The Vice Chancellor, Ahman Pategi University (APU), Kwara State, Prof. Mahfouz Adedimeji, has urged students newly admitted into the university to resist the tendency to be in their comfort zone in order to excel in their studies.
The vice chancellor advised the fresh students to resist the temptation to keep bad company and indulge in immorality while enjoining them to be steadfast in their studies and pursuit of excellence.
Adedimeji gave the advice while delivering his speech tagged ‘Persist and Resist’ at the 2nd matriculation ceremony of the 2022/2023 fresh students held recently at APU hall.
He said, “Dear students, to achieve your purpose of attaining quality education in Ahman Pategi University, always remember that you must persist and resist. What must you persist on? You must persist in reading, studying, devoting time and committing energy to the pursuit of excellence.
“You must persist in ensuring that you attend your lectures, do your assignments, engage in class discussions, obey rules and regulations and keep your eyes on the ball of your primary assignment in the University. If you are persistent, you will be excellent. As the Arabs say, man jadda wajada, meaning whoever strives achieves (his goal).
“Meanwhile, for your success to be guaranteed, you must also resist. What must you resist? You must resist the tendency to be in your comfort zone and the temptation to do what is wrong. In other words, you must resist bad company, procrastination, laziness, complacency and indulgence in immorality. You are only admitted to study for an average of four years and this period has serious implications for the life you’ll live after you graduate. It is my prayer that you will all succeed!”
The vice chancellor said 96 students comprising 69 UTME matriculants and 27 direct entry students were matriculated, adding that the students cut across 13 of the 15 programmes run by the university, apart from the current 29 diploma students in the university’s College of Advanced Studies (APCAS).
Adedimeji reminded the matriculating students of quality education as the fourth Sustainable Development Goal, noting that the people, planet and prosperity depend on it since nothing can be achieved on the basis of ignorance.
“High quality education is what is envisioned and provided by Ahman Pategi University to make our people greater, our planet better and our prosperity assured. This is the type of education that focuses on the whole person while addressing the social, emotional, mental, physical and cognitive development of the student. This is summarised and mirrored by the University motto, ‘Wise Minds, Skilled Hands.’
“It is this education that makes other goals achievable because it is the foundation of all development goals. The reality of today’s world is that intellect only, or developing the cognitive domain of learning, is not enough, wisdom and skills are paramount,” he added.
Dailytrust.com