The Provost, Federal College of Agriculture (FECA) Akure, Dr Samson Odedina, has blamed the prevalence of vices in the society on socialisation.
Odedina expressed concern that the youth, particularly undegraduates, were largely partakers in social vices, including robbery, assassination, thuggery, cultism, murder, organised cybercrimes and advanced free fraud.
Speaking at the 2016/2017 matriculation of the college, Odedina noted that the agencies of socialisation such as home/family, the church, the media and schools have not lived up to their roles as character moulders for younger ones.
Odedina said aside drawing students’ attention to punishment arising from anti-social tendencies, management was determined to improve on infrastructure, teaching and learning facilities in the face of economic recession.
He said: “Our watchword is: ‘Agriculture with results’. Our goal is to always produce graduates that will be self-reliant and we have been succeeding in that.”
According to him, emphasis of the college on value chain training was rewarded when the National Board for Technical Education(NBTE), its regulatory agency, approved the curriculum, which FECA jointly facilitate with six other Nigerian Institutions under its partnership with Switzerland Government Capacity Building for Agriculture Education (CBAEN). “This curriculum, developed based on FECA experience, would now be used in all colleges of agriculture as well as polytechnic nationwide,” Odedina added.
The Registrar, Dr Pius Adebisi, who administered the oath of allegiance on the new students, urged them to face their studies squarely in order to succeed.
In a similar development, Plateau State University (PLASU) Bokkos, administered oath of matriculation for the 2017/208 academic session on 996 newly admitted students.
The vice chancellor, Prof. Doknan Shenni, who spoke to at the event, noted that of the 10,000 applicants, only 996 scaled the admission hurdle.
Two faculties are coming on board-Health Science and Law, Shenni announced.
He said: “The successful staging of the 1st and 2nd combined convocation ceremony has proved that the university has come to stay. Plateau State University will from now compete with similar institutions of learning not only in academic excellence, but in scientific innovation, research and above all in governance in line with global best practices.”
Charging the new students to shun social vices, Shenni equally appealed to prospective investors to put their money into the institution in view of its increased enrolment, and environmental-friendliness.
