The Catholic Bishop of Enugu Diocese, Most Rev. Callistus Onaga, has given approval for the Ntasiobi Ndi N’afufu Hospital to serve as Godfrey Okoye University (GOUNI) teaching hospital.
Bishop Onaga disclosed this during GOUNI 10th Convocation Ceremony held at the University College of Medicine, Ugwuomu, Enugu, on Saturday.
He said the College of Medicine had given the Catholic Church in Enugu Diocese the opportunity to make its contributions to the training of medical doctors.
Onaga said, “As part of our readiness to promote medical education in our university, I have, in consultation with the members of the Diocesan Curia, approved that the hospital should be used as the teaching hospital to GOUNI”.
The bishop stressed that the diocese would be investing huge amount of money to make the hospital a good teaching hospital.
While thanking the National Universities Commission for the approval of GOUNI’s College of Medicine, Bishop Onaga said the college had been the dream of the church.
According to him, approval is more remarkable as the church will bring relief to the poor, sick and weak in the society.
He, however, urged all Catholics and friends to assist in developing the hospital to make it a good place for the training of medical students as well as centre for research and treatment of the sick.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that founded in 2009, the school graduated 381 student out of which 335 students were awarded Bachelor degrees while 46 students were awarded masters and doctorate degrees.
Speaking at the ceremony, the Vice Chancellor, GOUN, Prof. Christian Anieke, said this year’s convocation was memorable as the university produced its first set of graduates from the Law Faculty.
He said: “I have no doubt that we have given our country a crop of brilliant, focused, innovative and God-fearing lawyers.
“The 10th convocation is an occasion for us to examine what makes our university unique”.
Anieke said the university had given Nigerian graduates, who are sound academically, socially, emotionally and psychologically, the platform to conquer and dominate intellectual space.
To the graduands, he said, “Remember who you are, the vice chancellor will not be assessing you but the world.
“Do not throw away the culture of hard work, prayerfulness and good social living, tolerance and punctuality which you learnt in our university,” he advised.
In an address, the Chancellor of the University, Bishop Ignatius Kaigama, expressed satisfaction with the school’s European Business Park.
Kaigama stated that the business park would be opened on Nov. 25 with over 100 dignitaries from Europe.
“By the grace of God, this business park will make our university the hub of European investment in Nigeria and a centre of excellence among Nigerian universities,” Kaigama said.
He commended Anieke for the good work going on in the university and for producing quality graduates. (NAN)