IAUE: Demonstrate to the World that You Deserve Your Certificate, VC, Prof Onuchuku Okechuku

The Acting Vice Chancellor of IAUE Professor Okechuku Onuchuku has charged graduates of the institution to demonstrate to the world that they truly deserve the certificates and prizes conferred on them by the University.

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He gave the charge during the 42nd Convocation Ceremony for first degree graduates which took place on Friday April 26, 2024 at the university auditorium.

Professor Onuchuku who charged them to go into the larger society, bring honour, glory without spoiling the name of the University or bring it into disrepute, admonished them not to abandon any projects started but to celebrate the end of their programmes in the various discipline bearing in mind that today's celebration will precede new beginning in their career and personal life.

The Chief Executive Officer implored them to join any branch of the Alumni Association of the University close to them and to use their extended contacts to seek after the good of the University at all times noting that the University expects more commitment from them to the society and their alma-mater.

While maintaining that the University shall continue to emphasize zero tolerance to corruption and other social vices that undermine Institutional credibility, he noted that Management is aware of the fact that a few errant staff and students have done things that tend to bring the high reputation of the University into disrepute. He stressed that steps have been taken to discipline staff and students who engaged in unwholesome acts at variance with established academic culture.

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In his valedictory speech, the best graduating student for the 2022/2023 academic session Mr Ashafa Sokon Mamman expressed appreciation to the Executive Governor of the State Sir Siminalayi Joseph Fubara GSSRS for his massive support towards the growth and development of the University and appealed for more investment in the provision of state of the art facilities, promotion of research initiatives to foster a culture of academic excellence. He added that nurturing educational institutions equals investing in the leaders, thinkers and change makers of tomorrow.

The best graduating student similarly expressed gratitude to the Vice Chancellor of IAUE Professor Okechuku Onuchuku for the establishment of the Faculty of Agriculture adding that the gesture is of great significance as it has created an avenue for enhanced technological development in the Agricultural sector and food security in Rivers State and Nigeria in general.

Mr Mamman thanked all teaching and non-teaching staff at Ndele Campus who helped to make history by producing the first ever best graduating student in the history of the University from Ndele Campus.

While calling for total facelift of the Ndele Campus for more excellent graduates to be produced and for them to play their own part in the mitigation of food insecurity in the country, he urged fellow graduands to carry the values of integrity, perseverance,  compassion and to strive  to make positive impact in their communities, to be agents of change and to uphold the spirit of lifelong learning that has been instilled in them.

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He equally expressed heartfelt gratitude to his family, friends, well-wishers and families of all the graduands for sponsoring and supporting them even through hard and unforgiving circumstances.

The best graduating student went home with one million naira cash award from the University. The gesture is to spur others on to hardwork.

A total of four thousand, six hundred and fifty three (4,653) students graduated. Out of this number, 13 bagged first class, 890 second class upper division, 2,939 second class lower division and 811 third class.

The University has full accreditation status from the National Universities commission ( NUC)for 47 out of the 54 academic programmes of the University. Seven of its new undergraduate programmes have been resource verified by the NUC who also approved all Part Time programmes of the ivory tower in addition to twenty eight postgraduate programmes that the regulatory body also approved after a resource verification exercise.