161 bag First Class as Uniport graduates 19,235 students

No fewer than 161 students will bag First Class as the University of Port Harcourt graduates 19,235 at its combined 33rd convocation billed for Saturday in Rivers State. 

Briefing newsmen yesterday, the Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof.  Georgewill Owunari, explained that  the convocation is for 2018/2019 and 2019/2020 sessions. 

He blamed the delay in graduating the students  on  the COVID-19 pandemic, the eight months of strike by different unions in universities, among others.  He said: “In this convocation, we are expecting to graduate about 9,536 Bachelor Degrees, out of which 161 obtained the First Class Honours. 

“We are also expecting to graduate about 9,699 from the postgraduate school. Out of this, about 1,028 are PhDs, 3,745 are Masters Degrees in various disciplines, and about 4,926 are postgraduate diplomas.”

Owunari said he has implemented important tasks to ensure the university delivers on its mandate in teaching, learning, research, community service and entrepreneurship.

“When we came onboard we discovered that the career structure of this university has been in the pipeline for about 16 years, so we ensured that council approved that career structure.”

“We all know the issues of climate challenge, flood, natural disasters all over the world and this university is also very desirous of tackling climate change. We are working with partners both local and international to tackling the climate.

He commended the university Council, led by Senator Andrew Uchendu, and the management team for  their support.