Rhema University Library

Happy 74th Birthday to an Erudite Scholar, Prof. O. C. Onwudike.

The Leadership of Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, on 19 October, 2021, organized a special birthday party to the Rhema University Vice Chancellor, Prof. O. C. Onwudike, and endowment of Prizes for graduating students in his honour.

Professor O. C. Onwudike was a former Vice Chancellor of Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike. He held the following positions at MOUAU before becoming the Pioneer and still the Vice Chancellor of the Rhema University, Nigeria:

1st Dean, College of Animal Science and Animal Production
1st Deputy Vice Chancellor of MOUAU
Acting Vice Chancellor of MOUAU
2nd Vice Chancellor of MOUAU

Prof. O. C. Onwudike was a former Commissioner of Agriculture; Chairman of Committee on Private Universities at National University Commission. There are many other positions Prof. O. C. Onwudike has handled both in Nigeria and abroad. Prof. O. C. Onwudike won several Grants and also obtained a Research Fellowship at University of Colorado University, USA.

On behalf of the staff of Rhema University Library, we wish Prof. O. C. Onwudike, Our Vice Chancellor; long life, good health and all-round blessings. Happy Birthday Sir!

An old man meets a young man who asks:
“Do you remember me?”
And the old man says no. Then the young man tells him he was his student, And the teacher asks:
“What do you do, what do you do in life?”
The young man answers:
“Well, I became a teacher.”
“ah, how good, like me?” Asks the old man.
“Well, yes. In fact, I became a teacher because you inspired me to be like you.”
The old man, curious, asks the young man at what time he decided to become a teacher. And the young man tells him the following story:
“One day, a friend of mine, also a student, came in with a nice new watch, and I decided I wanted it.
I stole it, I took it out of his pocket.
Shortly after, my friend noticed the his watch was missing and immediately complained to our teacher, who was you.
Then you addressed the class saying, ‘This student's watch was stolen during classes today. Whoever stole it, please return it.’
I didn't give it back because I didn't want to.
You closed the door and told us all to stand up and form a circle.
You were going to search our pockets one by one until the watch was found.
However, you told us to close our eyes, because you would only look for his watch if we all had our eyes closed.
We did as instructed.
You went from pocket to pocket, and when you went through my pocket, you found the watch and took it. You kept searching everyone's pockets, and when you were done you said ‘open your eyes. We have the watch.’
You didn't tell on me and you never mentioned the episode. You never said who stole the watch either. That day you saved my dignity forever. It was the most shameful day of my life.
But this is also the day I decided not to become a thief, a bad person, etc. You never said anything, nor did you even scold me or take me aside to give me a moral lesson.
I received your message clearly.
Thanks to you, I understood what a real educator needs to do.
Do you remember this episode, professor?
The old professor answered, ‘Yes, I remember the situation with the stolen watch, which I was looking for in everyone’s pocket. I didn't remember you, because I also closed my eyes while looking.’
This is the essence of teaching:
If to correct you must humiliate; you don't know how to teach.