Through My VC’s Eyes: Yakubu Gowon University’s Ascent to Greatness As GTN Donates Solar Powered charging Hub
Sinach
Published Date:
Apr 10, 2025
Last Updated:
In the sacred pages of Judges 5:7, a voice rises from the dust of history: “The inhabitants of the villages ceased, they ceased in Israel, until that I Deborah arose, that I arose a mother in Israel.” This scripture, a song of triumph and maternal strength, echoes as the psalm of our Acting Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Patricia Manko Lar—Mummy-General to us all. Through her eyes, Yakubu Gowon University stands not just as a place of learning in Nigeria’s vibrant capital, but as a mighty awakening, a motherly force stirring a nation’s potential from slumber. I, Comrade Ifesinachi Donald Udoka, a student servant leader with a name I believe God chose to herald truth, pen this tale with reverence, weaving a story that resounds with Psalm 35:18: “I will give thee thanks in the great congregation: I will praise thee among much people.”
Like Deborah, Prof. Lar sees a university poised to rise. Where others might see only brick and mortar, she beholds a beacon of hope, unity, and untapped glory in the heart of Abuja. Her vision took root with a transformative act of grace when the Loveworld Global Fellowship, guided by the Christ-like Dr. Daysman Oyakhilome, answered our cries through their Give To The Nations (GTN) initiative. Over 2,000 students received palliatives—sustenance in desperate times—followed by solar-powered charging stations and lights that pierce our nights with promise. Standing before her, my heart swelled as I recounted our struggles: letters sent to countless organizations, met with silence, until GTN answered our first plea with a resounding yes. Her eyes gleamed with pride, mirroring a university where partnerships don’t merely endure—they flourish.
In her gaze, Yakubu Gowon University is a testament to national unity, bearing the name of a leader who knit Nigeria together in its fractured past. It’s a sanctuary where diversity is not just embraced but exalted, a living portrait of the Nigeria we long to see. She dreams of this institution not as a local treasure, but as a global contender, rivaling Harvard and Oxford with academic brilliance, groundbreaking research, and a legacy that reverberates beyond our borders. As her students, we ache to turn her vision into reality, standing firm on her words as our foundation.
This spirit of ascent finds a kindred soul in our new Dean of Students Affairs, Dr. Idoko Sunday Idoko—a dean who feels like kin. When my delegation—Comrade Honest Udah, Comr. Nubuti Peter, Comr. Oladimeji Sheriffudeen, and Comrade Joyce Chima—presented our goodwill message from Loveworld and GTN, he didn’t just hear us; he acted. Halting his day, he led us to the Vice-Chancellor’s office, a march that felt like victory. There, greeted with water and warmth, we met a leader whose joy ignited her board into a chorus of ambition, all tuned to propel Yakubu Gowon University skyward.
Prof. Lar, like Deborah, knows collaboration is the pulse of progress. She spoke of renaming our hostels—a tender act to craft new legacies—and prayed for an alumni body that builds rather than bickers in courtrooms. She grieved over our Students’ Union Government (SUG), not with disdain but with a mother’s hope for renewal. Stirred by her faith, I pledged to write her, to reflect what I see in her eyes: an SUG reborn, wielding media, constitutions, and alliances to make our university a name that resounds, a force for unity and ingenuity.
In her goodwill message, Prof. Lar's prayers for Nigeria rang true, urging others to emulate Dr. Oyakhilome’s generosity. We, the students, echo her call, ready to compete globally if the world invests in us. To international sponsors, I say: join us as we till the soil and shape the future. To the Vice-Chancellor and Dean, to GTN and Dr. Oyakhilome, to my fellow students and leaders, thank you. Through your eyes, Prof. Lar, I see a Yakubu Gowon University that dazzles, a sweet, irresistible saga of faith, unity, and ambition, poised to conquer the world stage.
About the Author
Sinach
A les Avocat, living with the It Begins With Me Mantra and determined to dot all i's and cross all t's for a better Nigeria.
