Friday, January 12, 2007, was a day of joy at Covenant University as the fifth set of its undergraduate students numbering 1,560 were formally admitted into various degree programmes of the University at a joint matriculation ceremony marked with pomp and pageantry.

The event, which also saw about 28 postgraduate students officially admitted into the University’s graduate studies under its unique staff development scheme, attracted dignitaries from all walks of life.

The Chancellor, Dr David Oyedepo, while delivering his address at the occasion re-appraised the University visionary perspective, which he said anchors on the four dimensional leadership concept of skill and capacity development, spirituality, training in integrity and visionary leadership.

The Chancellor who lamented on the dearth of godly and credible leadership in the country despite array of degree carrying men and women, said CU, like the four biblical lepers who had to flee into the camp of the enemy in search of solution to national crises, has found the solution to the nation’s problems, which he said was rooted in leadership, and therefore committed to the awesome task of raising a new generation of leaders in various fields of human endeavour through training methodology that emphasizes skill and character.

"Our mission is to empower students towards national reconstruction, reconciliation, socio-economic development and restoration of human dignity resulting in transformation of our society", the Chancellor further explained.

Dr Oyedepo, who also said that the University had vowed to maintain discipline as its watchword, assured all the matriculating students and other CU students and parents of the University’s commitment to its covenant of empowering the students for enthronement as well as shielding them from social and environmental pollution that had corrupted the polity.

He therefore admonished the students to maximize their stay at the University by not only engaging in strategic planning but also by being committed to actualizing such plans in order to accomplish their mission in the University.

In an address at the occasion, the Vice Chancellor, Prof Aize Obayan, said CU, within its short developmental history, has emerged as a University of reference through its numerous achievements that culminated in a number of national and international recognitions. She mentioned the University’s invitation to the Commonwealth Education Partnership as one of the recent feats recorded by the institution.

The Vice Chancellor also said that the University being aware of the unique challenges facing the product and rating of the modern day African university, was committed to reversing the trend by "redefining and refining the idea of a University for our time’, in addition to packaging its graduating class for the world of work and the demands of the realities of external contexts of the university where they would eventually function.

She congratulated parents of the matriculating students for their worthy investment of sending their children and wards to the University and implored them to partner with the University by imbibing its core values and reinforcing them in their relationship with their wards at home.

Prof Obayan who announced, to the delight of audience, the positive feedback about the quality and conduct of the University’s graduates recently released as Eagles, urged the matriculating students to develop global visions and the ambitions to provide solutions to a world very much in need of solution providers, trailblazers and touch bearers of dynamic reforms and societal, national and continental renaissance and reconstruction.

The event which took place at the University Chapel was preceded by a matriculation lecture titled, "Ethical Issues In Research: Paradigms and Processes for Universities In Africa" delivered by Professor A. Idowu Olayinka, of the University of Ibadan.

Click here to view pictures of the event