UNIBEN, SAU hold convocation, deny manipulating results in private varsities

The managements of the University of Benin (UNIBEN) and Samuel Adegboyega University (SAU) have held their convocations during which they denied allegations that most successful results from universities were being manipulated to get patronage.

Vice Chancellor of SAU, Professor Bernard Aigbokhan, at its convocation in Ogwa, Esan West Local Council argued that in spite of the emergence of 11 students with first class honours, there were still some students of the university that failed to graduate.

“Eleven of our students qualify to be considered under the competitive scheme. And with experience of the past few years, you will understand that one year when they had 100 of them in private universities had accounted for 21 of them.

“Which means that private universities are really producing high quality students for the Nigerian labour market. Having graduated two sets previously, it is also now prepared for other post-graduate programmes. Even the convocation lecturer made that remark last year, being our second sets now qualify us to mount post-graduate Programmes.

He said a former Vice Chancellor of the Obafemi Awolowo, Professor Michael Faborode, who is currently the Secretary General of Committee of Vice Chancellors would present the convocation address titled: Universities Obligations To Humanity And The Eco System.

Meanwhile, UNIBEN Vice Chancellor, Professor Faraday Orunmwese, said 9,993 students would graduate from the school out of which 100 students would gradate with first class, 1,843 with second class Upper division, 4,607 with first and class lower, 152 post-graduate diplomas, 1,120 masters students and 102 PhDs, among others.

He said the first female Vice Chancellor in the country, who was from the university, Professor Grave Alele-Williams, would be honoured at the event, while former inspector general of police, Solomon Arase, would deliver the Founders’ day lecture.

He added that former Minister of Power, Professor Chidi Nebo would deliver the convocation lecture, adding that Professor Louis Ikechukwu Ojogwu of the College of Medicine would be made Professor Emeritus.

“And it is also very interesting that it is combining the Eco-system. The Eco System exists for humanity. We are aware of the issues surrounding Climate Change because even countries that do not take climate change seriously have made people to realise that it is a reality. It is only important that we are discussing the topic,” he said.