Olushola Omogbehin
The Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Umo Eno, has charged the graduands of Mountain Top University, Ogun State, to always dream big and never forsake the days of little beginning.
Eno gave the charge while delivering the convocation lecture titled: “Dream Big. Start Small. Grow Fast.” at the seventh convocation ceremony and 10th anniversary of Mountain Top University, Ogun State.
He impressed on the graduands that contemporary society, reshaped by advancement in technology, breach of known boundaries, among other changes, call for a creative mindset that dare to challenge existing long held norms.
He therefore appealed to the graduands and youth generally to discard the entitlement mentality and quest for easy path to success.
Using his personal voyage as pastor and entrepreneur to charge the 2025 graduands of the University, he said:
“I am the son of a police officer who paid the ultimate price in the line of duty, and I had to help my mother augment the family’s income by hawking soft drinks on the streets of Lagos. That was the beginning of my entrepreneurial spirit,” he said.
He said that in 1997, he started Royalty Hotel in Eket with just five rooms, which later grew into one of the largest hospitality businesses in Akwa Ibom State.
“The answer is simple: my implicit faith in the Invisible Hands of God to bring destiny helpers. But to make that happen, you must dream big, work hard, be honest, creative, and morally disciplined,” he said.
On the programme of his administration to move Akwa Ibom State to the next level, he said:
“Our administration has built over 335 compassionate homes for widows and the most needy; we give ₦50,000 monthly to 600 elders, and we have enrolled over 10,000 elders in our ARISE Medical Insurance Scheme. We do all these because our administration is Christ-centred and Christ-defined.”
Describing the graduands as Generation X, he said:
Let me state here that we are living in a world shaped by new realities, a world where known boundaries have been breached and expanded by advancements in technology, where values once considered sacrosanct are no longer the defining ethos, and where groupthink is rapidly dissolving and being replaced by the need to do something daring, something different, and something that challenges long-held norms.
“The majority of the graduands here belong to the now-famous Generation X. Quite a number of people in this generation believe in the concept of immediate gratification and, to some extent, an entitlement mentality because they want to achieve success without putting in the corresponding hard work, and most times, they crash and burn.”
He therefore admonished them that in starting small and growing big, one must be of impeccable character, shaped by a deep sense of morality, transparency, honesty with absolute humility.
“As you step out today, do not limit yourselves to conventional employment. Look for unique services you can provide, start small, and with God on your side, you will grow big.”
Speaking, the Chancellor of Mountain Top University, Prof. Daniel Kolawole Olukoya, described the convocation and 10th anniversary as “a day of covenant celebration, divine remembrance, and historic gratitude.”
According to him, what started as a seed has grown into a strong tree with branches of impact, academically, morally, professionally and spiritually.
He said if anybody ever needed evidence that God still builds, look at Mountain Top University.
Appreciating guests including governors of Ogun and Lagos states, the National Universities Commission and the university’s leadership, Olukoya said, MTU is grateful, but not satisfied.
“We have not arrived; we are only getting started, he stated.
Charging the graduands, he said:
“Do not trade integrity for opportunity. Do not sacrifice destiny on the altar of impatience. Let your certificate become a tool, but let your character become your crown.”
In his own address, the Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Elijah Ayolabi, said the institution’s first ten years demonstrated resilience, accelerated growth, divine provision and the building of a strong institutional foundation.
“From a handful of pioneering students in 2015, MTU has expanded into one of Nigeria’s most beautiful and academically vibrant campuses.
“Today, we celebrate sustained NUC full accreditation across all programmes and the expansion from 15 to over 37 academic programmes,” Ayolabi said
Miss Akinyemi Omolola Faith of the Department of Mathematics, emerged the best graduating student for the 2024/2025 academic session with Cumulative Grade Point Average of 4.94.
She emerged overall best among the 346 graduates and post graduates students produced with 42 graduating with First class, 124 obtained Second Class Upper degrees, 102 graduated with Second Class Lower and 14 received Third Class degrees.
The postgraduate school graduated 64 students comprising nine PhD holders, 28 Master’s degree recipients, two MBA graduates and 25 Postgraduate Diploma holders.
Among the maiden doctoral graduands produced is an Assistant General Overseer of Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries, Pastor (Dr) Abiodun Ladejola who completed his PhD in Public Administration.
