A Congregation Thanksgiving Service has been held by the University of Cape Coast,UCC, to thank God for a successful graduation ceremony for its graduates who completed their studies in the 2016/17 academic year. The service, held at the New Examinations Centre (NEC), was on the theme, “I will thank you, Lord, with all my heart, for you have heard the words of my mouth (PS. 138:1)”. The graduates, most of whom were clad in an all-white attire, danced and sang to the glory of God for how far He had sustained and protected them throughout their four years stay in the University. Preaching the sermon, the Archbishop of the Cape Coast Diocese of the Catholic Church, Mathias Kobena Nketsiah, congratulated the graduates on their graduation and asked them to always give thanks to the Lord for seeing them through their academic journey in the University.He said although some of the students went through strenuous academic life on campus, they had managed to sail through successfully. “Our graduates have put in a lot of efforts and hard work for their success. We cannot forget the quizzes, the fees and other payments. You should bear the fruit of thanksgiving.” he told the congregation. He admonished the graduates to emulate the exemplary life of the Samarian Leper who thanked Jesus for healing him of leprosy, unlike the other nine lepers who exhibited gross ingratitude. "So let us avoid ingratitude. God hates ingratitude. God has done marvelous and mighty works for us and we must thank Him", the Archbishop said. He challenged them to use the knowledge and skills they had acquired to transform the nation. He asked them to "Go and be a blessing for your family and children. Let your formation count, let your education count for your country." The Archbishop called for integral education and advised Ghanaians not to place Science and Technology higher than the other academic disciplines. He advised those who claim music, arts, humanities and moral education had no place in modern academic curriculum to reconsider their position. He queried:" Scientists enjoy music, don't they?, they enjoy arts, don't they?". " We need an education that is holistic. Let us give Science and Technology and the other related subjects adequate space. Don't exclude the other disciplines," he concluded. In a speech read on his behalf by the Provost of the College of Health and Allied Sciences, Prof. Johnson Nyarko Boampong, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Joseph Ghartey Ampiah, thanked the organizers for organizing the service. He urged the graduates to make good use of the training they had gone through in the University by helping to build a better society. Prof. Ampiah charged them to be life-long learners and encouraged them to come back to the school to pursue their post graduate studies. The Vice-Chancellor also implored the graduates to be guided by the values of the University's anthem in all their endeavours.
