Alex- Ekwueme Federal University Ndufu – Alike, Ebonyi State, on Friday 24th January 2020, held her 8th Matriculation Ceremony and Open Day in grand style with the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Chinedum Nwajiuba visiting all faculties in the University, congratulating and celebrating with matriculants and their parents and guardians. The faculties so visited were Agriculture, Basic Medical Sciences, Education, Engineering and Technology, Humanities, Management and Social Sciences with the following number of matriculants; 57,348,380,328, 422 and 994 respectively.


VC, Prof. Nwajiuba addressing the Parents’ Forum

In his address, the Vice-Chancellor, welcomed students, parents and guardians to the 8th matriculation ceremony, stating that freshmen have gone through the rigorous process of the Ordinary level School Certificate Examinations, JAMB, and the screening exercise of the University. Prof. Nwajiuba revealed that out of 11,335 who sat for Post-UTME in the University only 3,064 matriculated, which represents only 27%, he therefore charged the freshmen to guard the opportunity jealously in order to be successful in the end and to avoid distractions that are common with freedom away from parents and teachers, which they may be exposed to for the first time.


Administration of Matriculation Oath.


Matriculants in procession

Prof Nwajiuba encouraged the new entrants to attend lectures as prerequisite to sit for examinations and ensure that all required fees are paid before examinations because the University needs the money to provide teaching materials, examination papers, workshop chemicals, tables, chairs, water and electricity amongst others .VC informed his audience that AE – FUNAI is acknowledged as the most serious public University in the country, with serious academic calendar, adding that absence from lectures, workshops, and laboratories by lecturers and technologists is near zero in the University. Prof Nwajiuba pointed out that there is no sale of books and handouts by lecturers as only quality and globally known books maybe recommended by lecturers and only obtainable in bookshops. He iterated that the school has inception quiz which commences around the second week of each semester and is 10% of the course credit load and that the school also has mid-semester examinations and end of semester examinations, which should be taken seriously. He did not forget to state that final year students of the university usually have their results and performances known promptly and mobilized for National Youth Service (NYSC), the same year.


Provost, College of Medicine, Prof. Ezeonu, receiving VC, Prof. Nwajiuba

Nwajiuba also told the matriculants and their parents and guardians present at the event that apart from being the Matriculation Day, it is also OPEN DAY and the University management expects students, parents and guardians to meet and interact with staff, Deans, Heads of Departments and Units as well as lecturers. He used the medium to warn students against joining cults,s reminding them that it is against the first commandment “Thou Shall have no other gods…’’ (Exodus 20, 3-5). He added that membership of such cults confer no advantage but the oats they take and their practices are clearly ungodly, and consequences of such oaths confer no advantage to the society. Nwajiuba did not hesitate to also warn students against indecent and improper dressing in the campus.

The Vice – Chancellor ended by stating that “No nation and no society rises above the quality of her brains and intellects. The university sits atop a knowledge-driven world. Our most important assets are our human resources. These define not only our today but our future. The youth are that future. What we do with them defines our future”.


Cross section of Parents at the Open Day session

Earlier before the matriculation proper, VC, Prof. Chinedum Nwajiuba addressed the Parents’ Forum, thanking them for making out time to come, and went ahead to say that AE-FUNAI Parents’ Forum is about four years and unique in many ways. Prof. Nwajiuba pointed that the main aim of AE-FUNAI Parents’ Forum was for the parents to partner with the University and also to bring the parents closer to the happenings in the University, thus ensuring proper Parents – University relationship for better education of their children.

The Vice Chancellor, reminded the parents of the generation of children we have now who are suffering a lot of distractions because they are left alone at home and at the mercy of home videos and other electronic gadgets, while their parents are out there working in order to make life better for them and end up making the children feel reluctant to concentrate in their studies.


Prof. Omaka, Dean, Faculty of Science, presenting VC’S Address

The Vice Chancellor, advised the parents to take more interest in ensuring that their children give them receipts of fees paid for and evidence of course registration and results for the year, affirming that the Parents’ Forum is a right choice for them and the University. He also reminded the parents of how committed and dedicated the University is, reiterating that in AE-FUNAI, lecturers teach well and the University sticks to the school calendar. He urged the parents and guardians to help raise their children spiritually as these children cannot be raised in a spiritual vacuum, while wishing them and their children God’s blessing.

Prof. Nwajiuba took time to host some family friends, including Prof. Titus and Prof Mrs Joy C Nwabueze, DVC, Administration, Michael Okpara Federal University of Agriculture, Umudike, Abia State, Sir Eugene Nwaizugbe, MD/CEO, IVY Computers Limited, whose wards were among the matriculants.


VC and wife with Onuoha family


VC with Nwabueze family


VC, and Sir Nwaizugbe family