916 students bag bachelor’s degrees in Alex Ekwueme Varsity, Ebonyi
No fewer than 916 students of the Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu-Alike (AEFUNAI) in Ebonyi on Tuesday received bachelor’s degrees in various disciplines in the university.
Prof. Sunday Elom, Vice-Chancellor of the institution who stated this at the university’s 6th Convocation held at the institution’s arena said the students were from the 2020/2021 academic session.
According to him, the university in the previous four Convocation ceremonies admitted 124; 247; 355 and 512 graduands respectively into the first degrees of the institution.
“The 2021 number of graduands shows that we are making steady rise, the graduands are being awarded Bachelor’s degrees in 10 faculties,” Elom said.
He said that the graduates of the university had been groomed in the institution’s core values of excellence, integrity and entrepreneurship.
The VC, who reiterated the university’s culture of academic excellence noted that AEFUNAI was the only public university to mobilise its students for the 2019/2020 National Youth Service Corps programme in spite of the hiccups occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This is an evidence of our seriousness as an institution and premium we place on our students.
“We are glad that you successfully completed camping and now at your places of primary assignment,” Elom said.
He said that the university would continue to keep its promise of maintaining the academic calendar in order to graduate and mobilise all hard working students to the NYSC Scheme annually.
He urged fresh graduands to represent the institution wherever they found themselves and appealed to them not to settle for less.
He said: “As we release you today into the globalised economy, remember who you are – soaring eagles, do not settle for less.”
President Muhammadu Buhari in his address restated the commitment of the Federal Government in propelling the country to greatness, economic growth and development through quality tertiary education.
Buhari, Visitor to the institution, said that the federal government understood the relevance of education in achieving national greatness and development.
The president explained that his administration is committed to expansion of access to quality university education.
Buhari was represented by Prof Chinedum Nwajiuba, former Vice Chancellor of the university and Scholar with the National Universities Commission (NUC) .
He said the federal government was committed to funding education at all levels.
He added that the government had increased specific interventions to tertiary education through the provision of Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) and from other Support agencies.
“I am glad we have released 100 per cent capital allocation for the university this 2021.
“It goes without saying that the quality and quantity of functional knowledge and saleable skills at the disposal of our nation’s citizens is directly proportional to their degree of socio-economic and political empowerment especially in 21st century economy.
“I urge all Nigerians and especially the academia to remain focused in the cardinal objectives of university education which are teaching, research and community service,” Buhari said.
The President urged the graduands to remain good ambassadors of their alma-mater and used the knowledge to contribute to national development.
Earlier, Oba Michael Gbadebo, the Chancellor of the institution and Aleke and Paramount Ruler of Egba Land urged the graduands to remain focused on their dreams.
The Chancellor also admonished the graduands to be good ambassadors of the university anywhere they might find themselves.
“This is the only way Nigeria can get back on track; as you leave, do not stop learning; continue to seek more knowledge, build bridges of friendships and partnerships because in today’s world, you cannot make it alone,” Gbadebo said.
Similarly, Prof Nimi Briggs, Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council applauded the graduands for meeting the requirements for the award of a degree of the institution.
He urged the graduands not to forget the university’s timeless principles of excellence; integrity, hard work, responsibility and self reliance on which they had been trained.
“As the graduates of this institution, you have been imbued with its DNA and image. Do not forget to be its worthy ambassadors wherever you find yourselves in the future,” Briggs said.
21 graduands came out with first class while Miss Cynthia Onuigbo of Geology department emerged the overall best graduate school with 4.86 Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA).
