Freshmen of the Catholic University Institute of Buea –CUIB, have received the blessings of their Chancellor and Pro Chancellor His Excellency Michael Bibi, as they begin an official journey to the one destination of becoming servant leader entrepreneurs imbibed with moral and spiritual values. In a solemn Mass marking the first part of the convocation ceremony Freshmen and Sophomores of CUIB for the 2023/2024 academic year, the Chief Shepherd of the Diocese of Buea, proprietor and Chancellor of CUIB; Bishop Michael Bibi invoked the presence and protection of God upon these freshmen and sophomore students who have made the choice not to be part of society’s problems as they embrace entrepreneurial education at CUIB; one that will mold them to become employers and solution providers in the days ahead.
During the Eucharistic celebration, the prelate challenged these students to love one another as God demands from His children while avoiding all forms of hatred and disunity. By making a choice to be students of CUIB , the prelate told the freshmen that they have made an automatic choice to become distinct leaders and thus they were challenged to put God first, embrace practical learning and practice morality in all they do.
After the mass, the second part of the ceremony opened with a colorful academic procession by the students according to their different academic disciplines, the academic core of the university, president, Guest speaker and the Chancellor/Pro Chancellor of CUIB.
The President of CUIB Rev. Fr. Bartholomew Anyanwu during in his opening remarks, welcomed the students to the Growth Mindset Entrepreneurial University and saluted the parents for accompanying these students in their academic career . He told the students that their official membership into the university comes with rights, privileges and responsibilities . As students, they have the right to quality education and services at CUIB while they also have the responsibility to abide to the rules and regulations of CUIB.
Speaking at the event, renowned Cameroonian human rights lawyer and director of the Centre for Human Rights and Democracy in Africa Barrister Agbor Nkongho aka Balla, keynote speaker at the event, challenged the freshmen and sophomores to be disruptive thinkers who are educated and not certificate oriented. In his presentation captioned “ education and disruptive thinking” Barrister Nkongho reiterated that while certificates are important, what makes the difference in the lager society is the added value that makes one distinct from the crowd. He called on them to think out of the box, make use of the internet positively and grab the necessary skills as they study at CUIB. The keynote speaker pledged the support of his organization to CUIB by offering paid internships to five students and offering books for the CUIB library.
The Chancellor of CUIB His Excellency Michael Bibi expressed thanks to the keynote speaker for his practical presentation while thanking the faculty and staff of CUIB for their commitment in training the students.
The students on the other hand took the oath to respect the regulations of the school and the values that guide their different disciplines. The event took place on November 8th 2023 at the CUIB campus in Molyko-Buea.