Does God under any circumstances permits evildoing? That was the question that came to the minds of those who gathered at the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike (MOUAU), Abia State, for a Catholic Mass organised as part of activities to mark the two years in office of the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Hillary Edeoga.

During the Mass, the officiating minister, Rev. Father Moses Lotachukwu of Holy Ghost Parish, Owerri, set the university auditorium agog with his copious quotations of the Holy Bible. He however touched on a rather sensitive issue when he suggested that people should first take permission from God before doing evil.

Hear Fr. Lotachukwu while making case for the university community to support Edeoga to succeed: “We have taken a decision here now and prayed for the success of the VC and the university. Believe you me wherever the children of God gather, the children of devil also gather. There people here who are saying, come and succeed let us see.

“But I have a word for you. If God is with us, nobody can be against us. One with God is majority. But then watch it. Before you start planning anything evil, go to God and take permission. If God permits you, go and do it.

“God said that if people plan evil against another person without taking permission, they themselves will fall into the pit they have dug for their target.”

To the VC, the clergyman told him that his task is not an easy one. “Uneasy,” he said, “lies the head that wears the crown. But the greatest enemy you will have will come from within, not from outside. People will also criticise you and say a lot of things.”

Turning to the staff and students, Fr. Lotachukwu enjoined them to bear the shortcomings of the VC and support him in his bid to transform the university. He told them:

“The VC is an ordinary human being. He is not a super human. Everybody is moving towards perfection. Nobody is perfect. He may make some mistakes, go to him privately and discuss it with him. If he must succeed, all of you must succeed together.

“If you are here only criticising, then, this place is not for you because heaven is very far from you. God is the God of unity. You must help him to succeed. Nobody should be the Judas. Nobody should plan evil against him because if you do so you are also planning evil against the institution. You must grow. The school will continue to grow from good to better to become the best university in Nigeria.

“There will be persecution, there will be trouble, there will be a lot of problems but Jesus will help him to overcome.”

Fr. Lotachukwu also advised the VC to always remain in the Lord and carry the staff and students along so that he could succeed.

“Bring them (staff and students) together, work with them, go with them; unless somebody who wants to be the Judas, you push him aside and move on,” he counselled.

“We are begging both the students and the staff to help him to succeed. If God has lifted you up, nobody can pull you down,” he remarked, adding, “God does not call a person because he is qualified, He qualifies any person he calls. He (VC) is a servant of God; he has come to serve others. Very soon someone will succeed him and you find out that the position is full of thorns. If you are on this seat, you will find out that you may not sleep because you are thinking about the staff and students.”

Clad in a cream-coloured Safari suit, Prof. Edeoga, in an interview with News Express expressed gratitude to God for the milestones MOUAU has recorded under his two-year-old administration.

He noted that land has remained the biggest constraint to his expansion programme and renewed his appeal to the host communities to allow the school access adjoining lands originally allocated to MOUAU for expansion and growth to take root in the institution.

The VC said that lack of fund has been an impediment but pointed that that funding of tertiary institutions has improved under the administration of the President Goodluck Jonathan administration, while noting that there was still room for improvement.

Edeoga expressed appreciation to the staff and students for maintaining industrial harmony and peace on campus and promised to remain committed to their welfare.

•Photo: MOUAU Vice Chancellor, Prof. Hillary Edeoga.