Imbibe Leadership Virtues In College Motto, Obiano Charges CKC Students
By Emeka Ozumba
The Governor of Anambra State, Chief Willie Obiano today charged students of Christ The King College (CKC) Onitsha, to imbibe the virtues of leadership enshrined in the College motto: “Bonitas, Disciplina, Scientia.” The Governor made call after the celebration of Mass with the students and old Boys of the foremost secondary school to commemorate of the feast of Christ The King at the school Assembly ground in Onitsha, Anambra State.
Governor Obiano, a member of Class of 74 set, told the students that it is not enough to claim that you are a student of the college without living up to the ideals of the institution which he noted has produced many illustrious personalities.
Said he: “You must let CKC pass through you and not just pass through CKC. The only way CKC will pass through you is to live the Bonitas Disciplina, Scientia! You must espouse the Goodness, the Discipline and the Knowledge. Most of the things you learn here carry you all your life. The University does not teach you the basic things; courtesy, etiquettes, prayers, and other disciplines you get here but just what you came to study. So if you miss it, you have missed it. It is important that you don’t miss it.”
Obiano urged the teachers to sustain the college record for grooming excellence through dedication and passion as well as hard work to help students who don’t catch up fast in school work through extra lessons. He also called on the Principal to ensure effective collaboration with the Old Boys Associations in tackling some of the infrastructure challenges faced by the college and assured that the government would continue to encourage and promote quality based education in all schools in the state.
In his Homily, Archbishop Catholic Archdiocese of Onitsha, His Grace Most Rev. Valerian Okeke, said that God never abandons or disappoints but always shepherds us as his flock. According to the Archbishop, Christ The King which is celebrated today is predicated on the fact that Christ has conquered death and sin, and therefore reigns in our lives. He stated that God rewards good work, stressing that those who will be rewarded are those who are sensitive to the needs of others. Those who like Christ take care of the less privileged. Said he:
“If you have to rule, you have to be the servant; when you lower yourself and serve, you are a king. Each and every one of us are called to be like Christ the good shepherd. If you are a student and you fail to help a fellow student or prevent him from being in the same study group, you are not a good shepherd. We can all be good shepherds in our areas of work including our governor. By taking care of the needy, being sensitive to the needs of those around us, then we become the servant king.”
The Archbishop therefore called on the students and the congregation to be Christ-like in our relationship with others so as not to miss the lessons and blessings of Christ The King.
Earlier, the Principal of CKC, Rev. Fr. Charles Nwanmuo, thanked Archbishop Okeke, for always seeing to the spiritual and material wellbeing of the students. He equally commended Governor Obiano describing him as a man of his words. As he put it, “Obiano is a man of few words but full of action. Any word that comes out of his mouth is as good as done. I have not met such a governor and we are grateful that he built a magnificent hostel for the students.”
The highpoint of the celebration was the confirmation of some students of the College for the Sacrament of Confirmation with Governor Obiano acting as their sponsors. Also the commissioning of the 900-Bed Hostel built by Obiano for the students.
