Recently, the Federal University Ndufu-Alike Ikwo (FUNAI), Ebonyi State, now christened Alex Ekwueme Federal University Ndufu-Alike Ikwo (AE-FUNAI), graduated its latest fit ‘eagles’ in grand a convocation ceremony, adjudged by the nation’s education stakeholders as a great feat when compared with the institution’s contemporaries. EDWARD NNACHI, who witnessed the event reports.
The Alex Ekwueme Federal University Ndufu-Alike Ikwo (AE-FUNAI) in Ebonyi State held its second convocation ceremony on December 19, last year amid great joy among the people of the state. At the occasion, 247 graduating students were awarded Bachelor’s degrees. Twenty graduating students were from the Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Humanities-with 92, Faculty of Management and Social Sciences-with 47 and Faculty of Science with 88 graduating students.
Of the 247 graduands, 22 emerged in the First Class, 140 in the Second Class Upper, 80 in the Second Class Lower, and 5 in the Third Class. It was an occasion for the university authorities to roll out the drums and celebrate the university’s achievements within its few years of existence.
In his address at the occasion, Chancellor of the university, HRM Oba Michael Aremu Adedotun Gbadebo, Alake and Paramount Ruler of Egbaland (CFR), appealed to all Nigerians irrespective of their tribal, religious and political inclinations to continue to support President Muhammadu Buhari’s government in its drive to ensure a stable and prosperous country.
He observed that the Governor of Ebonyi State, Engr. David Umahi, has within the last one year transformed Ebonyi, a state which, houses the institution. He also thanked the governor for his assistance to the university so far, and commended the efforts of the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Chinedum Nwajiuba and his management team for the on-going profound improvement in the infrastructure base of the university.
In his remarks, the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council, Prof. Mba Uzoukwu, noted that within the last one year, the physical look of the university has significantly improved to a very noticeable degree.
He thanked President Buhari for his approval of ecological fund intervention for the university campus. Through the intervention, the university’s numerous ecological challenges were being tackled head-on, thereby forestalling future ecological nightmares and ensuring conducive learning and working environment for both students and staff.
He also extoled the university’s management under the leadership of the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Chinedum Nwajiuba, on its decision to stick to enduring values and timeless principles. He gave an assurance that the Governing Council “shall continue to make enduring policies that will propel this university to being acknowledged as a contributor to the development of the Nigerian nation and the world at large.”
So far, Prof. Uzoukwu noted that the university has been promoting the culture of selfless service, transparency, accountability and meritocracy with a view to assuring the university’s place in the comity of respectable universities.
“We shall continue to support the university’s senate and management to produce highly knowledgeable, responsible and enterprising graduates who will impact positively on society,” he said.
Finally, he urged the graduating students not to forget “the principles of excellence, integrity, hard work, responsibility and self-reliance, which you still have to depend on in order to achieve sustainable success in future.”
Also addressing the graduating students, Vice Chancellor, Prof. Chinedum Uzoma Nwajiuba, who was brimming with joy, further reiterated that 247 graduating students were being awarded Bachelor’s degrees in the Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences-with 20, Faculty of Humanities-with 92, Faculty of Management and Social Sciences-with 47 and Faculty of Science with 88 graduating students.
Prof. Nwajiuba, who joyfully corroborated Oba Aremu Gbadebo when he said: “Out of the 247 graduands, 22 emerged in the First Class, 140 in the Second Class Upper, 80 in the Second Class Lower, and 5 in the Third Class”, noted that the university’s Internally Generated Revenue appealed to (IGR) was still too low to address its myriad of challenges.
He appealed to people of goodwill to contribute to the development of the university by setting up endowment funds, and by building hostels, classrooms, office blocks, workshops, laboratories and by donating vehicles, chairs, stools, bookshelf, among others to the university.
His said: “Our new College Medicine and the Faculty of Engineering are in need of equipment. We need hostels for students, workshops, laboratories, and other facilities that will make for a modern university of the twenty-first century,” he said, adding that “it is time to build.
“Come join hands with us to build this university for humanity and posterity and think less of what to take from FUNAI. Benefits should be after responsibility; but we seem to be dealing with a generation of persons imbued with the tragedy of the commons, who want to take and never give back,” he appealed.
