A New Nigeria Has Emerged ~ Nigeria Christian Graduate Fellowship (NCGF) Declared.

The Nigeria Christian Graduate Fellowship (NCGF) in her 48th Annual National Conference held in Abia State with the Theme: “Be Ye Transformed;” amongst other things has declared that a New Nigeria has Emerged.

The Christian Organization made this assertion in a Communique signed and issued by her National President, Prof. Chuks Eboka and National Secretary, Pastor Peter A. Adebayo to TrackNews which contain Reports of the body, observations and Recommendations that read:

1. The Nigeria Christian Graduate Fellowship (NCGF) held its 48th Annual National Conference/AGM together with the celebration of the 26th anniversary of the Africa Vision Tract House Society (AVTHS), being the missionary arm of the Fellowship, with the theme: * Be Ye Transformed_* (Romans 12:1-3), from Wednesday 23rd to Sunday 27th August, 2023.

2. The Conference was declared open by the National President of the Fellowship, Prof. Chuks Eboka. The Keynote Speakers at the Opening ceremony were Prof. Emmanuel Victor Osodeke, National President, Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU); and Prof. (Mrs.) Nnenna Nnannya Oti, Vice Chancellor, Federal University of Technology, Owerri.

3. The Conference had delegates from across the country in attendance. The Conference also attracted renowned ministers of the gospel from all over the federation, with speakers such as Apostle Dr. David Onuoha of Abia State University, Uturu; Dr. Ben Dike, an ex-banker and Dr Steve Ogan. Also Barr. (Mrs.) Oghenemase Adebayo; Engr. Chidiebube Adiele, among others.

4. The speakers who deliberated on the theme of the Conference from social, spiritual, and physical perspectives relevant to the church and the Nigerian nation, agreed with other conferees, that individual transformation is the fulcrum of national transformation, and called on the participants to embrace personal transformation for the urgently needed national transformation.

5. The speakers declared by faith that a new Nigeria has emerged where justice and equity shall reign, and they called on Nigerians to embrace that new nation through individual transformation.

6. The Working Sessions of the Conference featured seminars, bible studies, and symposium on democracy and good governance, as well as an education summit. After exhaustive discussions and deliberations, the Conference rose with the following observations and resolutions.

OBSERVATIONS

7. Conference observed that Nigeria is richly blessed with natural and human resources, and with brilliant citizens who easily distinguish themselves and out- perform their peers the world over.

8. Conference noted that during the colonial era, the missionaries made a huge impact on human development through free and affordable education, but observed disappointingly, that the present day privately-owned institutions, which have a huge stake in the character formation of Nigerian students, are driven by market forces, as reflected in their exorbitant charges, which cannot be afforded by ordinary citizens, while accounting for less than 2% of the total admissible candidates.

9. Conference expressed concern over the unprecedented exodus of high-quality Nigerian graduates to other countries in search of greener pastures due to the poor reward for academic excellence, and unemployment, among other factors, which have negatively affected human capital development in the nation.

10. Conference observed with great concern the gross inequalities in the Nigerian society, particularly a situation where a University Professor would receive approximately #400,000 as monthly salary, while a Senator, whose constitutional academic qualification is Secondary School Certificate or its equivalent, receives colossal amounts of money in salary and allowances.

11. Conference condemned the practice of establishment of Universities as “constituency projects,” leading to the proliferation of tertiary institutions in Nigeria without commensurate funding.

12. Conference condemned the attempts being made by the Western world to infiltrate and corrupt, especially the Nigerian primary and secondary education system, with the LGBTQ+ ideology, through the connivance of some Nigerians in this iniquitous act.

13. Conference commended the enthusiasm demonstrated by Nigerians, particularly the youths, in the 2023 general elections, while condeming the irregularities that marred the electoral process.

14. Conference expressed great concern over the insecurity of lives and properties, the decimation of rural communities in parts of the country and the growing hostilities between ECOWAS/Nigeria — Niger Republic.

15. Conference noted that the escalating, multi-dimensional poverty and hunger ravaging the populace are critical existential challenges to Nigeria. The country is currently burdened with over 133 million citizens living below internationally acceptable poverty brackets.

16. Conference observed that the nation is facing a major health crisis, with the emigration of doctors, nurses, other health workers, and professionals to foreign countries, particularly the USA, Canada, UAE, Europe, and Australia. This is caused largely by poor wages, epileptic power supply, dilapidated hospital facilities, inflation, and government’s defective economic policies.

17. Conference finally observed that Nigeria’s public sector is shackled by corruption, mismanagement, nepotism, bigotry, incompetence, and impunity.

RECOMMENDATIONS

The following resolutions were reached at the close of the Conference.

18. Conference called on the Federal and State Governments in Nigeria to take education, particularly tertiary education, more seriously, working with the Academic Staff Union of Universities to transform all Nigerian universities into globally recognized centers of excellence in the various fields. The process should be kick-started by paying university lecturers all the emoluments owed, in the interest of peace and progress in the academia.

19. Conference urged the Ministry of Education at both Federal and State levels, and education planners in Nigeria, to be wary of attempts to infiltrate the Nigerian educational curriculum, while protecting and preserving the religious and cultural values of all Nigerians, as well as the rights of present and future generations.

20. Conference called on the Nigerian Judiciary, as the last hope of the citizens, to dispense justice without fear or favour in the pending litigations in the various election tribunals, and to restore the confidence of Nigerians in the electoral process.

21. Specifically, Conference called on Nigerians generally and religious leaders in particular, to support the Honourable Justices of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal (PEPT) with constant prayers for God’s inspiration, protection, and courage to dispense justice without fear or favour in the pending electoral disputes.

22. Conference recommended that the church must not only bank on prayer, but must also be strategic as well as strongly engage the Holy Spirit in order to make maximum transformational national impact.

23. Conference strongly called upon the Federal Government of Nigeria to spare no effort in ensuring that the vulnerable are protected; kidnappings and insurgency are brought under control, and a diplomatic solution is found to the mounting tensions between sister states in the West African sub-region.

24. Conference noted that the UN-driven Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) offer a veritable template for the transformation of nations worldwide. Nigeria, as a signatory to these global goals, should be able, over the next 15 years, to mobilize efforts to end all forms of poverty, and fight inequality holistically. The Federal Government of Nigeria is strongly urged to start putting machineries in place in this regard.

25. Conference called on the Federal Government to enunciate, as a matter of urgency, strategies through effective synergies, in order to meet the SDG targets, the implementation of which would address and ameliorate the inadequacies undermining the nation’s public sector, democracy and progress towards achieving an genuine national transformation.

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING (AGM)

26. Conference received reports from the Financial Secretary, the Local Organizing Committee of the Conference and the General Secretary of the Fellowship as well as the budget of the Fellowship for the 2023/2024 ministry year.

Election of New National Executive Committee:

27. By a majority vote of members present at the AGM, Conference elected a new set of leaders to constitute the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the Fellowship for the next three years, led by Prof. Ashong C. Ashong.

Annual National Conference, 2024

28. AGM resolved that the 2024 Annual National Conference of the NCGF would hold in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.

CONCLUSION

29. The Nigeria Christian Graduate Fellowship is a trans-denominational Faith Based Organization of Christian intellectuals, established in 1975, with the divine mandate of positively influencing all spheres of the Nigerian society with the values of righteousness, integrity and excellence.

30. The NCGF strongly affirms that the insights exchanged, the observations noted, and the recommendations made during the 48th NCGF Annual National Conference have the potential to ignite a positive transformation within the Nigerian society, beginning with the individual.

Long live the NCGF!

Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria!! “They said.”