Monitor your children’s academic progress, VC urges parents

Prof. James Ogbonna,

the Vice Chancellor (VC), State University Medical and Applied Science (SUMAS) Igbo-Eno, Enugu State, has urged parents to intentionally monitor their children and wards’ academic progress.

Ogbonna also called on parents to report any discomfiting academic traits about their children and wards to the university authorities.

He made the call on Saturday during the institution’s third matriculation ceremony at the Igbo-Eno campus, near Nsukka.

Supreme news reports that 1,225 were formally admitted into the institution during the event.

The VC said: “We urge parents and guardians to monitor the progress of their children and feel free to call our attention, if they notice a trait that is discomfiting.

“This is because young people can be easily distracted by the freedom inherent in liberal university education.

“We are committed to ensuring that by the time your wards graduate from here, they will be disruptively innovative and confident graduates, who will compete favourably with graduates from the best universities in the world.”

While congratulating the matriculants, he warned: “SUMAS has zero tolerance for cultism, examination malpractices and other criminal activities.

“Make sure you do not get involved in any of those because the institution will not hesitate to sanction any defaulter.

“Bear in mind that while your family, including your parents, will enjoy the pride of having you graduate from the university, the degree and training you will receive here will be your own key to a better life.”

Ogbonna expressed his gratitude to Gov. Peter Mbah for his transformational leadership, “which is already bearing unquantifiable fruit in all sectors of the state economy.

“The governor has given us all the support, we have no reason not to become the centre of excellence in medical and applied science education envisioned by the founder of the university and as enshrined in our vision and mission.

“With the governor’s support, phase one of the teaching hospital as well as the mother and child hospital have been completed, while an additional office block and an animal house have been added to our critical infrastructure.

“These are awaiting the governor’s inauguration.

“With these, the teaching hospital will start fully operational as soon as a chief medical director is appointed as well as our administrative and sundry support staff,” Ogbonna said.

In a speech, Gov. Mbah, who is the Visitor to the university, said his administration would continue to take education seriously.

He said that since the inception of his administration, education had continued to receive the highest budgetary allocation.

The governor, represented by the Commissioner for Health, Prof. Emmanuel Obi, said his government would continue to give adequate support and funding to SUMAS to achieve the target of making the state the centre of medical tourism in West Africa.

“I commend the VC and management of SUMAS over their dedication, which has resulted in the university’s rapid growth, in terms of quality academics and increase in students admission number,” he said.

He congratulated the matriculants for being lucky to gain admission into the university and urged them to take their studies seriously in order to graduate with good grades and justify their parents’ huge investment in them.

The Chairman of Enugu State Council of Traditional Rulers, Igwe Samuel Asadu, was among the dignitaries at the ceremony.