Prof Obiora Ike, Pro-chancellor, Plateau State University Charges higher institutions to Imbibe ethics, value

Prof Obiora Ike, the Pro-chancellor, Plateau State University Bokkos, says has charged higher institutions in the country to imbibe ethics and value so that their students will be found worthy in character and learning in the society

Prof. Ike said this in Nsukka on Thursday while presenting the 50th Convocation Lecture of University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN) titled “Purpose-Driven and Value-Driven Higher Education”.

He said that the key to a radical change in society was through ethical education and leadership whereby people act according to ethical values.

“When institutions imbibe ethics and value in teaching their students, they will be found worthy in character and learning in the society.

“It’s useless and makes no sense that one graduated with first class without value and ethics, such graduates will be a nuisance.

“Ethics is good in everything we do in life because it helps people to do the right thing at the right time, ” he said.

The Catholic Monsignor said that quality education is the only instrument to solve the problem of humanity and change the narrative.

“There is no need to establish more universities in the country when existing ones are not equipped to offer quality teaching and learning, in education what matters is not quantity but quality,” he said.

Ike who is also the Founder of the Catholic Institute for Development, Justice and Peace said that it was an irony that African countries that had rich natural resources were far behind in development to countries like China, South Korea which had poor natural resources.

“There is because African countries do not pay attention to the quality of education, and this limits their graduates in achieving breakthroughs in science and technology.

“Many governments in the industrialized world realize that new scientific knowledge hold key to our future wealth and health,” he said.

According to the Pro-chancellor, there was an urgent need to fill the global leadership vacuum to address the complex challenges confronting humanity now.

Ike expressed appreciation to UNN management for finding him worthy to deliver the 50th convocation lecture of the university.

In a remark, Prof Charles Igwe the Vice-Chancellor of UNN said that the institution would continue to sustain its tradition of convocation lecturer because of its importance to the university community and the general public.

“The honour of delivering UNN convocation lecture has been reserved for men and women of exceptional intellectual accomplishment.

“Ike is an internationally acclaimed speaker and scholar, known across the world as a champion of ethical thinking, policy, and behaviour,” he said.

Earlier, the Chairman of the occasion, Prof Mostow Onuoha, UNN Emeritus Professor, said that he was excited to chair the occasion when he heard that Prof. Ike would be the convocation lecturer.