BY EMMANUEL AHANONU, UNICAL

It was a remarkable day in the lives of graduating students of the University of Calabar (UNICAL), as the institution recently held its 26th convocation ceremony.

The three-day event witnessed the presence of His Excellency, President  Goodluck Jonathan, Governor of Cross River State, Sen. Liyel Imoke, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. James Epoke, as well as the university Management, Senate members, graduating students, their parents and loved ones.

Beginning the convocation programme was an inaugural lecture at the institution’s new Faculty of Arts Auditorium, delivered by Prof. Pai Obanya, a renowned Professor of Education.

Speaking on the topic: “21st Century Higher Education in Nigeria and Skill Acquisition: The Issue of Curriculum,” Obanya opined that the contemporary world has become  an arena of ‘how well’ not ‘how far.’

The Professor of Education, however, suggested several ways of repositioning the nation’s ivory towers reeling out sub-topics which included; the “evolutionary imperatives of higher education in the twenty-first century;” “transformation from Ivory towers to social laboratories;” “rapprochement with the demands of the knowledge economy” and “forceful competition with structures for the generation, transmission and sharing of knowledge outside the formal higher education structure”.

The don summed that “knowledge is the most valuable resource for addressing the challenges of a nation’s development,” adding “knowledge management is the main function of higher institutions and these institutions would have to strive to engage in societal useful knowledge.”

However, at the convocation ceremony, which presented over 8,422 students for the award of diploma and degree, six students bagged First Class Honours, with Obaji Syndia Philip of Law faculty, emerging the best graduating student with a CGPA of 4.55.

In his convocation address, the VC, Prof. James Epoke commended all who made it to the first convocation of his administration.

Epoke described the graduating students as good crops to the society based on rigorous knowledge, which they have inquired from the institution. He, however, charged them to be good ambassadors of the university and the society at large having been awarded in both character and in learning.

Speaking on behalf of the graduating students, Obaji Syndia described the institution as the best among contemporaries. She charged her colleagues to be good replica of the institution.