IGBOZURUOKE MEDIA

By Ibrahim Mohammed

UNIVERSITIES the world over are known as citadels of learning character­ized by their serenity, peace and tranquil­ity that permit effective learning, teaching and research.

The University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN), one of the premier universities in the country is known to have provid­ed much of the manpower development needs of the defunct eastern regional gov­ernment and the country at large.

Today, the lions and lionesses as gradu­ates of the famous university across the Niger are popularly called are roaring and occupying commanding heights in the public service, the military and para-military institutions, the organized private sector, blue chip companies, multinational corporations and local and foreign univer­sities amongst various fields of endeavour.

The preponderance of UNN graduates in positions of authority both home and abroad is a clear manifestation and tes­timony of the dreams and visions of the founding fathers who decades ago envi­sioned a University that would not only minister to the social and economic needs and day-to-day life of the people of Ni­geria but also produce capable graduates who would contribute to nation building for Nigeria to attain greatness in every field of human endeavour.

It is in recognition of the noble objectives and immense contribution of the Universi­ty’s founding fathers that the October 7, of every year is set aside as Founders’ Day, an important date to celebrate the success story and commemorate the anniversary of its establishment as one of the premier uni­versities in the country.

Thus, last Wednesday, October 7, 2015, the university was in a celebratory mood as all roads lead to the university town for the celebration of the 55th anniversary and the Founders’ Day which attracted people from all walks of life Given the immense contribution to the development of the na­tion and humanity in general, the university has really lived up to its motto “To restore the dignity of man”- which the Great Zik of Africa, one of the founding fathers of the great institution explained as a restitution of man’s inalienable birthright to social equality, economic security, political free­dom and religious tolerance.

What is worth celebrating during this anniversary is the remarkable transforma­tion witnessed in the institution in the last two decades, especially under successive administrations which came with a vision to restore the university to its past glory so that it will continue to restore the dignity of man in line with the aspiration of its found­ing fathers.

Thus, every structure in the university like the library, bookshop, hostels, classes, offices, sick bay, laboratories, guest houses and the roads have been given a face-lift just as social services like transportation, security and the provision of uninterrupted power and water supply have received a boost. The above mentioned achievements are in line with the aspiration of the Uni­versity administration to create an en­abling environment conducive to learning, teaching and research for the delivery of a world-class education and knowledge in conformity to global best practices.

The dreams of the founding fathers have been actualized and translated into real­ity by the outstanding achievements the university has recorded over the years in human capital development, research and development in renewable energy, bio­technology, medical and pharmaceutical sciences which put the university in global reckoning. Thus, sustaining the legacy of the founding fathers is a task that must be accomplished by this generation and gen­erations yet unborn for the university to continue to impact on the society and hu­manity.

The lions and lionesses would indeed continue to roar forever atop the mountain of hope, self-fulfillment and service to hu­manity.

.Culled from Daily Sun