Caleb University VC pushes for national rebirth, unveils film as strategic tool
Caleb University VC pushes for national rebirth, unveils film as strategic tool
The Vice Chancellor of Caleb University and former Director of Center of Financial Studies, Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) Prof. Olalekan Asikhia, has launched a profound offensive against the scourge of national examination malpractice culture characterizing it as a “silent epidemic” that produces graduates who are a “fraudulent promise” and a direct danger to society.
A statement today said Prof. Asikhia, the former Director of Centre for Financial Studies (CIBN) is not just speaking out but is leveraging the power of cinema to drive his message home, having produced a new feature film, “The Gracious Couple,” to illuminate the devastating consequences of academic fraud.
In a powerful articulation of his stance, the Vice Chancellor condemned the practice as a “corrosive act” that weakens societal pillars. “Examination malpractice devalues hard work and rewards deceit,” he stated. “It creates the immediate illusion of success but masks a devastating reality: the creation of a generation of graduates who hold the credentials of competence but lack its substance.”
He saved his most grave warning for the medical field, where he said the consequences are fatal. “When medical students cheat, they are not merely breaking a rule. They are snapping a critical link in the chain of trust,” Prof. Asikhia explained. “The transition from the fraudulent exam hall to the genuine hospital ward is where the abstract sin becomes a tangible tragedy. This is the doctor who makes a fatal misdiagnosis or miscalculates a drug dosage. Their very presence becomes a danger to the public they swore to serve.”
To make this critical lesson visceral and unforgettable, Prof. Asikhia produced “The Gracious Couple,” a compelling narrative that exposes how this “devil” of corruption extends beyond the classroom, poisoning marriages and jeopardizing national integrity.
The film, which he describes as both a “stark warning and a powerful source of inspiration,” follows the unwavering stand of Mrs. Tope Henry, a principled Vice Principal whose fight against a deeply entrenched system of corruption (Principal, teachers, students and parents) brings her face-to-face with hatred and life-threatening conspiracies. Her struggle is interwoven with the story of a desperate teacher, showcasing the human pressures that perpetuate the cycle of wrongdoing.
“The movie is a strategic intervention,” Prof. Asikhia noted. “It proffers a robust solution centered on faith, courage, and systemic change. It champions the need for individuals to operate with unwavering personal integrity and demonstrates that divine guidance, coupled with courageous leadership, is essential to dismantle these corrupt systems.”
By uniting his academic authority with the persuasive power of film, Prof. Asikhia’s campaign presents a multi-faceted attack on a deep-seated societal ill. His initiative underscores that the battle against examination malpractice is a choice between building a society on the solid rock of merit or the shifting sands of deceit, a battle where the stakes are nothing less than the quality of Nigeria’s future, the integrity of its professions, and the very lives of its citizens.
