By Francis Sadhere, Warri
The Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor Andy Ogochukwu Egwunyenga, has said that the University will continue to produce quality graduates who will contribute to nation building and advance the cause of humanity globally.
The Vice Chancellor who noted this in his convocation address on Saturday, during the 15th Convocation ceremony held at the university’s campus in Abraka added that the university has consistently kept faith with its mandate.
He said, “The quantity and quality of graduates produced by our University over the years attest to our capacity to live up to the vision of our founding fathers. I do congratulate all of us, staff and students, on the successes we have recorded in approximating the ideals upon which our University is founded.
“The above notwithstanding, I urge and enjoin us all not to rest on our oars as even the most advanced university, is a work in progress and the Delta State University, Abraka, is no exception. Though we have achieved giant strides, there is still a lot of work to be done.
He enjoined stakeholders to help build the University to achieve international visibility that is notable for groundbreaking research, unparalleled dissemination and deployment of knowledge for nation building and for the advancement of humanity.
A total of 4,855 students graduated from various disciplines from Delta State University, Abraka, with 58 of them emerging with Doctor of Philosophy. The graduands also comprised 339 Masters degree awardees as well as 199 others who received Postgraduate Diplomas.
In the first degrees category, 58 graduands emerged with First Class, 1,396 bagged Second Class Honours (Upper Division), 1,827 recorded Second Class (Lower Division) just as 417 graduands came out with Third Class Honours. Also, 44 graduands came up with Unclassified (MBBS) and 77 others with Unclassified (B.Pharm).
The Delta State Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, in his address said that the giant strides that the university has been recording during his tenure of office were reassuring of his administration’s commitment to education development.
Okowa, who was represented by the Director of Higher Education, Dr. Kingsley Ashibougwu, also advised DELSU management to keep up with the university’s key mandate of research, teaching and learning in order to further boost its global image and reckoning.
Okowa explained that his administration had deliberately established three additional Universities in the State to boost varsity admission for qualified indigenes and also bring education nearer to the people of the state.
The governor then advised the graduands to key into the administration’s entrepreneurial scheme “to be employers of labour and not job seekers.”
Okowa said his administration understand the core importance of education not only in the life of the individuals but also the youths and nations’ building.
Governor Okowa however stressed that though education was capital intensive, it remains the bed rock for sustainable development of every society, adding that this was the reason why his administration has continued to maintain the various schools and institutions in the state.
Earlier the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council, Prof. Sam Oyovbaire reminded Governor Okowa of the attempt by the Governing Council to harmonize the Delta State University three separate laws, namely: the 1998 Edict, the College of Health Sciences Law, and the Law which established the Delta State University Teaching Hospital, Oghara.
He urges Okowa and the visitors to “kindly study to proposed new law in order to have a new harmonized law of DELSU, Abraka (as amended).”
Prof Oyovbaire also appealed to the state governor to commit more resources into the University in the areas of research, scholarship, technology, library, and information science, seminars and regular intellectual workshop, adding that “it was through these pre-occupations that a University refreshes itself from time to time.”
He saluted Governor Okowa for his courage in establishing three additional universities in the state, stressing that this will provide upcoming Deltans greater opportunity for tertiary education with ease and douse the annual tension for the quest for admission into DELSU, the only university in the state.
“Not many may see the advantage inherent in the project, because of the level of funding required for each of the four universities; this not withstanding, the future benefit to the State, will certainly be enormous to our children, as the investment is a worthwhile venture,” Oyovbaire said.
