16th convocation: DELSU’s best-graduating student gets automatic employment

Nathan Tamarapreye, Yenagoa

Gov. Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State has approved automatic employment for the overall best-graduating student of the Delta State University (DELSU), Abraka.

The governor approved the automatic employment at the 16th Convocation for the 2022/2023 academic session of the university.

Recall that Ilebe Joshua of the Faculty of Pharmacy graduated with a 4.83 CGPA to emerge as the overall best-graduating student in the academic session under review.

Oborevwori while congratulating the graduands, urged them to think outside the box of getting paid jobs and be innovative.

“As you launch out into the world today, it is my earnest expectation that you will put to good use the academic knowledge and life lessons you have garnered during your sojourn in DELSU.

“Do not think only of getting a paid job; I challenge you to be entrepreneurial in your approach to life. Money is a reward for creating value,” he said.

The governor while commending the University’s Governing Council and management for the impressive growth recorded by the institution over the years, promised to do his best to ensure that DELSU compete favourably with other universities in the country.

Oborevwori had on arrival inaugurated the Faculty of Science Extension and Microbiology Laboratory Complex.

Earlier, in his address of welcome, the Vice Chancellor of DELSU, Prof. Andy Egwunyenga said that a total of 4,776 students graduated from the 2022/2023 academic session.

According to him, it comprised the Postgraduate Degrees, First Degrees and Diploma Certificates in the academic session.

Egwunyenga said that in the First-Degree category, the graduands included a total of total of 3,611 with 54 having first class, 1,207 second class honours (upper division), and 380 second class honours (lower division).

The vice chancellor said that the university had attained 100 per cent accreditation of all its programmes, adding that it was recently ranked 22nd position out of 133 Nigerian universities with a presence in Scopus.

“Tenth position among the best state-owned universities in the country and best university in the South-South Region by the 2024SciVal Ranking of Nigerian Universities,” he said.

Egwunyenga while commending the state governor for his commitment to the university appealed for an increase in funding, particularly the monthly subvention to enable the university to employ the needed critical staff.

He also solicited the assistance of the relevant stakeholders to the institution to enable it to shore up its ratings in the comity of universities globally.

Egwunyenga said that stakeholders should see DELSU as a project in progress which must never be abandoned at any stage if it must attain national and international recognition.

“Challenges are inextricable parts of any organisation, so DELSU is not alienated from them.

“Though surmountable, they rear their ugly heads in the areas of our facilities, laboratories, workshops, lecture theatres, office, and halls of residence which are in dire need of renovation and expansions.

“Given the above, I appeal to the state government for an increase in funding, particularly the monthly subvention to enable the university to employ the needed critical staff,” he said.

Egwunyenga said that some of the ongoing projects in the university still needed the attention of the state government adding that they included: the Administrative Building, the abandoned Sports Complex and the Faculty of Science Complex, among others.

He also requested the construction of the Faculty of Agriculture Complex as well as more accommodations for staff and students.

Egwunyenga highlighted some of the completed projects in the university in the last year to include: the construction of the Microbiology Laboratory, furnishing of Management Sciences

Others were: the construction of Hard Landscaping in the Faculty of Management Sciences; renovation/remedial works and office partitioning in the Faculty of Arts and linking the university to 33 KVA for improved power supply, among others.

The vice chancellor, however, congratulated the graduands and urged them to be good ambassadors of the university.

One of the graduands, HRM, King Monday Whiskey, the Udurhe 1, the Ovie of Idjerhe Kingdom in Ethiope West, while speaking on the sideline encouraged journalists to pursue academic careers noting, that it had the potential of shaping their future.

The traditional ruler who bagged his PhD in Mass Communication said the feat had placed him in a better position to rule his people with better policies and programmes.

“Everyone needs education. I encourage our people to see education as the best light and be part of the light,” the king said.

In his valedictory speech, the best-graduating student, Joshua thanked the Almighty God for his success.

He also appreciated the vice chancellor, management and staff of the university for instituting the Students’ Work and Scholarship Schemes which according to him had enabled indigent students to sustain their academic pursuits.

Highlights of the ceremony were the decoration of Prof. Chukwuemeke Aloamaka as a Professor Emeritus of the university and the conferment of the Honorary Doctor of Letters of the university on Prof. Sam Oyovbaire.