by The Catholic diocese of Ogoja recently hosted the Vice Chancellor for Development of one of America’s famous Catholic Universities, The Franciscan University of Steubenville in Ohio State, Mr. Stephen Rasche.
Mr. Rasche was in Ogoja following another recent visit to the USA by the Vicar General of Ogoja diocese and Chairman of the Further studies Commission, Fr. Peter Abue.
In August 2023, in his travels, Fr Abue had appealed to Franciscan University of Steubenville Ohio, USA through Mr. John Stilley to enable a partnership that would enable the upgrade of The diocesan Thomas McGettrick Institute of Technology (TMIT) possible and faster.
In his interaction with the University Council headed by Fr David Pivonka TOR and his Council, Fr Abue discussed the Partnership, which would attract funding towards this initiative and open more doors for other project areas in the diocese.
Both Franciscan University of Steubenville (FUS), Ohio and the proposed Thomas McGettrick University (TMU), Ogoja would have missions to educate Nigerian priests/seminarians through a rolling mentorship programme with FUS personnel. The topics for the programme would include: Building financial reporting processes, Designing Budgets and Projections, Admissions and Enrollment Modeling, Campus Master Planning as well as Legal and Compliance Matters. The concept would be for the Priests to spend time in each functional area and learn how FUS operates in order to come back and build up TMU.
The Thomas McGettrick University Project was a mandate by the Bishop of Ogoja diocese Most Rev Donatus Akpan to the Further studies Commission of the diocese headed by Fr Peter Abue to oversea modalities that would ensure among other things, the upgrade of the present TMIT to the status of a university by raising funds to meet the requirements of the National Universities Commission (NUC).
In his response to the Bishop and the team of selected Priests who welcomed the august visitor, he emphasized the willingness of the Franciscan University of Steubenville to support the initiative of the diocese and mentioned one of the key stakeholders John Stilley who is particularly interested in this partnership.
He thanked the Bishop for receiving him and promised to set to work to make this vision possible in the nearest future.
