Valedictory Speech Presented By Dr. John Chigozie Ekenze: Imsu Best Graduating Student(2009-2016)

Your Excellency, The Governor of Imo State,

Honourable Chancellor,
Honourable Pro Chancellor,
Honourable Vice Chancellor,
Distinguished Staff,
Members of the Press,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
All protocols duly observed.
With great sense of humility, I feel privileged, honoured and excited to be here, not only to represent this awesome graduating class of Imo State University, Owerri, but to stand in the exact spot where great scholars have stood. Today is a very special and memorable day in our lives and we cannot but express the joy and gratitude we feel to God, our families and friends.

Nine years ago, on gaining admission into this great institution, I was excited and anxious at the same time. I was excited about the prospect of studying Optometry in the Nation’s leading School of Optometry and anxious about what the six years would hold. The first semester in school can best be described as tumultuous for me as I lost my father just before my Matriculation. My dreams appeared dashed and targets unattainable because I could not afford most of the text books I needed. Dropping out looked the likeliest option but I encouraged myself in the Lord, drawing succor from [Prov. 24:10]. And, today my heart is full of gratitude to God for making me a recipient of His enabling grace.

While not forgetting the place of diligence and discipline in this monumental achievement, I would not overlook the place of my family; family where life begins and love never ends. It was there I learnt to strive for excellence in defiance of all odds. I am deeply grateful to my late Dad, Mr. Cyprian Ekenze, my siblings and my Mum, Mrs. Regina Ekenze who despite her lack of education saw the need to train a child. She did several kinds of menial jobs to ensure I didn’t drop out of school. The debt of gratitude we owe to our parents, guardians, family and friends, for supporting us in more ways than it’s possible to count, is truly immense.

To our Chancellor, Pro Chancellor, Vice Chancellor and all the principal officers of this great University, thank you for making this institution the pride of all. To our amiable Governor, we can’t thank you enough. Your well conceived free and compulsory education programme has been a great succor to the less privileged. Your commitment at making IMO state university community conducive for academic work through infrastructural and human resource development is second to none. To our lecturers, thank you for your unrelenting efforts in imparting knowledge and discipline. I specially would like to express my profound gratitude to the Dean, Faculty of Health Sciences, Prof. J. N. B. Nnadozie and the HOD, Optometry, Dr. G. C. Agu. You were fathers to us.

We stand here today on the precipice of a future. It is not a distant reality anymore. It begins here. It begins today. Fellow graduates, today we still have mountains to climb and obstacles to overcome, we cannot stop striving yet (Aluta Continua). The battle has just begun. As we climb up today, life will get more challenging but when life’s challenges come knocking, we must remember our ABCD – the ABCDs of life. We should A- Accept the challenge, B- Believe in ourselves, C- Confess our hopes and dreams, and D- the Determination to achieve our life goals. Let’s go out there and serve as hope to others. We must have to defend and protect the image of this University. We must also defend the Degree that has just been awarded us. We have all passed through doors opened by the heroes and heroines of the past. So let us not close the door behind us by hoarding whatever experience or knowledge we have accumulated these years. Let our successors pass through the doors we will open. Also dare to make some breakthrough to make life easier and more interesting for those that will come after us. By creating such platform, we would not only make our families and states proud, but our names would be written in the hearts of generations unborn. Let’s go out there and live good lives.
Congratulations once more.

God Bless Nigeria! God Bless Imo State! God Bless Imo State University!
Dr. John Chigozie Ekenze
Best Graduating Student
Imo State University, Owerri.

Source: Facebook