The Deputy National Vice Chairman (South) of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Ben Nwoye, has announced cash rewards for the best graduating students of the Faculty of Law at the Enugu Catholic Diocese-owned Godfrey Okoye University (GOUNI), Enugu.
Nwoye made the announcement on Monday after he was celebrated by the university for his continuous support to the institution. He announced a cash reward of N500,000 for the best graduating student, N300,000 for the second-best graduating student, and N200,000 for the third-best graduating student in the faculty.
Addressing the management and law students present at the event shortly after receiving a colourful congratulatory portrait presented to him by the Vice Chancellor of GOUNI following his victory at the APC convention in Abuja, Dr. Nwoye expressed deep appreciation to the faculty for the honour.
He said: “I am indeed deeply grateful for this gesture. I have been a friend of the university, particularly the Faculty of Law, over the years, but I never knew they were taking cognisance of my participation and movement in Nigeria’s political space.
“So, I am not just delighted by this gesture but extremely honoured by this show of love and brotherhood from the Faculty of Law.
“Though I did not study or attend law school in Nigeria, I have always felt GOUNI is my alma mater.”
As a way of encouraging the law students to take their studies more seriously, the APC chieftain reiterated the N500,000 reward for the overall best graduating student in the faculty, N300,000 for the second-best, while the third-best student will receive N200,000.
He also announced cash gifts for law lecturers as well as members of the faculty management.
Speaking at the event, the Vice Chancellor of the university, Rev. Fr. Prof. Christian Anieke, said the students and management decided to celebrate Nwoye because of his enormous contributions and outstanding relationship with the institution since inception.
According to him, Dr. Nwoye, a lawyer-turned-politician, “has been part and parcel of our Faculty of Law. He started supporting it from day one of its existence,” adding that the APC leader had invested significantly in the law students’ formation and development.
Prof. Anieke disclosed that the APC chieftain had been supporting law students through scholarships and funding their various activities, including organising end-of-academic-session celebrations for them at his country home in Amuri Ancient Kingdom, Nkanu West Local Government Area of Enugu State.
“So, when we got the news of his election into his new office as Deputy National Chairman (South) of the APC, the number two man in the party , we decided to honour him because he has done so much for the Faculty of Law.
“We are not stopping here. We are going to do more for him to show Nigerians that Dr. Ben Nwoye is a great man and deserves to be celebrated.”
In their separate remarks, the incumbent Dean of the Faculty, Prof. Frank Asogwa, and his predecessor and current Rector of the Institute of Management and Technology (IMT), Enugu, Prof. Gozie Ogbodo, extolled Dr. Nwoye’s spirit of generosity, especially towards law students.
For the former Dean, the event was more of a homecoming for all of them, including the Deputy National Chairman, whom he described as a true friend of the faculty
He said: “We have come to celebrate a man who believes so much in us.
“When nobody believed in us, one man, Dr. Ben Nwoye, invested his resources in us,” recalling how Nwoye had consistently hosted students during Law Week celebrations at his country home.
“So, I must say that this recognition today is well deserved because it is a way of reciprocating what Dr. Ben Nwoye has been doing for our faculty.”
The highlight of the ceremony was the conduct of the faculty’s student election, which was also witnessed by Dr. Nwoye.
