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Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast Sir Sam Jonah has asserted that 'Cape Vars" has over the years become an intellectual powerhouse. Addressing students and graduates of the school at the 44th Congregation, Mr. Jonah noted some of the achievements over the last fifty years and described as enviable the University�s reputation for scholarship. Congratulating the graduands, he said "...This graduating class is a credit to the superb faculty and administrative staff of the University of Cape Coast and those who believed in you, prayed for you and invested in you". He added that they are stepping out into a very challenging world with diminished job opportunities both in the public and private sectors. These challenging times call for out-of-the-box thinking. READ FULL STATEMENT BELOW UNIVERSITY OF CAPE COAST SPEECH BY SAM ESSON JONAH, CHANCELLOR, UNIVERSITY OF CAPE COAST ON THE OCCASION OF THE 44TH CONGREGATION HELD ON THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 27, 2012 It is indeed a very special privilege to welcome all of you to the 44th Congregation of our dear University, Ghana�s University of Choice. This year marks the Golden Jubilee of our establishment and we are pleased that you are able to join us on this momentous occasion. In the 7-year development plan of the late Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah�s government, the pivotal role of education as a vehicle for lifting nationals out of poverty and economic development was fully appreciated. Osagyefo recognised the need for the setting up of an institution, which will play a critical role in the development of the requisite manpower to support the accelerated educational policy. Ladies and gentlemen, our University is the product of that dream. In the last 50 years, this University has produced some of the finest educationists, administrators, economists and politicians. Alumni of this institution can be found in prominent positions in national and international organizations. In my travels, some of my uplifting moments are when men and women occupying prominent positions in organizations that I am visiting walk up to me and announce with a smile: Chancellor, I am a product of your University. I bask in the reflected glories of these individuals. So much has been achieved over the last 50 years and the University�s reputation for scholarship is enviable. It has truly become an intellectual powerhouse, a center of scholastic excellence. Five of our faculty members have been admitted into the prestigious Academy of Arts and Sciences and many others have won local and international awards. I wish to congratulate all the awardees and to all who have contributed to this great feat, I say ayekoo! We salute the dedication, hard work, commitment and sacrifice of members of Faculty past and present. Cape Coast University has a lot to be proud of and I dare say, if Osagyefo was alive today, he would with justifiable pride count this University as one of his greatest achievements. From a humble beginning of Arts and Science Departments running programmes leading to the award of BA and BSc (General) Education degrees, the University now has 10 Faculties/Schools and 52 Departments, which are running 78 programmes. The University, which started with 155 students, currently has a student population of 55,325. This comprises: � 16,308 Regular students, including graduate students � 9,017 Sandwich undergraduate and graduate students � 30,000 Distance Learning Students Ladies and gentlemen, it is leaders who make institutions what they are. In this regard, there is a general recognition that our University has been blessed with a succession of exceptional leaders. Each and every Vice Chancellor of our great school has left an indelible mark. Sadly we recently lost one of our illustrious past Vice Chancellors Prof. Yanney Ewusi. Allow me to pay a posthumous tribute to the immense contribution he made to this University. This institution will always remember him. Today we will celebrate and honour the contributions of Rev. Prof. Emmanuel Adow Obeng our immediate past Vice Chancellor and Prof. K.A. Haizel, the first Dean of the School of Agriculture. We will like to place on record our deep appreciation for the long and dedicated service they have given to this University. Ladies and gentlemen, this congregation is also the last official function for Prof. Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang and Dr. Isaac Ohene the current Vice Chancellor and Registrar respectively. Monday we will witness the changing of the baton. Our Vice Chancellor affectionately called Naana will be handing over the reins of office to Prof. Dowini Dabire Kuupole. Naana�s administration rounded off our Golden Jubilee and I am delighted that Prof. D. D. Kuupole will be ushering us into the new Golden Era. Monday will be the opportunity for us to show appreciation to Naana and Dr. Isaac Ohene. For now let me just quote the message that the Alumni of this great University said of Naana and Dr. Ohene in yesterday�s Daily Graphic: To Naana, �you have indeed made a great deal of difference in the lives of many the world over. You retire active service as an accomplished teacher, administrator and above all an illustrious alumna. We are exceedingly proud of you.� To Dr. Isaac Ohene �We recognize your 27 years unblemished and dedicated service to the University of Cape Coast. As an administrator and manager you have indeed contributed tremendously to the transformation of our University. University of Cape Coast Alumni Association congratulates you as you take a bow from active service. We wish you a restful retirement�. Ladies and Gentlemen, we do live in very interesting times and if I may say so, the challenges that this University faced in its first 50 years are not necessarily the challenges that the coming years pose. We live in a totally different world. We are witnessing political and economic developments which are having traumatic consequences for the whole world. The wind of change blowing through the Arab world, popularly known as the Arab Spring, is bringing in its wake changes which may well have far reaching consequences beyond the region. On the economic front we are witnessing truly tectonic developments with old countries like Spain, Greece, Portugal, Italy all tottering on the brink of economic disaster. High unemployment, terrible decline in living standards, loss of trust in governments etc, these are some of the serious consequences of the dramatic changes the world is experiencing. The unemployment rate among the youth in Greece, Spain and Portugal now exceed 50% and yesterday�s Financial Times reported that it would take a fresh graduate an average of 7 to 8 years to find employment in the formal sector in Ireland. These trends have the potential to undermine the political stability and social cohesion of these countries. Regrettably no single country is immune from the impact of these changes. In these uncertain times, the survival kit of any nation and institution must include innovation, creativity and adaptability. This University has demonstrated over the last 50 years an ability to adapt to challenging times. Now more than ever, this spirit of adaptation, innovation, and creativity are needed in even greater measure, as we prepare our students to face the new realities of the time. I remain absolutely confident that the University of Cape Coast will once again meet the challenges that this new times demand. To the Graduands, You have all worked hard to come this far, and you should be proud of your achievements, which we celebrate by today�s special session. Throughout your journey to this point, you have had fine people standing with you. This graduating class is a credit to the superb faculty and administrative staff of the University of Cape Coast and those who believed in you, prayed for you and invested in you. To your parents and loved ones we say �Ayekoo�! You are stepping out into a very challenging world with diminished job opportunities both in the public and private sectors. These challenging times call for out-of-the-box thinking. As I said last year, the days when graduate employment was guaranteed is over. You must now be masters of your own destiny. This University has equipped you with the skills to deal with your new world. Your training here has inculcated in you the culture of discipline, hard work, multi-tasking, focus, humility, drive for results amongst others. These are prerequisite for success in whatever you embark on. Venture into the new world with courage. Eschew arrogance, vanity and misplaced pride as you look for opportunities. No venture ought to be considered infra dig. As the Bible says in Zechariah 4:10 and Job 8:7 �do not despise small beginnings� for �though your beginning may be small, your end shall greatly increase�. As with all new journeys you will experience anxiety, doubt, nervousness and fear of failure. This is to be expected. The journey will not be entirely smooth sailing. There will be many set backs on the way. Such setbacks are part of the success stories of most prominent people. Trust me, how you respond to any setback will determine how successful you become. Nelson Mandela couldn't have put it better �The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall�. Abraham Lincoln�s life encapsulates this spirit. We all know that he was one of America�s most successful Presidents but do we know how he got there? � Lost job, 1832 � Defeated for legislature, 1832 � Failed in business, 1833 � Elected to legislature, 1834 � Sweetheart (Ann Rutledge) died, 1835 � Had nervous breakdown, 1836 � Defeated for Speaker, 1838 � Defeated for nomination for Congress, 1843 � Elected to Congress, 1846 � Lost re-nomination, 1848 � Rejected for Land Officer, 1849 � Defeated for Senate, 1854 � Defeated for nomination for Vice-President, 1856 � Again defeated for Senate, 1858 � Elected President, 1860 Michael Jordan, arguably the most famous basketball star said, �I have missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I have lost almost 300 games. On 26 occasions I have been entrusted to take the game winning shot, and I missed. I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.� To succeed you will need to be willing to think out of the box and experiment with new ideas even if they are not �mainstream�. Dare to be different. You should try to find a niche that is underdeveloped and go for it. The history of business is replete with many cases of successful entrepreneurs who started with little or no capital and didn't have the privilege of University education. They were not as privileged as you have been. All successful entrepreneurs share a common set of core attributes, focus, determination, discipline, hard work, humility, and doggedness among others. Fear failure is not part of their genetic code. Almost all of them had very humble beginnings in business. Richard Branson began the Virgin Empire by selling second-hand records, Bill Gates dropped out of College and began his business from a Garage, and Steve Jobs had a similar background. In our dear country we have role models like B.A. Mensah, a giant of industry, Dr. Addisson of Multi Paper Pack, Dr. Alhaji Asoma Banda who started by transporting cattle from the North to Kumasi and Dr. Alhaji Yusif Ibrahim, who was a New York Taxi driver. These and many others have built hugely successful businesses and have made tremendous contribution to the development of business in Ghana. In my recent visit to India, I witnessed how the Kerala district had commercialized Plantain and Banana Chips into a vibrant industry. You don�t have to look far to identify tremendous entrepreneurial opportunities. There is so much you can do on your own. You have to start from somewhere and build upon it. Your stay in this University has taught you the benefits of teamwork, compassion, critical thinking, respect for other people�s views etc. You have made many friends. You have earned a lot of goodwill and you should leverage on this social capital as you step out into the future. This University, the University of Choice wishes you well. We know most of you will be hugely successful, and when you do, don�t forget your alma mater. You must always give something back. This University has done so much for you. The faculty has made huge sacrifices to make you what you are. Don't turn your back on this University when you make it, as I know you will. The likes of Yale and Harvard are where they are because of the endowment of their alumni. It's a culture worth emulating. Ladies and Gentlemen, we are all aware that the country is preparing for general elections. It is the responsibility of each and every one of us to ensure that we exercise our democratic right freely and peacefully. Hon. Minister of Education, Osabarima Kwesi Atta II, Chairman of Council, Ladies and Gentlemen, as I conclude, I wish to once again congratulate the graduands, let us all celebrate these young people, they have done us proud and we charge them to take the same excellence into the world and in so doing, help to strengthen our institution and nation. May the Good Lord be your source of strength, protection and may He be your guide into a very bright future. THANK YOU