By Godwin Okeh, ABAKALIKI
The Vice Chancellor of Alex Ekweme Federal University Ndufu-Alike Ikwo, FUNAI, Prof. Chinedum Nwajiuba on Monday said no amount of ASUU strike will stop the varsity convocation scheduled to hold on 18th December 2018.
Prof. Nwajuiba made this known while addressing journalists in Abakaliki ahead of the convocation during which the university will give Doctorate Degree awards to a former Minister of Education, Professor Ihechukwu Madubuike and also the Chancellor of the University, the Alake of Egbaland Oba Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo.
“FUNAI is part of ASUU and lecturers are on strike but that will not stop us doing our convocation. ASUU has withdrawn service. Within this period other universities like UNN, UNIBEN and UI had their convocations and we can do it without ASUU.”
He stated further that “355 persons will be convocating. 15 of them made 1st class, 188 made 2nd class upper, 145 made 2nd class lower, 7 made third class; 355 in all. They are from four faculties; faculty of humanities 44, faculty of basic medicine 52, faculty of science 101, faculty of management and social science 138.
“We have seven faculties and the other three are yet to produce graduates and they are faculty of Engineering, faculty of Agric and faculty of Education and the college of medicine which is still in the second year.
“This year’s convocation lecture will be delivered by Professor Emmanuel Nnadozie. He is coming from Harare in Zimbabwe and he will be speaking on “Education in the African continent”.
“For the first time, we shall be awarding Honorary Doctorate degree and the first will be Our chancellor His Royal Majesty Oba Aremu Adedeju CFR, the Aleke of Egba land. He will be conferred with Honorary Doctorate Degree in Management.
“The second person will be Professor Ihechukwu Madubuike. Professor Madubike was Minister of Education in 1979 during the Shagari era and I think he is the oldest Minster of Education in Nigeria. He became a minister quite early in life. He has a P.hD in French from University in France and we thought it wise to honour him”
He further revealed the preparedness of the varsity tackle the problem of insecurity “Duo to the way things are going in this country, security is our problem but we have tried to strengthen the university security to avert any any eruption of social vices” he added.
