Fr Victor Makinwa Ogunyemi
CESACC,Catholic Institute of West Africa Port Harcourt
“Pay attention to Saint Augustine of Hippo and Saint Thomas Aquinas and you will be a success story ” This was an extract from the homily delivered by Fr. Dr. Cosmas Ebebe, a lecturer at the Catholic Institute of West Africa Port Harcourt as he used his brief audience June 2015 with the Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI who when he told the Pope his course of study at PontificalGregorian UniversityRome, Dogmatic Theology and the Pope aptly admonished him “Pay attention to Saint Augustine”
The Mass for the matriculation 2021/2022 session was presided over by the Dean of the Faculty of Canon Law, Very Fr Prof Cosmas Ojemen. The ceremony of matriculation took place after the Holy Mass with the The Registrar called upon the matriculating students to make their declaration of loyalty to the Catholic Institute of West Africa.
Other highlights that took place at the matriculation were Ag Rector’s remark,induction of Ph.D students by the Rector, matriculation lecture delivered by Fr Dr Stanley Anyanwu titled Intellectual Heritage of Saint Augustine, Ancestor of African Theologians: Charting New Course for Contemporary African Ecclesiology with a brilliant response by Fr Dr Gerald Mamman Musa and the CIWA Obehie campus choir at their best.
The Rector Magnificus Very Rev.Fr Prof Jude Asanbe gave a closing remarks by asking the participants to reflect on the first reading of the day.He highlighted 3 points.1 Do not flaunt what you have.Be prudent 2 Self restraint is important. Self discipline is key 3 Be calculatively conscious. He left the audience with these 3 points to reflect upon.
The program came to a good end with closing prayers and Papal Anthem. “God bless our Pope,the great, the good”