Omenugha’s Effect: COOU Holds 12th Inaugural Lecture Series

By Mmaduabuchi Onwumelu

Following a quick turnaround in Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, COOU, driven by the Acting Vice Chancellor of the citadel of learning, Professor Kate Azuka Omenugha, fnipr, on the 16th of April held 2024, held its 12th Inaugural Lecture Series at Professor Ben Nwazojie Auditorium, Igbariam Campus .

Delivering the twelfth Inaugural Lecture Series, Professor Nnamdi Josephat Obikeze enjoined, especially the government at all levels to take seriously the issue pertaining to Guidance and Counseling, saying that inadequate funding, dearth of qualified and experienced counsellors; non functioning professional bodies, proliferation and use quacks as well as inadequate sensitization of citizens about counselling were the bane of the profession.

Professor Obikeze also attributed the lack of quality professional guidance counsellors to unfavourable government policies, over dependence on government for support and non uniformity of counselling programmes in the Universities as serious factors affecting guidance and Counseling practice in Nigeria.

He said that the situation had also discouraged many young Nigerians from enrolling into the practice, even as he called on the government to urgently do something about it and save the profession from total collapse in the country.

According to him, guidance counsellors as professionals should up their game and remain resolute. He listed some principles that governed counselling practice in Nigeria to include: Beneficence – Obligation to protect the rights of the clients and prevent harm. Non-Beneficence: Act of restraining from doing something that will cause harm to the client. Justice: Ability of the counsellor or therapist to treat everybody fairly and equally; Confidentiality: Keeping the affairs of the clients secret. Fidelity: Being sincere and transparent as well as keeping to the promise made during Counseling.

Others, according to the inaugural lecturer, are as follows: debriefing – notifying the clients the likely consequence of the counseling session so as to prepare his mind towards an event. Informed consent and acceptance or permission to participate in the counselling activities and there should be no use of force or compulsion.

Obikeze while advising Counselling psychologists in Nigeria to adhere to the ethics of the profession and to abide by the relevant existing laws of the land suggested that earring counsellors should be tried and sanctioned if found guilty to serve as a deterrent to others and the recruitment of more Guidance and Counseling to work in schools and other organizations across all sectors of Nigeria’s economy.

The event attracted people from all walks for life including the Acting Vice Chancellor of COOU Professor Kate Azuka Omenugha, fnipr, among others.