I’m in pain because I’m going to miss you, ESM Benin University VC tells graduating students at convocation

*As Kaduna, Nigerian emerges ‘Best Graduating’ student 2023

*’We discovered and awakened the hidden talent in you’ – Dr Igeh

*You came, you saw, you conquered, Prof Aggrey-Fynn eulogises graduands

By KEMI KASUMU

It was full of ecstatics as the La Maison Des Batisseurs Hall of the 2023 edition of Ecole Superiure De Management (ESM) Benin University’s Convocation Ceremony in Cotonou, Republic of Benin, on Sunday February 25, 2024, as about over a hundred students who had successfully completed their course of studies for the Class of 2023 convocated.

Best Overall Graduating Student for the ESM Benin University’s Class of 2023 was announced to be a Nigerian student from Kaduna State, Taiwan Gaius Auta.

The event, which saw Gaius Auta emerge overall best, had earlier presented him as best of his Department of Political Science and one of five first class graduates the university produced in the year.

The event became like dew in the dawn and snow in day light, which rained with all their splashes of emotions scattered over everyone as speeches began to flow from the University’s Registrar, Dr Ovie Godson Igeh; Dean of Students Affairs, Dr. Taiwo Ojo; Coordinator of Proframmes and Representative of the Vice Chancellor, Barrister Lawani Aliyu Ahmed, among others including Professor Alfred Aggrey-Fynn, who told the special guests, parents and and graduating students from across West Africa to get set as he was going to lead the graduands in linguistic statement.

“Linguistic says Latin is dead but we are going to wake it up,” he said and then directed the graduands to say after him, “Vini, vidi, visi” and also translated, “I came, I saw, I conquered.”

Parents and guests, who made it to the country from Nigeria despite the inter-national economy occasioned by drastic fall of Naira to Beninoise currency, Republics of Niger, Ghana, Togo, Mali and Burkina Faso, were ostensibly enthused by what they saw as the event showcased ESM Benin University’s standing as a citadel of academic excellence with eyes to the stars.

In his opening remarks, ESM Benin University’s Registrar, Dr Ovie Godson Igeh, said, “Parents, I say welcome to Benin Republic. Despite the challenges and due to the exchange rate, you still made it here because of how important you know this event is, to your offsprings. Once again, I say welcome to Republic of Benin,” he said.

The Registrar continued, “And to my beloved students, you are welcome. To the graduands, I say welcome. ESM Benin University has a great tradition of success. Our core value is the quest for excellence. Several important personalities have passed through this University. So, we encourage you to strive for excellence, which the university stands for. We have been able to discover your hidden talents and awaken the sleeping giants in you and I am referring to my graduands.

“We thank parents for their contributions in seeing through your academic pursuit. I wish you safe journey as you return tonyour various destinations. Thank you,” Dr. Igeh said.

Barrister Lawani Aliyu Ahmed, Coordinator of Programmes and Representative of Vice Chancellor, ESM Benin University, in his speech, said, “This is an educational programme and also a ceremonial programme to, first if all, honour the graduating students that are going and also welcome the matriculation students. We are always glad to receive you in our midst.

“To the parents that are here, I also want to thank you for your efforts and your contributions. We know it is not easy but God will always support you to push your children far.

“To the matriculation students, we always give an orientation because you are new in Benin Republic and so you have to know what you are going to face forbthevthreevyears you are going to spend in this country.

“At ESM Benin University, we cherish discipline, hardworking and, at the end, success. So to the matriculation students I wish you to, at the end of your studies, aspire the maximum knowledge that will make you different from others out there. You are going to represent us in such a way that, out there, you can represent us with all the honours.”

Degrees award confirmed

To the graduating students the Vice Chancellor said, “I’m in pain because I’m going to miss you guys,” he said and the hall went up in big blast of ovation and he added, “I am sincere”.

He said, “I am going to miss tge good time, the bad time but I’m going to miss you. And I pray that all of you, once you are out there, employers will be looking for you not you looking for them” and a chorus of ‘Amen!’ sounded across the convocation hall.

He continued, “Because we know that we gave you what is necessary for you to face the world out there that becomes very hard day by day but you are going to have a miss so that your parents will be proud of you and their sacrifices will not be in vein.”

The Vice Chancellor, thereafter, confirmed the award of Bachelors Degree Honours upon the graduating students.

Highlights of the event included the announcement, by the registrar, of N100,000 financial gift for the best overall graduating student, Tagwai Gaius Auta, and each of all the over 10 departmental best, while another guest also announced N100,000 financial gift to Gaius and N50,000 to other best students.

Matriculation

Sunday’s event also featured the matriculation of freshers, to whom the registrar, Dr. Igeh, said, “To the matriculation, you are all welcome to ESM Benin University. I wish to congratulate all of you, who have gained administration into this great and prestigious institution of higher learning. I urge you to take advantage of this golden opportunity and face your studies seriously.

“You need to pledge your allegiance to the authority of this great university through the admission and matriculation oath. You are to ensure that you do not bring the name of the university into disrepute. You keep ESM Benin University in positive light at all times. We promise you a memorable stay in an environment conducive for learning. I wish to assure you, once again, that you are welcome and are in good hands.”

Leading the matriculation students was the Director Studies and Dean of Students Affairs, Dr. Bolaji Ojo. He asked them to say after him the content of the oath sheet and, after the oath taking, directed the new students to sign and submit to the administration department in three days.

The over 100 new products of the ESM Benin University included nationals from the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Republic of Ghana, Republic of Niger, and cut across Microbiology, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Accounting, Economics, Business Administration, Mass Communication, Estate Management, among others.

By national standard, Republic of Benin is widely appreciated for its high premium on all levels of education, while also being generally commended across the ECOWAS bloc for its well coordinated and strictly monitored Public Private Participation based higher education.

The DEFENDER’s investigation in Cotonou revealed that, against what obtains in Nigeria where National Universities Commission (NUC) accredits universities, the Ministry of Higher Education is charged with same responsibility in the Republic of Benin, among which schools it has accredited so far ESM Benin University is one, by its principle and policy that is of zero tolerance to substandard, many universities seen not to have met the country’s expectations were shutdown.

In one of his chats with The DEFENDER, the Dean of Students’ Affairs, Ecole Superiure De Management (ESM) Benin University, Taiwo Ojo, had described the institution as a bi-section set up with the main campus being French Section while there is other campus being English Section run concurrently and are both located within the Republic of Benin seat of government, Cotonou.