THE Ekiti State University (EKSU), Ado Ekiti has listed Governors Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State and Ibrahim Dankwambo of Gombe; Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi and a member of the House of Representatives from Ogun State, Mr Oladipupo Adebutu, for honours as it conduct its 22nd convocation ceremony.
The Vice Chancellor of EKSU, Professor Sam Oye Bandele, who addressed newsmen to herald the convocation, on Monday, said the four distinguished Nigerians were being honoured “for purpose of acknowledging their immeasurable contributions to academic, philanthropy and humanitarian gestures.”
Oye Bandele, who’s the 7th Vice Chancellor of the 35-year-old institution, said the current wave if corruption probes in universities had made it imperative for the Department of State Services (DSS) to screen candidates for positions in universities, as a way to forestall corruption and financial crimes.
Professor Oye Bandele said the university at its 22nd convocation will award first degrees to a total of 10,206 students, out of whom 37 bagged First Class.
Professor Oye Bandele, in giving the breakdown of the graduating students, said 1,638 will graduate with Second Class (upper division); 5,395 with Second Class (lower division); 3012 with Third Class and 124 students will graduate with Pass degree.
The Vice Chancellor also announced that in the Post Graduate School, 81 students will bag the university’s PhD degree; Masters Degree will go to 169 students; “Professional Masters” will be conferred on 85 while 63 others will receive Post Graduate Diplomas.
Professor Oye Bandele said “the university is proud to be associated with Miss Damilola Eunice Adedeji of the Department of Plant Science in the Faculty of Science, who did not only emerge as a First Class scholar but became the best graduating student with 4.77 C.G.P.A.”
The VC reiterated the desire of the university to improve on its academic culture, saying they were already on the way to achieving this by working towards making EKSU and residential institution.
“A process to turn EKSU into a residential university for students to improve on the academic culture has come to fruition with the occupation of some university’s hostels by both male and female students and the inauguration of hall wardens to oversee the affairs of the university’s hostels, for the first time in the history of the university,” Professor Bandele stated.
He also explained that the 35-year old institution had sustained its efforts to “build bridges of relationships and networks with notable international organisations, we have established and continued to maintain global partnership with universities that represent beacons of good international practice internationally.”
On the screening of university appointees, Bandele said this remained the best way to ensure that those with criminal, corruption and immoral past were exposed by such screening before get into positions.
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