No fewer than 700 graduates would be awarded degree certificate with 71 students graduating with First Class Honours as Achievers University, Owo, holds its 14th Convocation on Saturday.
The Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof. Omolola Irinoye, stated this on Tuesday at the news conference heralding the 14th Convocation and 17th Foundation Anniversary of the university.
She said that 303 students had Second Class Honours (Upper Division) and 243 graduated with Second Class Honours ( Lower Division) while 35 had Third Class Honours.
The vice chancellor said that 46 postgraduate students in 17 different academic programmes would receive their certificate awards at the convocation ceremony.
Irinoye said further that the university would at the ceremony present 143 graduate nurses to the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria for induction.
The vice chancellor added that the institution would also present 12 graduates of engineering to be inducted into the Council for Registration of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN).
She said that similarly 17 Public Health graduate would also be inducted into the African Institute of Public Health Professionals.
According to her, the university will present 65 graduates into the Medical Laboratory Council of Nigeria for induction in the course of the convocation.
Irinoye said that Gov. Umar Bago of Niger, Dr Fidelis Ayebae and Oba Adedokun Abolarin, Orangun of Oke-Ila, would be awarded honourary Ph.Ds for their outstanding impact on the country.
The vice chancellor said that no fewer than 319 students had benefitted from its 12-tuition-free academic programmes.
She stated that the gesture was in pursuance of the institution’s philosophy of promoting access to higher education to young people who might be denied the opportunity for lack of huge resources.
The vice chancellor said that the institution’s Governing Council had also approved the granting of 65 per cent to 80 per cent tuition scholarship for UTME and Direct Entry candidates in 20 other academic programmes.
She stated that the discount would last for the duration of the academic programmes.
Irinoye asked government to exempt academic institutions from payment of tax in order to reduce the financial burden causing bottleneck on smooth running and administration of academic activities in the country.
The VC also described as unfair the exemption of students of private universities from the students loan scheme of the Federal Government. (NAN)
