By Chukwuemeka Opara
Ebonyi- The Federal University, Ndufu-Alike in Ikwo local government of Ebonyi has offered automatic employment to graduating students who passed with First Class Honours.
Prof. Chinedum Nwajiuba, the Vice-Chancellor of the University, disclosed this on Thursday during a news conference ahead of the institution’s first convocation ceremony slated for December 20.
He said that the university’s Senate took the decision to encourage hard work among students and promote academic excellence in the institution.
“The decision is final unless the concerned students reject the offer as it is a reward to the intellectually and practically sound products of the institution.”
Nwajiuba said that a research fair and `get together’ for the students would be held on December 13 and Decembr 18 respectively as part of the convocation activities.
Furthermore, he said that the convocation lecture would be delivered on December 19 by the Minister of Science and Technology, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu.
“The theme of the lecture is “Pioneering and Pioneers:The Search for Self-Sufficiency” while the conferment of first degrees on graduating students will be held on December 20.
“We have equipped them with skills and abilities to make them entrepreneurial and productive to effectively serve Nigeria and humanity.
“We don’t have a school of post-graduate studies, being a young university, and in keeping with the position of the National Universities Commission (NUC), we would not confer Honorary Degrees.”
The vice chancellor identified inadequate funding as a major challenge for the institution.
He congratulated three students currently in their second and third academic years, who were rewarded by Tenecee Technological Services Limited for maintaining 1st class ratings.
The students are Chika Ehiogu, Chukwuma Omogo and Sarah Eze, all in the Department of Computer Science.