Gabriel Dike, Lagos
Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ago Iwoye, Ogun State, has produced 42 First Class graduates out of 10,258 students that will graduate during the combined convocation ceremonies.
Two students in the Departments of Biochemistry and Electrical Electronic emerged best overall graduating students with 4.76 CGPA.
The Vice-Chancellor of OOU, Prof Ganiyu Olatunji, announced this on Monday at the briefing for the combined convocation ceremonies for 2017/2018 and 2018/2019 academic sessions.
Prof Olatunji said the 28th and 29th convocation ceremonies are for the award of degrees, postgraduate diplomas, higher degrees and conferment of honorary degrees on three prominent Nigerians.
Giving a breakdown for the 2017/2018 academic session, the VC said 18 students obtained First Class degrees, 683 Second Class Upper, 2,030 Second Class Lower, 1,248 Third Class, while 128 students obtained Pass.
Olatunji also explained that in the 2018/2019 academic session, 23 students recorded First Class, 792 made Second Class Upper, 2,256 obtained Second Class Lower, 1,493 will receive Third Class degrees and 166 bagged Pass.
According to him, two students, Chinoso Justice of the Department of Biochemistry and Opeyemi Ayomi of the Department of Electrical Electronic, emerged best overall graduating students with 4.76 CGPA.
Statistics revealed that the College of Engineering recorded the highest students with First Class as it produced 15 and followed by Basic Medical Sciences with seven First Class.
The VC said the convocation will start with an agricultural and engineering show from Tuesday 21st to Thursday 23rd, with a convocation play titled ‘Eniyan’, written by Wale Ogunyemi, taking place on Monday, January 27th.
Prof Olatunji disclosed that awards of prizes will hold from January the 28th to the 31st for the various faculties and colleges and that Governor Dabo Abiodun of Ogun State will commission the Admin Block and ICT building, while the convocation lecture titled ‘The Integrity Challenge in Nigeria Higher Education: Towards Creating a New Normal’ will be delivered by Prof Olusola Akinrinade, Provost of Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria.
The OOU helmsman said three Nigerians will be conferred with honorary degrees for their contributions to nation-building and support offered OOU.
He said the awardees include an Alumnus of OOU, the Minister of Finance, Budget and National, Hajia Zainab Shamshuna Ahmed (D.Sc honoris causa), Paramount ruler of Yewaland and Olu of Ilaro, Oba Kehinde Olugbenle (D. Litt honoris causa) and Major General Sansadeen Awosanta (retd) and president, Brent Mortgage Bank (D. Litt honoris causa).
Olatunji used the occasion to acknowledge the support the university has been enjoying from the media since his assumption of office in May 2017, stating “your cooperation and positive publicity have added more value to our collective efforts in building a favourable public image and enviable goodwill for OOU.”