The Godfrey Okoye University (GOUNI), Ugwuomu Nike, Enugu State at the weekend marked it’s 17 years anniversary with a promise for sustained academic excellence.

The commemoration also saw deserving students receive cash awards for some great feats in character and in learning and achieving excellent scores in their departments as well as members of staff that distinguished themselves in their assigned duties.

Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. Christian Anieke, who traced the origin of university to October 21, 2009, described the university as “a miracle university whose growth can only be explained by God.”

Anieke pointed out that at inception, the university began with two faculties with a student population of 215, adding however that it has blossomed to 9 faculties with colleges and departments.

He added that it was only God’s miracle that saw the University first getting approval from National Universities Commission, NUC, and growing by leaps and bounds, to the extent of getting a permanent site from the temporary campus where it began 17 years ago.

Anieke said that he did not have billions for a take off but that with determination and God’s guidance, the university has miraculously grown.

“What we are seeing here today is something that started in the last quarter of 2007. I didn’t have billions in my account but something told me that it will be possible. Without God, this University will not have the light of the day,” he said.

He expressed joy at the growth of the University which initially did not offer Law and Medicine, but now can boast as many as nine faculties with a population running into thousands.

The GOUNI boss, said that the University started on a clean slate. “No stolen money entered into this university. It is very clean and maybe that is why God is blessing the university,” he said.

In a homily at the occasion, the Director of Corporate Affairs and the Public Relations Officer of the University, Rev. Fr. Benjamin Achi, said that the University had grown over the years, miraculously by God’s grace.

Tracing the history of the school that began with 215 students and 2 faculties to over 4,431 students, Achi said that it was only God that could do it.

“If all these happening within a space of 17 years, is it not miracle?, he queried in conformity with the Vice Chancellor’s assertion that GOUNI was a miracle university.

Achi noted that it was God’s miracle that has been helping the school to grow but said that every effort should be made to see that the school grows even bigger in future.

“It is not how hard we work but God doing a miracle by helping our efforts. It is not how much we work but God giving his endorsement,” he said and urged staff and students to focus to achieve greater heights.

“GOUNI is just getting started. We should focus on the ball; have our eyes on the ball and we go places. We should not rest on our oars. We should maintain the tempo, fix our eyes on the ball and do that which we ought to do and be seen to be doing it,” he charged.

Achi who spoke on the backdrop of the sermon preached at the commemoration mass which focused on servants doing well even in the absence of their master’s, urged both students and staff to be dedicated to their study and their duties, because all would be working for God.

“We have achieved a lot but we shall not rest on our oars. We shall keep moving. Students should not relent but continue to study their books. We should do things the right way. We are not doing it for ourselves but for God,” he said

Also, the Founding Pro-Chancellor of the school, His highness, Prof. Christian Nwachukwu Okeke of Obunofia Ndiuno community, in Udi local government, Enugu state, described the Founders Day as an annual ritual they keep every year and commended the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Anieke whose vision and doggedness led to the birth of the university seventeen years ago.

He said that without a man of zeal like Anieke, the idea of starting the university would have been a mirage, adding that it is his wish that in 17 more years, the university would have achieved a greater academic height.