The Chancellor of Covenant University, Dr. David Oyedepo, has charged the graduating class of 2022 to brace up and face challenges if they must make the most of their professional calling. Dr. Oyedepo said this during the 17th Convocation ceremony of Covenant University on Friday, January 6, 2023.
Delivering a lecture titled "Towards Emerging as an Eagle," Dr. Oyedepo said the privilege of emerging from a great institution like Covenant University is in the person's readiness to get out of their supposed comfort zone. According to him, "Every eaglet that continues to stay in the comfort of the nest may die an eaglet, but you, class of 2022, must be conscious of your roots and recognise that you now belong to the family of the eagles; as such, you cannot think like vultures and command the dignity of an eagle, because everyone is absolutely responsible for the outcome of his life," he posited.
Dr. Oyedepo said every graduate of Covenant University is named an "Eagle," because God has ordained every one of them to soar to great heights in life. However, for this to happen, each one will need to take on the covenant responsibility that turns eagles out of eaglets.
He noted that the responsibility of every graduand of Covenant University is to follow the leading of God, not what is in vogue or one’s feelings or even passion. "Nothing will ever be a substitute to following divine guidance in the adventure of life, as such every child of God that is truly committed to following the leading and guidance of the Spirit is another star waiting to happen to her world," he averred.
He tasked the graduands with being trained to take responsibility, engage in challenges to emerge champions in their professional calling, and embrace hard work and diligence in order to make the most of their God-ordained future.
The Pro-Chancellor of the University, Bishop David Abioye, said many educational institutions across the world are founded with the primary objective of helping students realize or discover their talents, gifts, and potentials; however, none of these institutions can ever actualize such innate abilities. Bishop Abioye said that while many of the graduating students of the Class of 2022 realized their God-given purpose while on campus, discovering one’s dream is not the same as actualizing it.
The Pro-Chancellor, speaking on the topic "The Power of Courage," said what makes a real graduate is not in the ceremonial gown he wears but in the challenges he has been prepared to face in town. Neither is it in the course they studied but the cause they go out to pursue in future.
He advised the graduands to line up along their individual journeys in life and confront daily challenges ranging from securing a job, career, and professional development to embracing new opportunities, etc. "What you don’t squarely confront, you cannot fully conquer," he stated. "You must therefore be ready to embrace challenges as the breakfast of champions."
Bishop Abioye said the need for courage cannot be wished away, as it is a vital virtue in maximising destiny. He said every notable conqueror testifies to courage as the foremost weapon because the highest level of expertise or most sophisticated weapon of war has no effect without courage.
He highlighted the importance of courage in embracing challenges, overcoming stagnation in life, breaking new ground, and confronting opposition if they must arrive at the zenith of their professional aspiration.
In his welcome remarks, the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Abiodun H. Adebayo, congratulated the 17th Set of Covenant for the remarkable feat of passing through the crucible of the Covenant University academic drill, noting that they have been well equipped to be able to adequately identify and optimise great opportunities that may come their way.
Professor Adebayo said the combined investment of parents, guardians, and the University will no doubt position the graduands to be able to play their part in redeeming the battered image of the black man. "We expect you to be able to turnaround the destiny of our nation and, by extension, the African continent as a whole.
He commended parents, guardians, and well-wishers for partnering with the University these past four to five years to raise, for God, an army of reformers and rescue agents that will become a pride for our world.
Delivering a goodwill message at the event, the Executive Governor of Kebbi State, Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, said, "We are here to join in the celebration of excellence, where the emphasis is laid on the subject of empowering young people with the requisite skillset beyond the realm of knowledge and imbuing them with virtues such as taking responsibility and facing life with courage."
Governor Bagudu commended the graduands for being among the lucky ones to be part of the centre of excellence called Covenant University that is populating the work space of Nigeria. "With what I have seen here today, I am confident that the class of 2022 will emerge as world changers and among those that would help explore the acres of diamond that Nigeria live upon and aid in transforming our society," he enthused.
President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Mr. Yakubu Chonoko Maikyau (SAN), said he was impressed listening to the goodwill message of the representative of the Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission (NUC), Professor Abubakar Rasheed, represented by the Director, Quality Assurance of the Commission, Dr. Noel Saliu, he said the testimony of Covenant University, being the most compliant, is a testament of an institution that operates on the basis of laws and appropriate legal framework.
He charged the graduands to go out into the world of work, bearing the seed of excellence that is synonymous with the Covenant, and transform Nigeria and the world at large.
Mr. Maikyau used the occasion to make a plea to Dr. Oyedepo and the Board of the University to make it possible, in no distant time that many would gather to celebrate the graduation ceremonies of law graduates from Covenant University.
A total of 1,934 graduands were conferred with first and higher degrees in various disciplines, with 1,677 bagging Bachelor's Degrees and 257 higher degrees awarded to both Masters and Ph.Ds.
In the graduating class of 2022, Dashe, Fatima Andat, of the Department of Accounting, made a perfect score of 5.0 CGPA to emerge as the best-graduating student of the 17th Set, Class of 2022.