Excitement as Lux Mundi, first private varsity in Umuahia takes off

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By Steve Oko

Lux Mundi University, the first ever private university on the soil of Umuahia, the capital city of Abia State Nigeria, has commenced academic activities with so much excitement by the people.

Stakeholders including traditional rulers and clergy men gathered at the temporary site of the university located at New Ndagbo City, Isiama Afaraukwu Ibeku, during the unveiling of the principal officers and members of the Management team.

Speaking during the glamourous event, Founder of the university and an illustrious son of Umuahia, Professor Gabriel Okenwa, said he decided to site the institution in the area to help fast- track development in the capital city.

The immediate-past Executive Director, Bank of Agriculture, also said the university would help afford opportunity to the teeming number of admission tertiary seekers in the South East zone to actualise the course of their dream.

He noted that over 90,000 admission seekers from the zone, are yet to be offered admission in the current Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) admission exercise.

Professor Okenwa who rose to stardom through the banking industry, regretted that Umuahia had no single university after 32 years of existence as a state capital.

He said that Lux Mundi University had broken the jinx, while urging those desirous of university degrees to take advantage of the university and pursue their ambition.

The ace banker who said he sold all he had to establish the university to satisfy his passion, noted that his challenges in acquiring western education, and the advice of his late father, also motivated him.

Narrating his humble background and economic challenges in his academic pursuit, Professor Okenwa said ” people contributed money for my WAEC registration”.

“This land raised me to what I am today. I have to honour this land by siting this university here”, he added.

He said that the university would focus so much on entrepreneurial skills and technology to produce people that would impact society.

“This university is going to change the trajectory of academics in our state. Lux Mundi is poised to produce graduates with special skills that will make them wealth creators.”

Responding to Inquiry on the high cost of fees usually associated with private institutions, Professor Okenwa said the fees ” are fairly minimal”, adding that students of the institution will have option of continuing with their American partners from 300 level.

According to him the average fee for the courses offered in the university is N400,000 except Law programme that goes for N600,000 per session.

He further assured that no student admitted in the university would be allowed to drop out because of school fees, hinting that their foreign partners have set up foundations that would be offering scholarships to deserving students of the institution.

The founder said that the university had taken off with three faculties, namely: Management Sciences, Law, Arts/Social Sciences, plus law, while Medical Sciences, Engineering and others would take off soon.

Many religious leaders and traditional rulers at the event, poured encomiums on the Founder for his patriotism in establishing the university which, according to them, will help fast track development in the area.

In his remarks, the Methodist Archbishop of Umuahia Diocese, Archbishop Raphael Opoko, particularly commended Professor Okenwa for his honestly and diligence which helped propel him to enviable heights in the banking sector.

” Honesty pays”, Opoko said, while referring to the return of N16 million unspent allowance to the Federal Government by Okenwa which earned him a national honour in the past.

Similarly, Catholic Bishop of Umuahia, Most Rev. Michael Ukpong, represented by Rev. Father Henry Maduka, commended Okenwa for investing in the critical education sector.

He prayed for the success of the university, while urging others to invest in ventures that would positively affect lives.

The clerics and monarchs were later taken to the permanent site of the university where they blessed the land and prayed for the success of the new institution.

Climax of the event was the display of the provisional license of approval issued by the National University Commission (NUC), authorising Lux Mundi to operate and offer university education in Nigeria.

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Steve Oko, Publisher/C.E.O, WaWa News Global. For more information on advert placement and news coverage, contact us on: 08038725600, or via email stevemanofgod2000@yahoo.com; wawanewsglobal@gmail.com Always read WaWa News Global - Your most dependable online news platform for the latest breaking news in Nigeria.