From Priscilla Ediare, Ado-Ekiti
The proprietor and Chancellor of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), Aare Afe Babalola, has suggested that establishing more non-profit private universities which have residential education will help in achieving quality education in the country.
Babalola said this yesterday in Ado-Ekiti, at the 11th Convocation and 14th anniversary ceremonies of ABUAD where
he called on the federal government to ensure proper monitoring and supervision of private universities to realize this.
He said: “I hereby suggest to the Federal Government to revisit the large number of private universities it has approved in the last few years and ensure conformity with the rules. The only solution to quality education in this country is more of non-profit Private Universities which have residential education where all the students live on campus unlike what obtains in public universities where over 80% of the students live off-campus.”
The University graduated 1,668 students made up of 1,459 Bachelors and 209 Postgraduate degree students across the Colleges of Engineering, Law, Medicine and Health Sciences, Sciences, Social and Management Sciences, Postgraduate and Part-time.
Sunday Sun gathered that 141 bagged First Class, 752 got Second Class Upper, 397 had Second Class Lower, 40 got Third Class while
123 got the MBBS degree.
Delivering his speech, Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, hinted that the state government is in talks with the federal government on the rehabilitation of the road leading to the university.
“Very soon, it’s either the federal government reconstructs the road or the state is allowed to do it so that the agonies faced on the road will be eliminated,” Oyebanji said.
The governor described Babalola as a visionary proprietor, whose courage, dedication and commitment to the course of education in Nigeria can’t be undermined.
Oyebanji said ABUAD Multi System Hospital is one of the most referred hospitals in Africa and the number one in Nigeria, in terms of diagnosis while charging the graduands to be solution providers to the challenges facing Nigeria by becoming job creators.
On his part, the Special Guest of Honour and Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi, lauded the giant strides of the founder and implored the graduands to be visionary and emulate Afe Babalola in their endeavours.
“Being an alumnus of the institution, and now the number one cheer leader of the university all over the world, Afe Babalola is one of the best mentors I have ever witnessed and should be commended for establishing a university that has created a feat for itself in the country.”
At the ceremony, three eminent personalities were conferred with honorary doctorate degrees in recognition of their contributions to the society.
A former Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, was conferred with honorary doctorate degree of Letters (D.Litt) in appreciation of his sterling contributions to education and diplomacy.
A business magnate and Managing Director of BOVAS and Company Limited, Mrs Victoria Adunola Samson bagged the honorary doctorate degree of Letters (D.Litt) for her contributions in the sphere of business and service delivery in the Oil and Gas industry.
Also, His Royal Highness, Justice Sidi Bage Muhammad 1, (JSC Retd) and Emir of Lafia Bare-Bari was conferred with honorary doctorate degree of Law (LLD) for his passion for education and for adorning the Bench with honour, dignity and character.
Aransiola Grace Oluwadunsi, a female emerged the Overall Best Graduating Student with a CGPA of 4.97 in Agric Science, while Ayorinde Ebenezer Oluwayomi( Male) and Adebolu Ololade Esther ( Female) emerged Best Graduating Students in the Postgraduate College with CGPA of 5.00 respectively