FUTA trains 78 ex-militants as 85 graduate with First Class

NO fewer than 78 ex-militants from the Niger Delta region have been trained by the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA) on various skills acquisition and entrepreneurship training in collaboration with the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs and the Presidential Amnesty Programme

The Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academics) and the Chairman of the FUTA Ceremonial Committee, Prof Olaniyi Okunlola, who disclosed this at the weekend during a press conference to herald the 28th convocation ceremony of the institution said the repentant militants were trained in welding and fabrication.

According to him, 50 of the ex-Niger Delta militants were trained in welding and fabrication had graduated while 28 others would soon resume for training in Agriculture and Entrepreneurship.

He said the ex-militants were trained by the Centre for Entrepreneurship Studies of the university and Department of Metallurgical Studies respectively.

He explained that the training would afford the militants to shun militancy and be of good conduct with high level productivity to themselves and the country at large.

The don who noted that the Niger/Delta militants trained by the university have become employer of labour and stressed the need for national environmental development by the Federal Government

Speaking on the breakdown of the graduating students, Okunlola said 85 of the students came out with First Class, 1044 made Second Class (upper), 1274 made Second Class (lower), 453 made third class, while 33 graduated with Pass.

Also, he informed that a total number of 105 will bag the university’s PhD degree, 731 will bag Master’s degree while 40 will bag the Post Graduate Diploma Certificate of the university.

The university Don disclosed that two distinguished personalities would receive the institution’s honorary Doctorate degree, who include the President of African Development Bank, Dr Akinwumi Adesina and a German scholar, Prof. Rainer Horn.

He disclosed  that a student, Ali Abdul-Hafiz from the Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering emerged the overall best student of the university  for the 2015/2016 Academic Session, having had a CGPA of 4.89.

Meanwhile, the non academics workers in the school have threatened to disrupt the graduation ceremony of the institution of the embattled Vice Chancellor of the school, Prof Adebiyi Daramola, presided over the ceremony.

Speaking on behalf of the three unions which included Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), Non Academics Staff Union (NASU) and National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT), the joint Chairman, Mr Dele Durojaye, said Daramola remained suspended from all activities of the institution since he was standing trial in court.

According to him, “we are privy to the information that Prof Daramola will preside over the convocation and we are not going to allow this illegality to hold here

The VC has been charged before a High court for corruption and forgery. He needs to vacate the seat pending the determination of the suit, so he cannot continue to act in that capacity.”

He however said the non academics staff of the institution will prevent and resist the embattled VC from being in charge of the activities during the one week long programme.