A total number of 4,379 students graduated at the 43rd Convocation ceremony of the Ignatius Ajuru University (IAUE) on Saturday.

Of this number, 2,887 fell under Undergraduate category, out of which four bagged First Class Honours, 403 had Second Class Upper, 2,030 came off with Second Class Lower, while 450 had Third Class.

At the Post Graduate category, 374 persons had Post Graduate Diploma (PGD), 812 had Masters, and 306 had Ph.D.

The IAUE Acting Vice Chancellor, Prof. Okechuku Onuchuku, disclosed this on Saturday at the 43rd Convocation ceremony of the institution.

Prof. Onuchuku said that the theme of the convocation, “The University Culture In Practice: The IAUE Experience”, was deliberately picked to tell the story of what the institution stands for.

According to him, the theme “was deliberately chosen to emphasize the need for us to go beyond just academic accomplishment and embrace those cherished traditional and intellectual values for which great universities are known and celebrated.

“IAUE has come of age, and it’s a sign to prove to our stakeholders and development partners that this institution is moving in a positive direction as a proof of our maturity in all facets of academic and administrative activities.”

He highlighted various achievements recorded by the university under his leadership, including full accreditation of 48 out of 65 programmes at the undergraduate level by the NUC.

He also said over 17 new programmes in the school have been resource verified and approved by the NUC.

The Vice Chancellor urged the  Rivers State Administrator to look into executing some key projects already approved by the suspended Governor of the State, Sir Siminalayi Fubara.

He listed those projects to include construction and furnishing of two-storey building with 15 classrooms and 18 professorial offices; construction and furnishing of two units of two storey buildings with nine classrooms each; and construction and furnishing of two units of two storey building with four rooms of 336 capacity hostels each.

The visitor to the university and Rivers State Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (Rtd), in his address asserted that education remains a cardinal pillar of his administration.

Ibas, who was represented by the Secretary to the Rivers State Government, Prof. Ibibia Lucky Worika, expressed delight over the strides recorded so far by the leadership of the university.

“I am pleased to note the considerable strides made under the leadership of the Acting Vice Chancellor, Prof. Okechuku Onuchuku, particularly in programme accreditation, infrastructure renewal, and institutional discipline.

“I commend the university in securing full accreditation for 48 academic programmes, successfully verifying new programmes, and implementing the Nigeria University Commission’s (NUC’s) Core Curriculum Minimum Academic Standards,” he said.

He stated further that these feats “represent not just compliance, but vision. The infrastructure gains, including perimeter fencing, students housing, academic buildings, clean water projects, and resource centre signal a university that is preparing for tomorrow, and not merely coping for today”.

Ibas also commended all other efforts the school authority was making to upgrade the institution, such as partnership with institutions, to develop the school.

“Let me also recognise the impact of partnership with the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), TETFUND, and private donors.

“The donation of Salvation Ministry Hostel, the Chief Emmanuel Aguma building, and the ongoing Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies are commendable and underscore the need for sustainable collaboration between government, private sector, and the academic community”, he said.

The Administrator assured that atttention will be given to all the demands made by the Acting Vice Chancellor.

He advised the graduands to hold on to the values instilled in them by the university.

“As you step beyond these walls into a wider world of possibilities and challenges, I urge you to hold fast to the values instilled in you by the university: integrity, resilience, and unquestionable taste for knowledge”, he stated.

Also speaking, the Chairman of the occasion, and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, who was the only recipient of the prestigious and honorary “Dr. of Letters” degree, expressed his appreciation for the recognition, and restated the Federal Government’s commitment to the educational growth of the nation.

Senator Akume, who was represented at the occasion by Prof. Bolaji Babatunde, said the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration has taken notable steps to set the country’s education on the right path of development.

“The government has taken giant strides to enhance our educational sector, to attain its pride of place. We’re pursuing science and technology, mathematics and medical sciences, reducing the number of out-of-school children, enhancing technical and vocational education and training, advancing girl-child education, harnessing data and digitalisation, and strengthening quality assurance mechanisms in the country’s education.

“The students’ loan scheme has taken off successfully and over 300 students from about 109 universities are already benefitting from the scheme,” he said.

By: Sogbeba Dokubo