Lux Mundi: No student will be sent away for inability to pay tuition fees – Pro-Chancellor

 From Boniface Okoro, Umuah

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Traditional Rulers and Religious Leaders blessing the permanent site of Lux Mundi University 

No indigent student who enrolls in Lux Mundi University, Umuahia, would be sent away because of his or her inability to pay tuition fees.

Founder and Pro-Chancellor of Lux Mundi University, the first private university to be sited in Umuahia, the Abia State capital, Prof. Gabriel Okenwa, who made this known, assured that funding would not be a barrier to any student who finds his way to university as indgent students would rather be offered scholarships.

According to the finance expert, instead of sending any indigent student away from the institution on account of his or her inability to continue to fund his or her education in the university, the institution, in partnership with its foreign partners, would offer such a student scholarship to enable the affected student to graduate.

Okenwa spoke at the Main Auditorium of the takeoff Campus of Lux Mundi University, New Ndagbo City, Isiama Afaraukwu, Ibeku, Umuahia during the unveiling of the institution and presentation of her Principal Officers, Deans and Professors.

The school was last year granted licence by the National Universities Commission (NUC) to operate as a private university in Umuahia.

The granting of scholarships to indigent students, who may find it difficult to graduate after enrollment, may not be unconnected with the humble background of the Pro-Chancellor who narrated how difficult it was for him to go to school but for the scholarships he enjoyed from good-spirited individuals that funded his education from primary to secondary schools.

He said those who bring their children or wards to Lux Mundi would be investing in the future of their children who may end up finishing their university education in the United States where the institution have strong partners.

“There is no child that will start here that will never finish. Even if you don’t have the money, we will source scholarship for you. Sourcing scholarship is ensuring that these our foreign partners cue you in as an indigent student. It is going to be like that,” Okenwa revealed.

“Most of our friends abroad have kick-started developing foundations which we are keying into. At the appropriate time they are going to ask us send list of candidates we have selected for scholarships,” he further disclosed, adding: “Our foreign partners have decided that the people that are going to school here, after three years, they will go to the US and finish their studies, if they wish to.”

Speaking on the uniqueness of the University, the Ex-Bank Chief said: “What Lux Mundi stands for, from the word go, is international hands-on skill. We want to train people that will produce leaders that will create wealth for others. More interestingly, this is a university that anybody that finishes from here or even in the third year, can join our affiliate universities there in the US.

“Anywhere you see a Lux graduate, the person must represent entrepreneurship, the person must represent hands-on, skill acquisition; it’s not all about theory.”

He said that the university was currently admitting students, emphasisng that NUC has approved all 13 courses offered by the university which is kicking off with three Faculties, namely Faculty of Law, Faculty of Management Sciences and Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.

Acting Vice Chancellor of Lux Mundi University, Prof Greene Eleagu, who is the Dean, Faculty of Management Sciences, told the audience comprising religious leaders and traditional rulers that “the university is founded on Christ who is light to the world.”

“In a Nigeria that is perverse today, this university is founded to illuminate our environment and it is coming ferociously to uproot those foundations that are holding down our society,” Greene added.

The Dean also said Lux Mundi was predicating “its existence on entrepreneurship and ICT” to make products of the institution marketable.

On his part, the Dean, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Prof. Paul Mbakwe, passionately appealed to education stakeholders to encourage students seeking admission to make Lux Mundi their university of choice.

“This university is going to change the academic trajectory and the future of education in Nigeria,” Prof Mbakwe said.

Archbishop of Umuahia Methodist Archdiocese, His Grace, Archbishop Raphael Opoko, who was formally presented with NUC Certificate of Approval authorizing Lux Mundi to operate as a private university, prayed that the “university will bring light and grow to become the best in Nigeria.”

Among the staff presented to the audience during the event were the Acting Vice Chancellor and Dean, Faculty of Management Sciences,  Prof. Greene Eleagu,  Dean, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Prof. Paul Mbakwe; Acting Registrar, Mrs. Joy Anozie Ibebunjo; Director of General Studies and Entrepreneurship Department, Dr. Ihuoma Uro and the Director of Academic Planning, Dr. Emenike Innocent Ikoro.