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From Aloysius Attah, Onitsha
Vice Chancellor, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Prof. Charles Okechukwu Esimone has charged new students of the institution to shun all forms of deviant behaviours while their stay lasts in the university so they can graduate as excellent individuals.
Esimone who spoke on Friday in Awka during the 2023/2024 matriculation ceremony for the new students said the matriculation Ceremony of fresh undergraduate students into the University, marks the formal closure of admission of fresh students into the University for the academic year.
He described matriculation ceremony as a usually joyous event in the academic life of an undergraduate student, surpassed by the graduation ceremony for those who will make it to that point, and prayed that all the matriculating students will also graduate successfully.
While reeling out the students’ code of conduct and their obligations, he reminded the new students on the need for prompt payment of school fees to enable the University maintain existing facilities and provide new ones.
He also harped on the need for prompt attendance to lectures noting that students are expected to record at least 75% attendance of all lectures and practicals to be allowed to write examinations while any form of examination misconduct could fetch one suspension for up to three years or even expulsion.
On the issue of certificate forgery, the Vice Chancellor disclosed that any student found to have registered with fake certificates is expelled from the University.
He reminded them to avoid cultism which he described as anathema in the University noting that all proven cultists are expelled too.
“Other deviant behaviours such as robbery, rape, etc are not tolerated for these are both misconduct and crime punishable by expulsion from the University and terms of imprisonment by the State.” he said.
Prof Esimone who also spoke on his vision for the university and the extent of its actualisation recalled that he had assumed office in June 2019 with a vision to pilot Nnamdi Azikiwe University to become the best University in Nigeria, among the best ten universities in Africa and among the best two hundred (200) universities in the world.
He said that as at today and at the twilight of his administration, he can confidently say that his administration achieved much, going by the rankings of a recent Time Higher Education World, University Ranking 2024 which showed that among the Young Universities Ranking: for Universities not more than fifty (50) years of establishment. Nnamdi Azikiwe University is placed 501+ in global ranking and 5th in Nigeria while in Sub-Saharan Africa Ranking, the University is ranked 31st and 4th in Nigeria while in World Ranking, the University is ranked 1,501+ in the world and 8th in Nigeria.
On academic programmes, the Vice Chancellor disclosed that Nnamdi Azikiwe University is a conventional University, with fifteen (15) Faculties and the academic programmes, of which most are variously accredited with the National Universities Commission (NUC) and about 15 other relevant professional bodies.
“We have linkages with many world-renowned Universities spread across the United State of America, China, Europe and Africa. This is in addition to linkages with local institutions. The essence of these linkages is to facilitate academic programmes development, teaching/research, public service and staff/student exchange” the Vice Chancellor stated.
