No fewer than 13,847 graduands are scheduled to be awarded different degrees at the 30th and 31st Convocation Ceremonies of Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ago-Iwoye for the 2019/2020 and 2020/2021 Academic Sessions of the University. The event, which would be presided by the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ganiyu Olatunji Olatunde, will also witness the presentation of prizes to outstanding graduating students of the institution.
A total of 6,257 students graduated for the 2019/2020 Academic Session, out which 55 graduands earned First Class Division. While 991 obtained Second Class Upper Division during the session, 2,738 others graduated in Second Class Lower Division. Also, 1,925 got Third Class, 278 had Pass and 135 graduands bagged Unclassified Degree (from Medicine and Pharmacy). For the 2020/2021 Academic Session, a total of 5,750 graduands were billed for Convocation from various Colleges, Faculties and Departments of the University. These include 70 graduands that earned First Class Division and 1,258 that obtained Second Class Upper Division. Also, 2,707 others graduated in Second Class Lower Division while 1,403 bagged Third Class Degree. Those who got Pass Degree were 246 and 66 graduands obtained Unclassified Degree (from Medicine and Pharmacy).
Moreover, 128 graduands are to be awarded Postgraduate Diploma Degree with 486 others bagging Master’s Degree while 115 would earn their PhD Degree, thus making a total of 729 graduands to be conferred with Postgraduate Degrees and Diplomas of the University.
The University’s Centre for Continuing Education (CCED) will also see a total of 1,087 students graduating for the 2019/2020 Academic Session. These include 229 undergraduates and others from outstanding sessions as well as 858 graduands with advanced certificate programmes.
The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ganiyu Olatunji Olatunde, who gave the breakdown at a press conference heralding the 30th and 31st Convocation Ceremonies of the University on Wednesday 26th January, 2022, also disclosed that two students emerged overall best of the graduands. According to him, Awolumate Adebisi Fatima from the Department of Cooperative Management and Rural Development recorded 4.86 Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) to emerge overall best graduating student for the 2019/2020 Academic Session. He added that Iloka Peter Ebuka from the Faculty of Pharmacy, who recorded a CGPA of 4.92, emerged the overall best for 2020/2021 Academic Session.
The Vice-Chancellor, who was visibly elated about the distinctive performance of the two overall best students, stated that they will “have their handshake” from the Ogun State Governor and Visitor to the University, Prince (Dr) Dapo Abiodun, who is expected to grace the grand finale of the Convocation Ceremonies on Monday 31st January, 2022 at the Main Campus, Ago-Iwoye.
On this date, he said, the Registrar, Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Is-haq Olanrewaju Oloyede, shall deliver the Convocation Lecture entitled, “Your Future is in Your Hands.”
Speaking further, Prof. Olatunde noted that the Convocation would be memorable as it will be the last under his tenure. He also said he would use the event to give account of his stewardship as well as the significant impact made in the University in the last four and half years.
“These highlights will summarize academic development in the University, library services and subscription to electronic databases, staff and students’ welfare matters, operational growth and development. Infrastructural development that will highlight projects initiated and completed and those that are on-going as well as our efforts in provision of residential accommodation for staff of the University,” he declared.
The Vice-Chancellor acknowledged the unflinching support given by journalists to the University since his assumption of duty, pointing out that media cooperation and positive publicity “have added more value to our collective efforts in building a favourable public image and enviable goodwill for OOU.”
While fielding questions from reporters, Prof. Olatunde explained that OOU has made giant strides over the years in terms of academic excellence and infrastructural development. He said the institution could vouch for the certificates and degrees obtained by its teeming graduates. Speaking against the backdrop of indiscriminate award of First Class Degrees in some Universities, the Vice-Chancellor called for due diligence among degree-awarding tertiary institutions. He said only students deserving of First Class grade should be awarded, and not just on the basis of extraneous considerations.
He further said, “It’s true the issue of First Class in some Nigerian Universities is becoming something that needs to be worried about. I do know of a University that produced just few hundreds of graduates and then within those few hundreds, you are having over 100 being First Class candidates. It varies from University to University and I cannot account for what led to that really.
“But I can tell you that here at OOU, we’ve done due diligence in terms of the curriculum we run and the way we assess our students, and I can confirm to you that we have 55 First Class graduates out of 6,257 billed for Convocation in the 2019/2020 Academic Session. So, from that figure alone, you’ll see that ours is not just giving out First Class, you need to be deserving of it in this University before you get it and we keep that standard going.”
Prof. Olatunde used the occasion to clarify recent media reports listing the University among tertiary institutions that engaged in illegal admissions. He said the issue had already been cleared with JAMB. “That’s why you can see the JAMB Registrar being available for our Convocation Ceremony,” he added.
The Vice-Chancellor equally highlighted some of the measures taken by the University Management to reform transcript processing and eliminate the delays sometimes experienced by prospective applicants. He stated that the institution had fully automated the system towards ensuring that transcript requests are processed within 72 hours.
“I can tell you that when we came into office, the transcript problem was huge because it was mainly manual. But we automated it just as we automated most of our activities in this campus. The previous results that were manually done, though some of them had one challenge or the other, but we are clearing them. Recently, we have just rejigged the Transcript Unit of the University. We have relocated them, we have energised them to ensure that some of the few problems we are having in transcript requests are resolved as fast as possible,” he submitted.
The activities lined up for the 30th and 31st Convocation Ceremonies included the Convocation Play scheduled for Thursday, 27th January, 2022 at the Performing Arts Pit Theatre and a Film Show at the OGD Hall in the institution. Also, part of the five-day programme is Jumat Service slated for Friday, 28th January, 2022 at the University Mosque as well as the Convocation Service billed for Sunday 30th January at Chapel of Abundant Life, Main Campus, Ago-Iwoye .
