By Gabriel Dike
•Dr. Onuoha (middle); Kanayo; Dr. Ekong Edith and the students after matriculation
The Minister of State for Agriculture, Aliyu Abdullahi, and the provost, Federal College of Fisheries and Marine Technology (FCFMT), Lagos, Dr. Paul Onuoha, recently charged the 740 newly admitted students to steer clear of social vices to avoid being sanctioned.
In the same vein, one of the nation’s foremost Nollywood actors, Kanayo O. Kanayo, also warned the new students not to be found wanting in the rules and regulations of the college.
The trio gave the charge at the 2023/2024 matriculation ceremony of ND1 and HND1 students admitted into different programmes. Stakeholders’ and family members of the new students witnessed the event.
The minister, who was represented by his Special Adviser, Dr. Ekong Edith, advised the new students not to fall by the wayside but work hard to complete their studies.
Abdullahi urged them to stay away from cultism, exam malpractice, drug abuse and other vices and concentrate on their academic programmes.
He said the government acknowledged the giant strides recorded in infrastructure and manpower development under the provost and assured the college that the ministry would continue to support the college.
In his address, the FCFMT provost said the occasion was significant because it was the first time the college would matriculate 740 new students.
Dr. Onuoha said the increment marked the departure from the low number of 250 students matriculated in the 2019/2020 academic session when he assumed office.
“You are one of the few lucky ones among thousands of aspiring and equally qualified candidates seeking admission into this foremost fisheries and maritime institution in Nigeria,” he told the students.
Onuoha said at the end of their programme, they would have acquired relevant attitudes, knowledge and skills to contribute their quota to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the country.
Said he: “It is my belief that you have used the opportunity of the orientation to familiarize themselves with various aspects of the college environment with reference to the academic resources, culture and most importantly rules and regulations governing your stay in the college.
“You are expected to obey all these rules and regulations as stated in the college handbook. The college has a very strong disciplinary committee who will not spare any student that violates any of these rules and regulations.”
According to him, when he assumed office, the college had seven programmes and within three years, his administration added an additional seven new courses.
Onuoha reminded the new students that anti-social behaviour has no place on the campus, warning, “the college management will be firm in confronting any forms of anti-social behaviour wherever it is found on this campus.
He stressed that students planning to engage in secret cult, gang, internet fraud, fighting, intimidation, hard drugs, disobedience to constituted authority, prostitution, indecent dressing and unnecessary disruption of academic calendar should either change and pursue the path of rectitude or be shown the way out.
The FCFMT helmsman urged the students to resist any overtures to join groups that operate and canvass or promote violence and other forms of deviant behaviour.
The provost informed the students that the management has zero tolerance for any form of examination malpractice and advised them to read regulations regarding the conduct of examinations in the college.
“You should conduct yourselves properly during all FCFMT examinations. Any student caught cheating will be referred to the college disciplinary committee and that will lead to your expulsion from the college,” he warned.
The provost revealed that the college is planning to sign an MoU with some universities on academic and research collaborations leading to the award of degrees in relevant programmes in which FCFMT have capacity in terms of personnel and facilities.
At the ceremony, five outstanding students, three best in HND 1 2022/2023 academic session and two ND 1 from different programmes were awarded scholarship by the provost.
Onuoha said the scholarship is meant to encourage academic excellence among students in ND 1 and HND 1 while the award for the overall best graduating goes to ND and HND graduates.
The overall best HND scholarship went to Fadayomi Emmanuel in the Department of Marine Engineering with 3.80 CGPA, followed by Anyanwu Francis in the Department of Maritime Transport Business Management with 3.72 CGPA and Aroh Ejaeta of the Department of Nautical Science with 3.66 CGPA.
Two best student ND 1 are Chukwuemeka Praise of the Department of Marine Engineering with 3.72 CGPA and Gold Heritage of the Department of Maritime Transport Business Studies with 3.93 CGPA.