Mr. Udom Emmanuel, the Akwa Ibom
State governor, has called on institutions of higher learning across the
country to equip graduates with requisite skills that would enable them measure
up with their counterparts in the globally competitive work environment.
Governor Emmanuel made the call
during the 2nd and 3rd Convocation of Akwa Ibom State University held at Ikot
Akpaden main campus of the institution.
He acknowledged that the world is
undergoing changes and urged citadels of learning to prepare students to view
the world as a vast land of opportunities where they would translate creative
ideas into sustainable wealth and cited people like Mark Zuckerberg, Steve Job,
Michael Dell and others whom he said
have impacted the World through creative endeavours.
His words: “I challenge this
university to begin a new academic conversation to the effect that while it is
wonderful to look forward to building a career in the civil service or other
professional lines, we can equally be successful or if not more, if we think up
ideas and match them with technology and then begin to put the building blocks
towards wealth creation.”
The governor said that his
administration has started the process by sending youths abroad to learn and
equip themselves with skills that would make them drivers of industrialisation
programme of the administration.
He explained that the second
convocation of the institution could not hold because of accreditation issues
and commended the University management for securing the accreditation adding
that brighter future and great expectations await students as they undergo
training in the institution.
Emmanuel commended the graduating
class of 2017 for conducting themselves in a manner that qualify them for the
award of degrees and certificates in various disciplines and wished them well
as they take up the challenge of building their career in the future.
“I have no doubt that the quality
of education you have received here will stand you in good stead to compete
with your contemporaries and in the process, project the foundational tenets
and vision of this great institution as it ambassadors,” he stated.
Emmanuel, the Visitor to the
university, expressed appreciation to the Chancellor, the Emir of Kazaure,
Alhaji Najib Adamu; the Governing Board, and the Vice Chancellor, Professor Eno
Ibanga, for maintaining academic excellence thereby making the institution
among the best in the country.
While pledging his
administration’s resolve to provide quality and affordable education to every
citizen, the governor urged the university to explore ways of increasing it
revenue profile using available facilities in the school and made a job offer
to the best graduating student Mr. Evans Joel Udom.
The Pro-Chancellor, Engr. A. S.
Udofia, stated that the school has enjoyed appreciable growth in terms of
physical infrastructure and student enrolment adding that decent hostels,
classrooms, standard libraries, laboratories, state of the art studio,
ultra-modern performing art theatre as well as qualified lecturers have been
provided to enable students excel in their studies.
He thanked the governor for fast-
tracking development in the university assuring that the institution has been
strategically positioned to contribute to the realization of industrialisation
and other lofty programmes of the state
administration.
The Vice Chancellor, Professor
Eno Ibanga, said that additional facilities have been provided to accommodate
the increasing number of students which he put at 7,857.
He explained that the second
convocation was for students who had completed their academic programmes in the
2014 /2015 session, while the third convocation was for those who concluded
their studies in the 2015/2016 session.
He said that no case of cultism
has been recorded in the university and that 88 students were currently
benefiting from scholarship programme from various organisations.
A total of 916 graduates
participated in the convocation ceremony which featured flag off of
construction projects at the permanent site of the university, commissioning of
a two-floor Administrative Block designed and built within four months and
three weeks by staff and students of
the institution’s Department of Physical
Planning as well as conferment of honorary Doctorate Degree on the Senate
Minority Leader, Senator Godswill Akpabio
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