NUC approves degree courses in Medicine and Surgery for Veritas University
Veritas University is owned by the Catholic Church.
Speaking at the 12th convocation of the institution and the conferment of degrees and awards of prizes, Ichoku said the varsity was consolidating its programme in Computer Science, Software Engineering and Computer Engineering.
He said Computer Sciences and allied courses were areas in which the varsity desired to build excellence and attain competitive edge because its students were making great strides in the programmes.
“We believe we have achieved the fundamentals of stabilising the university.
“In the last five years, we have seen tremendous growth in the university and now it is time to consolidate with a few more programmes.
“We will not be in a hurry to start more programmes, but there are critical programmes we are about to establish that will really mean we have completed our cycle, more or less.
“One is medicine and we have just been given approval by the NUC to begin; so we are starting admission into Medicine and Surgery in this academic session.
“In fact, admissions are open right now for students who want to study Medicine at Veritas University,’’ he said.
Ichoku said the institution would begin the construction of its Engineering and Innovation Centre by January and it would be a Centre of Excellence with world class equipment.
He added that the university had initiated a scholarship programme for indigent students of its host community as a way of giving back to society.
Ichoku said 10 students from the institution’s host community had so far benefitted from the scholarships.
In his remarks, Chancellor of the university, Archbishop Ignatius Kaigama called on government to seriously address insecurity to create a safe environment for students to study.
“We are witnessing fantastic growth. We started so little and we had series of obstacles to face but many years after we are happy the university is ready to give the best to Nigeria.
“We are expanding because there is so much demand; the facilities are inadequate but we have the potential and our hopes are high that we will be the best university in Africa.
“The economic and security challenges are there; parents are finding it difficult to cope with the demands of their children, but insecurity is an issue.
“We hope our government will see to this because we are not at war.
“We shouldn’t be having this type of situation where we have to have the military with us even when we are taking snacks; it is not good at all,’’ Kaigama said.
Some of the graduating students who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) expressed hope of a greater nation.
Mr Jeffrey Nnoli, a graduate of Education expressed his fears about what the future held and appealed to government to create an environment conducive to the success of graduates.
Another one, Miss Christiana Effiong, a graduate of Computer Science, expressed the hope that things would work in her favour as she had committed her future into the hands of God. (NAN)
