Vice Chancellor Charges Fresh Students to Pursue Excellence and Build Strong Character

Vice Chancellor challenges new students to build character, chase academic excellence as students sets out their goals and expectation

The vice Chancellor of Veritas University, Abuja, Rev. Fr Professor Hyacinth Ichoku welcomed fresh students for the 2026/2027 academic session with a strong charge to them to embrace discipline, diligence and serious academic commitment as they begin a new chapter of their educational journey.

At the orientation programme for its new intakes, speakers, ranging from the Vice Chancellor, the Dean of Student Affairs, the registrar and other officers of the University urged the students not to allow the excitement of gaining admission to higher institution to distract them from the purpose for which they were admitted. Rather, they were encouraged to remain focused, obey the rules of the institution and take advantage of the academic, spiritual, social and vocational opportunities available to them.

The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Hyacinth Ickoku, in welcoming the students, appealed to them not to be carried away by the euphoria of gaining admission, but to remain focused on their ambitions and avoid any conduct capable of truncating their dreams.

The message set the tone for an orientation programme designed not merely to introduce the new students to the university, but to prepare them for the responsibilities that come with becoming members of the Veritas community.

For many of the fresh students, the beginning of university life has already come with high expectations.

Uche Chinenye Benita, a student of the Department of Pharmacy, described her admission as an exciting development and said she looked forward to meeting new people and experiencing university life. Her immediate academic ambition, she said, is to obtain a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Veritas University.

For Ifeanyi Chimere of the Department of Medicine and Surgery, however, the expectations go beyond obtaining a university qualification. He said he wants to become “well grounded academically, spiritually, orally and to soon learn vocational skills,” reflecting the broader expectation that university education should prepare students for life beyond the classroom.

The orientation programme also appears to have impressed several of the new students. Isaac Eneche, a Software Engineering student, said he intends to remain academically focused and hopes to achieve at least a 4.5 GPA during his studies. He described the university as organised and said the institution's concern for its students could make it “a wonderful place for character development.”

For Moses Essien, a Law student, the financial investment in university education makes seriousness imperative. He said he intends to make immediate use of the library and other educational facilities, stressing that the considerable cost of education should not be taken for granted.

Essien also highlighted the emphasis placed on security and responsible conduct during the orientation.

According to him, the university places strong emphasis on examination security, moral conduct and financial responsibility, noting that students must remain conscious of their obligations because issues relating to fees could affect their ability to participate in examinations.

Beyond the immediate orientation, the Students’ Representative Assembly (SRA) also has a role to play in helping the new students navigate university life. The SRA President, Oreoluwa Adeniran, advised the students to begin their academic journey with seriousness from their first year.

“The best way to make your academic session easy is to start from 100 level,” he said, urging students to build their Grade Point Average from the beginning so that subsequent academic efforts would continue to add to a strong foundation.

Adeniran also warned the new students against peer pressure, advising them not to measure their progress by what other students claim to have or possess.

“You came here alone, you're going to live here alone. So, do not focus on what other people have or what other people claim to have,” he said.

He explained that the SRA was also interested in helping to restore what it considers the full “Veritas experience”, covering the social, spiritual and academic dimensions of university life.

“We want to make it a full university experience for each and every single one of them,” he said.

For the Student Affairs Office, the orientation programme is a critical part of helping new students understand the institution before settling into their academic routines.

The Student Affairs Officer and Assistant Dean of Student Affairs, Rev. Fr. Genesis Onna Agbudu, explained that the programme is organised for every new student, while returning students also undergo a reorientation programme.

According to him, the orientation enables students to understand the philosophy, vision, culture, expectations and operational structure of Veritas University.

Principal officers and heads of key departments, including the Vice Chancellor, Registrar, Librarian, ICT, General Studies and Quality Assurance, are involved in the process.

He explained that students arriving in a new environment need to understand its culture and etiquette if they are to function effectively.

“You can't come to a new place without knowing their culture, their etiquette, their way of doing things. You will definitely not know your right from your left,” Agbudu said.

But beyond helping students understand the university's procedures, Agbudu said Veritas expects students to take personal responsibility for the purpose of their education.

His message to the new students was simple they should not follow the crowd.

“We are all unique. We are here for a business. And the business is to better our tomorrow,” he said.

He urged the students to understand that being sent to university by their parents is only one part of the journey, while making proper use of the opportunity is their own responsibility.

“The place of the student is to appropriate why they have been sent to school,” he said, adding that students should strive to leave Veritas as better versions of themselves.

Agbudu further stressed that the institution's mission extends beyond academic qualifications, describing Veritas as a place where students are expected to receive formation and mentorship in several areas of life.

“Veritas is always ready to form, to mentor, and to make every single soul that enters the university a better person. So unless they open up, they cannot be formed,” he said.

He added that academic excellence alone would not define the Veritas experience, noting that the university also places emphasis on moral, character and social development.

“Veritas is not only for academic excellence, but also for character wise, moral-wise, social wise,” Agbudu said.

In a further indication of the university's emphasis on practical development, he disclosed that no student is expected to graduate from Veritas without acquiring a skill in addition to academic qualifications.

The message resonated with the expectations expressed by several of the new students, who spoke of their desire to combine academic achievement with personal development.

As the 2026/2027 academic session begins, the challenge before the new intakes is therefore not simply to obtain certificates, but to make the most of the opportunities placed before them.

From the Vice Chancellor's call for discipline and diligence, to the SRE's emphasis on starting strong and the Student Affairs Office's insistence on character formation and skills acquisition, the message from Veritas University is clear, admission is only the beginning; what students make of the opportunity will define the journey ahead.