.

The truth is, Convenant and Landmark gives a lot of scholarships to brilliant students (rich or poor). I give them kudos on that. You need to find out yourself how may children don't pay school fees at Convenant and Landmark. You'll wow.

However, what saddens me is that none of our rich churches frankly have the true giving heart of Christ. I'm certain that if all tuition in Convenant is below N100,000, the school can still stand on itself or survive on the church's account as the case may be.

I don't criticize people for doing something differently that i will. I just pray i'm able to do better when my time comes. I have a strong feeling that the problem is that they all want the schools to run self-funded. Separating its accounts from the church, this i think may be the problem.

Like i said, I ain't judging. I just pray to do it better when i get to that position.

kennygee: I am a Christian and a born again one at that. There is no where in the bible that the church was a money making venture. Was Oyedepo's education expensive? Most of the men of their generation enjoyed scholarships self. To me, the church should give out, instead of competing with the world. A Church university that cannot be accessed by more than half its congregation has lost it.

With due respect ma, there's nothing like born again christian, you are either a christian or you are not. I dare say that the cost of education in these private christian schools is due to the fact that they have to pay world class lecturers, fund hostels, generate power, provide basic world class amenities without funding from the federal or state government. It costs quite a fortune to be self sustaining christian university or not

proffemi:
Yes, anybody can, but few, very few actually do. CU is one of the very few. I'm happy you acknowledge that below.



And how do you suppose they should attract quality faculty who can then do excellent research? Do you suppose they should simply place an ad for the world's 100 top researchers and pay over the odds to get them to Naija? That's never going to happen. Nobody risks his career that way. I'll tell you how: it's by first getting a reputation, and by putting certain things on ground. Only after that can you gradually ramp up the quality of your staff/students and research. "Certain things on ground" covers having the following (among others)

- well-run system;no bottlenecks, disciplined staff and students
- good/appropriate levels remuneration for quality scholarship when encountered or recruited (i.e. a flexible remuneration system)
- desire to court, (and ability to deliver) top-class faculty for short- or long-term visits
- demonstrated willingness to spend to acquire excellent facilities
- willingness to sponsor staff to fora where they can network, and thus possibly start collaborations
- demonstrated awareness of global trends and passion to key in etc

Once you get a reputation for the above, you then craft a solid pitch to lure quality faculty to commit to risking part of their careers to work with you.

I have never even seen the gate of Covenant University, so I have no inside info. However, going solely by what I read on the pages of newspapers, I'd say they are doing a better job of the above than basically any other Nigerian university. People think some of their moves are publicity stunts. Perhaps, they're simply trying to cultivate a certain reputation?. You say you are yet to see any drive? Perhaps you have not been looking or listening. Not when they recently made so much noise about having a Nobel laureate visit, and stated they are actively courting other laureates. Not when Coscharis motors recently praised them for being the fastest Nigerian university to respond to an opportunity to stake a claim to the Nigerian auto industry.

I repeat: CU may not be better than federal universities right now. But they have a clear vision. And contrary to what you say, there is evidence of passion. So, yeah, I'm still gonna have to stick to my initial assessment: it appears Oyedepo would love to show that he can operate a world-class university in Nigeria.

Every top school strives to get the best of professors as this puts them on a higher pedestal in terms of ratings. The last time I checked, many of their professors are not full time as they hold their main faculty positions in other Universities and they do not have publications in top journals. Well, they might have plans towards getting more full time lecturers which I may not be privy to but the top 10 vision to me seem highly unrealistic.

TheMatrix3:

With due respect ma, there's nothing like born again christian, you are either a christian or you are not. I dare say that the cost of education in these private christian schools is due to the fact that they have to pay world class lecturers, fund hostels, generate power, provide basic world class amenities without funding from the federal or state government. It costs quite a fortune to be self sustaining christian university or not

How many world class lecturers do they have? I understand that the cost of funding in our private universities is on the high side nonetheless, we need not exergerate things to pass our message across.

GboyegaD: Every top school strives to get the best of professors as this puts them on a higher pedestal in terms of ratings. The last time I checked, many of their professors are not full time as they hold their main faculty positions in other Universities and they do not have publications in top journals. Well, they might have plans towards getting more full time lecturers which I may not be privy to but the top 10 vision to me seem highly unrealistic.

I too think their top 10 vision is unrealistic, but that is neither here nor there.
The issue before us is whether I can provide evidence to back up my assertion that Oyedepo probably wants to run a world-class university. I think that by showing the existence of a clear vision (realistic or not) and the passion to pursue it, I have more than enough justification for that assertion.

kennygee: I am a Christian and a born again one at that. There is no where in the bible that the church was a money making venture. Was Oyedepo's education expensive? Most of the men of their generation enjoyed scholarships self. To me, the church should give out, instead of competing with the world. A Church university that cannot be accessed by more than half its congregation has lost it.

Where do you want them to get the money for running the schools,pay lecturers, maintain infrastructure...? The tithes and offerings can only take care of say one-hundredth of the total.

Na wa oh, Nigerian men of god, always feeling they are one step ahead of the intelligence of the average person! If you believe it's fair to deal only with the rich in the area of education, why not mentain the status quo in the area of religion and ask only the rich to attend your church??! Guess the numbers will be small and the rich think better when it comes to religious matters! Talk about con!

proffemi:

I too think their top 10 vision is unrealistic, but that is neither here nor there.
The issue before us is whether I can provide evidence to back up my assertion that Oyedepo probably wants to run a world-class university. I think that by showing the existence of a clear vision (realistic or not) and the passion to pursue it, I have more than enough justification for that assertion.

Ok ooo

Ouch!!

You are evulz

Setting him down to earth like that?!

he is only regurgitating the new age spiel we hear in some churches nowadays

Shock:

oh shut it with your bloody diatribe already. Sounds like the sort of manure that you are being sold in your schools - to justify the extortion and fleecing.

Face it you are no Stephen Hawkings, Che Guevara, Steve Jobs or Micheal Faraday.

Chances are, you are just one of the millions of people that leave school for a paid employment. You will never change your world. You will get married, have kids and die in your old age, just like every other person! Nothing makes you special. YOU ARE A COMMON MAN!

nijanigga:
This one is thinking with his a-n-u-s ,bringing US and stupidly supporting the money "MOG" In US you can fund your education in many ways, including taking loan,grants e.t.c plus purchasing power, which is not available in Nigeria.

Learn to be civil in a faceless forum.I will let your insult pass but i won't take it likely with you next time.