The Provost of the Federal Cooperative College, Ibadan, Dr. Stephen Oyeleye, has issued a strong warning to the school’s new students.
In his address at the college’s 81st matriculation ceremony, held today at the school’s auditorium, where over 400 students were welcomed into the institution, the Provost emphasized the importance of hard work, integrity, and respect for authority.
The Provost also warned the students against engaging in immoral activities and emphasized the college’s zero-tolerance policy for sexual harassment and other forms of misconduct. He urged the students to be exemplary members of the college community and to make the most of the opportunities available to them.
He said: “My dear matriculants, I welcome you wholeheartedly to the Federal Cooperative College, Eleyele and Ibadan- the first Cooperative Monotechnic in the West African sub-region as the 81st set of students to drink from the pool of knowledge of the college.”
“This is an institution where indolence, indiscipline, thuggery, hooliganism and cultism are not tolerated. Rather, the hallmark of the college for which we have been known for these past 80 years are discipline, hard work, resilience, obedience, academic brilliance and good conduct. The college has taken steps to metamorphose into a polytechnic.”
He urged the students to focus on their studies and avoid distractions, such as cultism, cybercrime, and other vices, adding: “I implore you to please incorporate the sacred values of cooperatives in our lives. These are the values of openness, equity, solidarity, empathy, social responsibility and honesty.”
“It is my fervent belief that these values, this college has existed over the years and with them, we shall live in unity to reach great heights in the service of mankind and to the glory of God.”
Also in her remark to the new students, the registrar of the college, Dr. Victoria Ademilua, emphasized the importance of using their time at the college wisely.
She said that the years spent at the college are a precious gift, and urged the students to make the most of them by engaging in both academic and extracurricular activities.
Dr. Ademilua encouraged the students to take advantage of the opportunities available to them, such as the college’s internship programme, stressing the importance of developing a sense of self-confidence and self-reliance, and encouraged the students to dream big and set ambitious goals for themselves.
The matriculation ceremony was attended by the parents of the new students, as well as other dignitaries from the college and the local community.
The students took the oath of matriculation, promising to uphold the values and traditions of the college also pledging to work hard and to conduct themselves with dignity and integrity.
The ceremony concluded with a procession and the singing of the college’s anthem.
