It gives me great pleasure to address you on the graduation ceremony for this promising group of young people who have lived and learnt so much together these past years.
As students, you have worked hard, and your parents and society, generally, have also worked hard to bring you this far. Today, we celebrate your success. Congratulations to you all!
Now cast your mind back to your first day in this institution. I’m sure you would still recall the sense of worry, nervousness, and nostalgia evoked by the new environment. There were so many new and strange things to get used to – new colleagues, new teachers, new premises.
There were odds stacked against your succeeding in this new atmosphere.
But you were determined to brave all odds and forge ahead.
Today, you are graduating into the wider society, having being reckoned worthy in character and learning by this great institution.
You are going into a world you know little about. But one thing we all know is that you have been equipped by this educational institution with the weapon you need to improve your circumstances and succeed as you navigate the plains and contours of your new terrain.
But to maximise the weapon of education, we must see it beyond the schooling system. The schooling system is limited in its design. It is anchored on curricula, learning methods or techniques. Thus, it does not really allow you to fully express yourself and get the amount of education you could have if you were to educate yourself. Though, it gives you a firm foothold to face the world.
The school system gives you a secure platform from which you can plot further progress.
I dare say that education is a system of continuous learning and application.
Education opens a variety of opportunities to an individual or a people. It empowers and motivates the mind to conceive good thoughts, ask questions, and grow knowledge.
Knowledge means the understanding or possession of facts, information, explanation, and skills about things. Every day, you hear people say knowledge is power. But I contest this popular assertion. Knowledge is not enough. My position in this brief presentation is that knowledge is power only when it is applied.
Man is the most powerful creature on earth, not because of physical strength, but just because of the knowledge he has. Knowledge empowers man to control the forces of nature and use them for his benefit. And the greatest benefit here is bringing happiness to the mass of the population.
Society can only experience the full meaning of “knowledge is power”, when we wisely apply knowledge to vigorously express our views and make intelligent decisions; when we use our knowledge to mobilise society in the right direction. It is only then that we gain power.
This brings us to the very important subject of deliberate awareness and involvement in happenings within our environment.
It was the German theologian, Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906 – 1945), who made the point that: “There are things for which an uncompromising stand is worthwhile”. I urge you as products of this college to make a meaningful commitment to a worthwhile cause for our common good. There are several men and women in world history who have taken a stand for worthy causes. These men and women have made tremendous contribution to world peace, environmental protection, human rights defence, and protection of human dignity. I have in mind here global icons like Nelson Mandela; Mother Theresa; Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and others. You need to take action to change our society. All of human progress is connected to action.
Very soon the political bells shall be tolling again, and Nigerians will be going to the polls to elect new leaders at various levels.
If I may ask, how many of you have your Permanent Voters Card (PVC)?
Well, if you don’t have your PVC, try to get it in good time before the general elections.
As young people, who are the strength of the nation, you have a responsibility to use the education and knowledge you have acquired to provide better governance to the country.
True democracy can only become a reality when the citizens of the country are knowledgeable about their social, economic, and political conditions. When the darkness of ignorance is removed and the people’s confidence is boosted.
You should actively participate as electors and those to be elected. And, very importantly, your participation should be devoid of violence, vote rigging, mudslinging, misinformation, and other vices that predispose society to disorder.
In conclusion, as we launch you into a new phase of life today, always endeavour to be good ambassadors of this institution, which has laboured to equip you with education, a key element of life. Continue to make your parents and the country proud by growing in success. Never give in to discouragement, no matter the circumstance.
I thank you for your attention.
Mr. Buokoribo, Chairman, Governing Council, Federal College of Education, Eha-Amufu, Enugu State presented this article on the occasion of the 33rd Combined Convocation Ceremony on Friday, 11 March 2022
