Getting first class is no guarantee you will succeed - Prof Abednego Okoe-Amartey

Former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Professional Studies, Accra and Lead Pastor of Revival Outreach Church, Abednego Feehi Okoe-Amartey, says graduating with a first-class degree does not necessarily guarantee success in life.

Speaking in an interview with MzGee on the show Behind the Pulpit, Prof Okoe-Amartey emphasised that academic excellence must be supported by character and discipline.

Addressing how he balances his role as a pastor with his work as a university lecturer, particularly when some students might expect leniency from him, he said firmness and discipline are essential to genuine learning.

“It is a misunderstanding of who God is. The Bible says those the Father loves, He disciplines. If I give you marks you don’t deserve, then I am not helping you,” he explained.

I never intended to head a church - Prof Amartey

Prof Okoe-Amartey also noted that he does not compromise his principles to please students, stressing that education should go beyond simply transferring information from lecturers’ notes to students.

According to him, education must ultimately shape the character of students.

When asked by MzGee how charitable he is with grading students, the professor maintained that grades alone do not define a person’s future.

“Marks do not make a person. Getting a first class is no guarantee that you will succeed. You will find that many people who have made it in life did not necessarily graduate with first class,” he said.

He added that while academic achievement is important, character remains the most critical factor in determining long-term success.

“I tell my students that it is immaterial whether you made a second-class lower or first-class lower if there is no character backing it,” he affirmed.

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