IAUE Senate Approves Amnesty Programmes to Fast-Track Graduation of Students

The Senate of Ignatius Ajuru University of Education (IAUE), Rumuolumeni, Port Harcourt, has approved an amnesty programme designed to enable students who have been unable to graduate due to failed final-year courses complete their studies.

The approval was granted during the statutory Senate meeting held on Thursday, August 28, 2025, at the Postgraduate Hall of the University. According to Dr. Ngozi Okiridu, Public Relations Officer of IAUE, the programme will cover students from the 2016 academic session onwards and is aimed at clearing the backlog of students affected by a few outstanding courses.

Dr. Okiridu explained that under the arrangement, affected students will undergo lectures for some weeks before sitting for examinations in their failed courses. She added that the ICT Director, Professor Nathaniel Ojekudo, has been mandated to inform Deans of Faculties and Heads of Departments about the schedule, which will then be communicated to the students.

Senate Chairman and Vice Chancellor, Professor Okechuku Onuchuku, also used the meeting to encourage the Faculty of Agriculture to engage in full-scale farming as a means of generating revenue. He further urged the Departments of Entrepreneurship and Human Resource Management to develop short courses and consultancy services to strengthen the university’s financial base.

Professor Onuchuku warned lecturers against compelling students to buy textbooks, stressing that such practices should not be imposed. He also announced plans to commence the University Lecture, as proposed by Professor Chibuzor Chile Nwobueze, Associate Dean of the Postgraduate School. The lecture will focus on contemporary issues aimed at enriching the academic environment.

During the meeting, Professor Nwobueze called for proper maintenance of the solar panels provided by the NDDC, while the Director of Academic Planning, Professor Joseph Kinanee, requested professors to submit their names for inclusion in the NUC database, which will be used for accreditation purposes. He disclosed that resource verification for twelve programmes is scheduled for September 2025, and called for full compliance with NUC standards to ensure a successful accreditation exercise.

The Senate also approved semester results from various faculties, including the Centre for Continuing Education (CCE) and the Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES).