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Qui., Mar.

It was a historic day on Monday, 26 November 2018, which also fell on the feast day of our founder, Blessed James Alberione, when 10 of the pioneer students of Alberione Institute of Communication Education (AICE), Iju-Lagos came out from the institute in flying colours, accompanied by their parents, guardians and well-wishers, to receive their certificates having successfully completed their training programmes and passed the prescribed examination.

The event began with Mass celebrated by Rt. Rev Mons John Aniagwu, Episcopal vicar of the Archdiocese of Lagos who represented  Rt Rev Dr Alfred Aldewale Martin Archbishop of Lagos. The homilist, Fr Joe Eruppakkatt, General editor and a faculty member, extolled the virtues of the founder Blessed James Alberione and exposed how God used him for the specific apostolate in the Church to spread the Gospel message and values through the mass media and other forms of social communications.

Soon after the Mass, everybody moved to the institute for the convocation and the blessing of the newly added facilities. The convocation ceremony was held at the newly constructed Multi-purpose hall of the Institute.

In his opening remarks, the director of the Institute, Fr.  Jikson Mullasseril welcomed all the dignitaries and congratulated the graduates who he described as pioneering students of the media institute. He emphasized in his address on the vision and mission of the institute and also  appealed to the youth to choose AICE to pursue their professional media studies.  He assured all of them that they  will not only be empowered with the tools for a thrilling career in media, but also learn the fine art of value based, socially conscious and responsible media personnel. Fr Siji Jose, the coordinator of the Apostolate in Nigeria stressed in his address the importance of education and how important it is to pursue it at AICE. The chairman of the occasion, Dr. Okafor, focused that education is key to human development and called on parents to ensure that their children acquire one skill or the other for the good of the society.

The high point of the convocation was the blessing and the cutting of the tape to formally open the Institute's multi-purpose hall, new classrooms, and a brand new multi-purpose studio, christened Psalm 100 Broadcasting Studio by the Episcopal Vicar General, Rt. Very Mons. John Aniagwu.

Speaking shortly after the award of certificates to the deserving graduates of the Institute, Mons. Aniagwu praised the management of the Institute for providing modern equipment and facilities , especially the new broadcasting studio not only to enhance training but to benefit society. He said AICE is a clear testimony of a dream come true and encouraged parents, adults and youths to take advantage of what he called the miracle of Iju-Lagos and proudly hosted by the Lagos Archdiocese to acquire skills in journalism, creative writing and other technical aspects of media training and become useful to themselves, the Church and the larger society.

The vote of thanks was given by Rev. Fr. Gerard Tanko, SSP who appreciated all who turned out to witness the history making event. The programme ended with refreshment for all.

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