The Rivers State University of Science and Technology (RSUST) Nkpolu-Oroworukwo, Port Harcourt has graduated 5,453 students in the institution 25th convocation ceremony.
The VC, Professor Barineme Beke Fakae, is particularly happy when he said that in the silver jubilee convocation the institution governing council has resolved that the institution will no longer have strike as an option in any struggle for better condition of services as this impact negatively on the future of the institution students. Instantly, the institution has tasked itself to keep RSUST on a steady path of growth.
A breakdown of the figure shows that graduands reads, 19phds, 273 masters, 86 PGDs, and of these numbers were 6 first class, 285 second class upper, 2260 second class lower, 2,355 third class and total of 169 pass. Okonkwo Chinedu was declared the best graduating students.
Speaking at the RSUST convocation ground, the visitor of the school and Rivers State governor Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi said his administration is determined to rebuild the institution and went on to say that the construction of new Rivers State University of Science and Technology will commence without delay.
He mandated the VC to employ more lecturers into the institution and task him on a possible financial autonomy adding that if he is having problem with the state head of service he will meet with him to that effect. Gov. Amaechi also enjoined the graduating students to be of their best behaviour as they go into the world.
Earlier, Prof. Fakae in his address said to the graduands that what the institution is rewarding them (students) represent a mere statement on paper, but the proof of what they are made of will be attested to when they are put to the test by the larger society, stressing that as graduands of RSUST they must prove themselves by the way they solve problems with the first rate training they have received from RSUST. ‘Nigeria is a land of opportunity, a land where ingenuity and creativity pay much under the current democratic dispensation, opportunities are being created for citizens to compete for as job creators and not job seekers,’ Fakae stated.
Urging the graduating students to remember their Alma mater in whatever endeavour they find themselves after graduation, pointing out that it is important that they give something back to the institution that trained them.
The VC stated that RSUST being an ICT based institution, the certificate of all graduands have been duly signed and ready for collection.
According to Fakae within the period he has been at the helm of affairs of the institution, certain achievements including drastic reduction of examination malpractices, sorting and cultism were made. Admission of students is properly streamlined through the use of ICT and JAMB entrance examination and that the academic calendar is not disrupted for which the university was commended by NUC. “The advancement in our ICT outfit has attracted JAMB to use the university as one of its centres to test run its computer based test (CBT) for JAMB examination”, Fakae added.
The university was able to carry out its social corporate responsibility on her host community, Nkpolu-Oroworukwo as the university has renovated the town hall, build and equipped a mini computer centre for use by the community and also resuscitated a comatose water station, sand filled and raised the premises of the town hall.
Prof. Fakae, however, highlighted the institution constraints to include inadequate classrooms, offices, shortage of academic and non academic staff, 46 bed hospital waiting to be furnished for use by staff, students and host community.
The senate building is awaiting completion, funding of the university, re-accreditation exercise for all the university programmes, staff recruitment and control payment of staff.
Prof. Fakae was appreciative to the and embassy of the Czech Republic for donation of equipment to the computer laboratory of the department of Architecture, Sir. Emeka Offor foundation for donating 927 volumes of books comprising 615 titles in computer science, Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company Limited (SNEPCO), Hon. (Mrs.) Blessing Charles Nsiegbe, for building a model primary school for the university staff school, three illustrious alumni, namely Senator Magnus Ngei Abe, Barr. Tamuno Williams and Engr. Joseph Duntoye of Veleon offshore Limited for donating generously to support this silver jubilee convocation. The best graduating student, Okonkwo Chinedu in a valedictory speech on behalf of the graduating students said ‘this is not the end of our dreams, but to diligently do a more purposeful service to our community and humanity in general’.
He appealed to his fellow graduating students to do themselves the favour of doing things that will reckon them in the good books of the society and their parents, stressing that whatever their hands find, they should do it with their might to achieve the dream of excellence. ###
Allanso Jonathan Allanso
