Abasifreke Effiong
AKWA IBOM – The Vice Chancellor of the Akwa Ibom State University, Prof. Eno Ibanga has said that 2000 graduands will convoke at the 4th and 5th convocation of the university holding on Friday 8th November 2019.
The convocation which will hold at the Ikot Akpaden campus of the university was preceded by a convocation lecture on Thursday 7th November on the topic, “State universities and national development”, presented by Prof. Akpan Ekpo, former vice chancellor of the university of Uyo.
At the combined convocation, 41 graduands will receive first class honours while 509 will receive second class upper degrees, the vice chancellor said.
Two best graduating students Utibe Mfon Okon of the department of animal science with cumulative grade point average of 4.88 and Victor Effiong Odokwo of the department of marine engineering with 4.89 will be honoured as valedictorians for the 2016/2017 and 2017/2018 set in that order.
Prof. Ibanga said the university will confer the award of honorary doctorate degree, doctor of letters, on the chancellor of the university, Nteyin Solomon Etuk, the oku Ibom Ibibio and chairman Akwa Ibom state council of chiefs, during the convocation.
The Akwa Ibom State University which will be 10 years old in 2020, opened for academic programmes in 2010 with 300 students.
The university currently has 8660 students spread across 39 programmes and eight faculties.
Vice chancellor of the university said AKSU has high standard for quality education and discipline and has kept its fees very low.
“We have tried to place the university where it should be in terms of quality. We have 39 programmes; 38 have been given full accreditation.”
Prof. Ibanga said the university has terminated the appointments of eight of its staff on offences of sexual harassment and extortion.
“We have terminated up to eight appointments because of sexual harassment and extortion. As we speak, a notorious one is on ground. I can say authoritatively that this university has zero tolerance for any form of harassment of students”.
Prof. Ibanga also announced the commencement of admission into post graduate programmes in six of its faculties.