Two outstanding graduating students of the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State, Messrs Opeyemi Jesulayomi Ajayi and Justice Chinonso Etieh, were on Friday offered automatic employment by the Ogun State governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun.
Governor Abiodun made the announcement in his address at the 28th and /29th combined convocation ceremonies of the university for the 2017/2018 and 2018/2019 academic sessions.
Mr Opeyemi Ajayi of the Department of Electrical Electronics emerged the best graduating student in the 2017/2018 set, while Justice Chinonso Etieh was the best graduating student in the 2018/2019 academic session.
The highlight of the event was the conferment of honorary Doctor of Science (DSc.) on the Minister of Finance, Mrs Zainab Shamsuna Ahmed (an alumnus of the university) and the Olu of Ilaro and paramount ruler of Yewa land, Oba Kehinde Gbadewole Olugbenle; while Major General Sansadeen Adebanjo Awosanya (retd) was conferred with Doctor of Letters (D.Litt).
The governor expressed his delight and congratulated the university on the outstanding feat it had achieved over the years. He particularly “noted with joy” the reports of the National Universities Commission (NUC) accreditation visits to the university, the most recent of which gave OOU programmes 96 percent accreditation status.
“I want to assure you that the challenges facing the only outstanding course, Architecture, are being addressed. We are currently constructing six studios and a departmental building.
“I commend the university council and management for this giant stride,” Governor Abiodun said, adding that his administration would do all it can to ensure that the university attains 100 percent accreditation status for all its programmes.
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The governor also thanked the management, staff and students of the university for the peace and harmony on the campus, without which he said all the achievements being celebrated would not have been possible.
The vice-chancellor, Professor Ganiyu Olatunde, in his address announced that Olabisi Onabanjo University had transited from its non-residential policy to residential.
According to him, from the modest figure of 150 students resident in the university hostel, the university now houses over 1,300 students on campus. This achievement he said was made possible due to the involvement of private developers who had partnered with the university to build affordable hostels on campus.
He, however, noted that there is still inadequate on-campus accommodation for staff, but that discussions had been opened with corporate organizations towards building 100 units of housing for staff.
Professor Olatunde thanked the benefactors of the university. He particularly thanked the Awujale of Ijebu land, Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona, for the donation of a Professorial Chair in Governance worth over N1 billion; the construction of the Awujale Professorial Chair in Governance Complex, “and the commencement of another edifice to house the Centre for Governance Studies.”
Two iconic buildings – an ultramodern Administration Building and a 300-capacity ICT Building – were earlier inaugurated by the governor.
At Friday’s convocation event, a total of 1,198 OOU graduates for postgraduate degree were convoked, comprising 124 doctorate, 882 master’s degree and 192 postgraduate diploma granduads.
A combined total of 9,385 graduands were earlier in the week awarded first degrees of the university, comprising 42 first class honors, 1,543 second class upper division, 4,422 second class lower division, 2,847 third class honors and 302 pass degree.
