92 Graduands Of Michael Okpara University Of Agriculture Umudike Bag First Class

No fewer that 92 our of the 5,817 first degree graduands of Michael Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike Abia State have been awarded first class honours in the just concluded convocation exercise.

The convocation ceremony which was the 10th in the series took place on Saturday.

Speaking at the event, Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Maduebibisi Iwe, revealed that 4,115 of the graduates were of the 2018/2019 academic year at the undergraduate and post graduate levels.

Prof. Iwe, who is the sixth VC of the MOUAU further disclosed that 5,817 obtained bachelor’s degree, 92 with postgraduate diploma, 454 had Masters degree while 243 were awarded with Doctorate degree.

He said, “Out of the 5,817 first degree graduands, 92 obtained first class honours,1775 with second class honours upper division, 2,905 had second class honours lower division, 1226 with third class and 18 with pass”.

The VC said the university had recorded many breakthroughs, but called for infusion of funds for the upgrade of her physical environment.

President Muhammadu Buhari while speaking at the event challenged Universities of Agriculture to bravely confront the heavy dependence of the nation on imported food and raw materials with a view to reducing it to the minimum in his remarks.

Buhari, who was represented by the, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Dr Mohammed Abubakar, said the government was looking up to the universities as lead drivers of the agricultural sector.

He said, “Universities must play their crucial specialised role in catalaysing the development of the agricultural sector, in order to achieve the Federal Government’s goal of sustainable green economy.

“Even though the nation has challenges of funding, but our endowments are far greater our her constraints”.

The Chancellor, HRH Alhaji Shehu Abubakar commended President Buhari and the university management for the smooth running of the institution.

Abubakar, who is the Emir of Gombe, congratulated the graduands and urged them to be ambassadors of the university wherever they found themselves.

He commended the university host communities for their cooperation and called on relevant government agencies to extend helping hands in alleviating the problems that hinder the development of the institution.

The university conferred honorary degrees on four distinguished Nigerians in recognition of their positive contributions to the society.

The awardees were; Dr Cosmas Maduka, Founder and Chairman of Coscharis Group, Mr Chika Ikenga, Founder and Managing Director of Eunisell, Oba Akeem Ogungbangbe, the Ajagbusi-Ekun VI Owaloko of Iloko-Ijesa, Osun and Alhaji Usman Kansila, Founder, UYK Nigeria.