…receives honorary doctorate degree alongside Uzodimma, Zulum
First Lady Oluremi Tinubu on Saturday announced a N50 million endowment fund to support the overall best graduating female student of the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO).
Mrs. Tinubu, who was one of three honorees at the university’s 36th convocation ceremony, received an honorary degree and emphasized her commitment to education through the fund.
Other recipients of honorary degrees included Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma, awarded a Doctor of Management (D. Mgt.) honoris causa, and Borno State Governor Prof. Babagana Umara Zulum, who received a Doctor of Technology (D. Tech.).
Mrs Tinubu who awarded Doctor of Management(D.Mgt), called on all Nigerians to have love for their country and patroticism in their dealings and interactions especially in the environmental preservation as it is done in other climes.
She said: “Since my assumption of my role as First Lady of this great nation, I have had the privilege to travel to some African and Western countries and what I discovered is the love for their countries and patroticism in their dealings and interactions especially in their environmental preservation.
You are what eat but I would want to say that Nigerians are really what they invest in Nigeria. I want to charge this generation to owe Nigeria in such a way that it would become a worthy inheritance for themselves and future generation.
Read Also: Nigerian Consul General reaffirms support for Nollywood Film Festival Germany
We can not deny the effect of global warming evethough we have been quite lucky in Nigeria. I am playing my part as much as I can and I urge you also to join the journey of taking Nigeria to it eldorado.
To this end, she said, ” I plan to launch the Green Environmement Club to drive environmental awareness particularly for proper disposal of plastic wastes across the country. I want young people to Green Ambassadors and I look forward to working with some of you in the nearest future.”
She therefore announced a donation of N50 million endowment fund for the overall best graduating female student of the Federal University of Technology Owerri.
Today, for the love and support I have for education, I have donated a sum of N50 million endowment fund for the overall best graduating female student of the Federal University of Technology Owerri.
She thanked the university for the recognition which she said would continue to inspire them in the service to the nation and humanity.
Earlier, the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu said his administration took far reaching decisions to reposition Federal universities to make them comfortable to deliver the main mandate of developing skilled manpower and conducting research that are relevant fornsolvingbnationalnchallenges as well as making them globally impactful.
“We quickly aligned with global standards, taking into cognizance the peculiarity of tertiary institutions by removing universities from the Intergrated Payment and Payrol Information System(IPPIS).”
President Tinubu who was represented by the Vice Chancellor, University of Calabar, Prof (Mrs.) Florence Obi said that to ameliorate the hardship faced by University staff as a result of the implementation of no work no pay policy of government of the eight months strike embarked by the university staff unions in 2022, the administration granted waiver for the pay.ent of four and two months salaries for teaching and non teaching staff.
He also disclosed that his administration has made available a total of N33billion to kick start the implementation of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund(NELFUND) to granting students fees and personal upkeep loans which he said commenced this year with six pilot universities from the six geopolitical zones.
In her address, the FUTO Vice Chancellor, Prof Nnenna Oti said a total of 5,188 graduates were awarded first degrees in various disciplines while 632 were awarded postgraduate degrees.
She thanked the federal government for granting NELFUND students loan scheme 1,944 undergraduates of the University who she have qualified now to receive the grant.
The Vice Chancellor appealed to the government to look into the plight of the University which the relocation exercise fron her temporary campus at Lake Nwaebere to the current permanent site and release the N3billion relocation grant which the federal government promised the institution in 1993.
While thanking the federal government for sustained assistance and interventions towards the development of the University especially through TETFund and budgetary allocations, she said the institution requires more assistance in areas of staff quarters, morevstudents hostels, perimeter fencing of the University land, construction of physical infrastructure for the new teaching hospital, college of medicine and health sciences, furnishing of laboratories and engineering workshops, rehabilitation of internal roads and major road/broken bridge linking host communities.
Guests present at the event include the wife of the Vice President, Hajiya Nana Shettima, Abia State Governor Alex Otti and his wife, Imo first lady, Chioma Uzodimma, National Assembly members, first ladies of Gombe, Niger, Bornu, Adamawa, Nasawawa states, former Ijedi Ohakim among others.