Vice Chancellor, Ignatius Ajuru University of Education (IAUE), Prof. Okechukwu Onuchuku, has charged matriculants not to follow friends who are criminally minded, if they wish to successfully graduate from the university.
Onuchuku gave the charge during the 14th Matriculation of IAUE, held last Friday at the university headquarters in Port Harcourt.
He announced a total of 7,077 matriculants and gave the breakdown as follows: 6,736 students were  addmitted into the university through the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), while 341 were addmitted through Direct Entry ( ‘A’ Level).
The Vice Chancellor stressed that the students must shun cultism and examination malpractices, remarking that the university has zero tolerance for cultism, saying: “If we catch you we’ll show you the way out. We have been doing it and  have expelled so many students because of cultism. If anyone wants to lure you  into cultism, please report to us.”
Onuchuku revealed that there is the school hand book containing the rules and regulations of the university, that they must read and strictly follow if they wish to succeed in their stay at the university.
He also charged parents to support their wards by paying their school fees as at when needed in two installments as required by the school management as well as monitor their academic performance, emphasising that the university cannot run or operate without money.
“We know that things are difficult and hard that is why we have made it simple for all parents and students to know that they can pay their fees on two installments and that policy remains, but a situation whereby you fail to make payment, you make it impossible for us to run the university smoothly.
“You are here to study, that is the primary reason why your parents sent you here, so you must take your studies very seriously. I know some of you will begin to make friends now, the kind of friends that you will need now are those that will help you achieve your goal because we are believing that at the end of the four- year programme, you should be graduating with flying colours, but if you follow friends that are criminally minded you might be lured into criminal activities.
“Also don’t just throw your wards here and leave, please monitor their academic performance, once in a while ask questions how your child is doing, so as not to cut your expectations short as some students forget the primary reasons why they came to school and end up with so many carry over and worst of it drop out of the university due to lack of concentration,” the VC said.