Gabriel Dike

Twenty five-year-old Lauretta Onemu of Chrisland University, Abeokuta, Ogun State, has set a new academic record as she graduated with a Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 5.00 points.

Onemu, from Delta State and in the Department of Psychology, recorded the academic feat at the convocation ceremony of Chrisland University.

Vice Chancellor of Chrisland University, Prof Chinedum Babalola, who disclosed this at the convocation which attracted former Anambra State Governor and PDP Vice Presidential candidate in the 2019 elections, Mr Peter Obi, and other stakeholders, said Onemu also emerged the best overall graduating student in her department, school and the university.

Babalola noted that Onemu’s scored A’s in all courses she took in the programme from 100 level to 400 level and described it as a perfect score.

The VC told the gathering that she had to monitor her during exams and project defense to see things for herself.

Prof Babalola disclosed that because of Onemu’s performance, one of her supervisors recommended that she should be made a graduate assistant.

She explained that the university has zero tolerance for poor service delivery and tasked the seven graduates to remain worthy ambassadors of the institution.

The guest speaker at the convocation ceremony and former Anambra State Governor, Mr Peter Obi, said as the post oil economy stares the country in the face, government and entrepreneurs in Nigeria must look towards the new ‘oil’ as a major of revenue source.

Obi described the new ‘oil’ as a knowledge economy based which uses ICT to produce goods and services to earn both local and foreign revenue for the country.

He said the decline in oil prices has put many countries in serious economic crises, hence the need to look at the new ‘oil’. Obi spoke on “Creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship: A critical intersection for economy development in Africa”.

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The former Anambra Governor disclosed that many countries and individuals are making fortunate through the new ‘oil’ and that their income is more than Nigeria’s budget.

He disclosed that most professionals performancing wonders abroad were trained in the country, stressing “we have the best hands all over the world.

“The problem with Africa is economic development which is critical. Africa’s human development index is low. Out of 189 countries measured, the 38 that are low are in Africa.

“Nigeria is number three in terms of the worst. Somalia is higher than us,” the ex-governor said.

“Nigeria has the highest number of out school children, N13 million. We are also have the highest illiteracy rate. We are not investing in education and it is critical,” he noted.

The former governor tasked the seven graduates of Chrisland University to adopt the knowledge economy and rescue the country by creating jobs.

Obi remarked that, apart from politicians, Nigerian workers are underpaid, stating that there is “no place in the world where a councillor earns more than a professor.”

He said that in other countries government supports private universities, but in Nigeria the situation is different as government is only interested in asking them to pay tax.

The former PDP Vice Presidential candidate wondered why a sitting governor owing workers over one year in salaries would be campaigning for a second term.

Obi showered encomiums on the Chancellor and Chairman, Board of Trustees of Chrisland University, Chief Winifred Awosika, for her passion in providing quality education to Nigeria youths, and predicted that the institution will produce world class graduates.