The Postgraduate School of the Federal University, Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE) has assured prospective students that there would be no delay in running their programmes.
Dean, FUOYE Postgraduate School, Prof. Rasaki Ojo Bakare, made this promise as the institution prepares to admit its pioneer PG students before month end.
He said mechanisms have been put in place to ensure that students complete their Master’s and PhD programmes as and when due.
The institution has postgraduate programmes in Faculties of Agriculture, Arts and Social Sciences while other faculties would join on few months time.
Bakare urged prospective candidates to visit the post graduate school’s website, which launched last Wednesday, for online application details.
He said: “We will not delay any candidate, we will apply global best standards and we will be very professional in the way students are taught and supervised.
“No postgraduate students will be delayed unnecessarily. We have developed mechanism to ensure that lecturers, supervisors and students themselves comply with regulations guiding post graduate studies.”
Twelve Postgraduate (PG) students from several universities across the country have received the final payment for the Dufil MSc. Nutrition Scholarship Awards for the 2015/2016 session.
The cheques, which were presented to the awardees at the Dufil Prima Foods PLC office last week, were the final tranche for the total scholarship worth N450, 000 each.
The students, who are studying Nutrition and Dietetics, became eligible for the scholarship award after their applications were screened by a notable panel made up of distinguished nutritionists from various parts of the country, including the programme Coordinator for the scholarship, Prof Babatunde Oguntona, who is a past President of the Nutrition Society of Nigeria (NSN) and a Professor of Nutrition and Dietetics at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta.
Brand Manager, Indomie, Mr Amber Yadav, said: “The scholarship scheme is a noble course which the brand is pleased to be associated with. The scheme serves as a means to give back to the society and, most especially, to the field of Nutrition and Dietetics which the brand is synonymous with.”
The firm’s Group Public Relations and Event Manager, Dufil Prima Foods Plc, Mr Tope Ashiwaju said: “We want to re-write the nutrition template of our dear country and as a brand, we are committed to raising seasoned professionals in this field. Professionals who we believe can place us side by side other developed nations in the nearest future.’’
Oguntona thanked Dufil Prima Foods for sustaining the scholarship since 2009.
“Among all the organisations we reached out to with this idea of a Nutrition Scholarship at its conception, only Dufil Prima Foods responded positively and, ever since, has ensured its growth and continuity. We are, therefore, grateful that Indomie – the leading noodles brand in Nigeria – has taken upon itself the duty of raising competent manpower in the field of Nutrition,” he said.
A beneficiary, Ms. Yerimah Akintiyari, a post-graduate student of the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, said the scholarship would help her quest for knowledge and skill to fight the scourge of malnutrition, which is prevalent in the North where she resides.
Ten Post Graduate students have been withdrawn by the Federal University of Technology (FUT), Minna for poor academic performances and absence from school.
The Senate of the University approved the withdrawal of the students during its 400th sitting.
The withdrawal was contained in a statement issued by the school’s Head of information, Mrs. Lydia Legbo.
Seven of the students were withdrawn for poor academic performance while the other three were withdrawn for being absent from school for two consecutive academic sessions without official permission.
Those withdrawn for poor academic performance include: Muktar Khalid, Mohammed Kudu, Ibrahim Adamu and Mohammed El-Mamud who are Masters Degree students from Department of Industrial and Technology Education.
Others are Ahmad Nana Hauwa’u (Microbiology), Hamza Tauheed and Muhammad Nda Hauwa both from Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension Technology.
Those withdrawn from school for being absent are Miriam Fayenuwo Olaitan and Abdulaziz Bilkisu Zakari of Computer Engineering.
For the first time in the history of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), the convocation held for three days. Undergraduates got their degrees on the first two days (last Tuesday and Wednesday), while it was the turn of postgraduate students the third day (Thursday).
It was, indeed, a higher calling, as the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council, Prof Jerry Gana, went beyond the usual counsel of telling the 4,764 PhD (103), masters (4,330), and postgraduate diploma (331) graduands to be good ambassadors of the university, to warn them about the dangers of corruption.
“Let your knowledge impact on the people around you. Let people know by your outstanding conduct that you are a graduate of UNILAG. Avoid all forms of corruption; walk away from whatever is evil. Be men and women of integrity; don’t cut corners. If you are not celebrated today, you will be celebrated tomorrow. If you cut corners, you may be cut short,” he said.
The programme also featured the conferment of honorary degrees on three distinguished Nigerians, Pasto Enoch Adeboye (Doctor of Science), Lt-Gen Theophilus Danjuma (Doctor of Science), and Deacon Gamaliel Onosode (Doctor of Letters).
The trio thanked the university for the honour done them.
It was also a day that three retired professors, Prof Olayide Abass, Prof Francis Fajemirokun, and Prof Soga Sofola, were elevated to emeriti professorship for remaining relevant.
One of them, Fajemirokun, told The Nation the honour was unexpected.
“I have been honoured beyond my expectation. I have always seen the hands of God in my life because every height that I have reached, I would say that I never dreamt about it.But somehow, God gets me there, and he does it in his own special way,” he said.
Apart from the dignitaries, many postgraduate students, who were outstanding, were also honoured.
•Dr Akpan
In his valedictorian speech, the overall best PhD student, Dr Emmanuel Akpan, who got several awards for his thesis titled: “Processing and Characterisation of Selected Biodegradable fibre – PLA Composites”, called for greater varsity-industry collaborations to enhance the usability of research findings.
“We are using this opportunity to call on the university to establish a research and development linkage with the industries such that results of research from the university can be applied in the industries. A good example is the result of my research work, which can be applied in the plastic industry to improve on the strength of structural plastics (using agricultural wastes) and improve barrier resistance and thermal stability of packaging materials by 100 per cent while keeping them biodegradable to protect our environment,” he said.
Postgraduate(PG) students of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) have been urged to embrace job creation, rather than be job seekers, as a way out of unemployment.
The Chief Executive Officer of Heritage Bank, Mr Ifie Sekibo, gave gave the advice while delivering a motivational speech at the 2014/2015 session orientation for fresh PG students of the university.
Sekibo, who was represented by the Group Head, Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) of the bank, Mr Adebayo Ogunnusi, said: “There is nothing wrong with looking for a job, but it is better to create jobs. You must change your mindset because many people believe they must have money before they can start a business. Start something from your house. The only way we can move this country forward is when everybody has a hand in a business, thereby creating jobs for the younger generation.’’
Sekibo also gave the students business tips to improve their marketability.
“Let whatever business you do become so much a part of you that your name changes to your business name. Understand it and let your passion for it grow. If you are selling snail, let people know you as snail man, before they even know your real name, because it is the business that matters, not your name,” he said.
Delivering the welcome address at the event, the UNILAG Vice Chancellor, Prof Rahamon Bello, said 5,390 students were admitted into the School of Postgraduate Studies (SPGS) for the 2014/2015 academic session.
Of these students, Rahamon said 451 were admitted for postgraduate diploma, 2,848 for masters, 2,014 for professional masters and 77 for doctoral degree.
On the upcoming convocation, he disclosed that 45 per cent of the graduates are from the SPGS, including 103 PhD graduates.
He advised the students to apply themselves diligently to their studies and mentor the undergraduates.
The JABU management has announced a scholarship for postgraduate students who score at least 4.5 CGPA yearly.
This was made known during the orientation for new postgraduate students.
The Vice Chancellor, Prof Sola Fajana, admonished the students to take their studies seriously and be ready for the challenges of postgraduate education.
He also told them to conduct themselves in a manner compatible with the rules and regulations of the university.
The Registrar, Mr Wale Aderibigbe, said those with a first class could get immediate employment as Graduate Assistants after their national youth service and opportunity of a study leave to do higher degrees either in JABU or elsewhere.
The Dean of Postgraduate College, Prof Emmanuel Akorede and Dean, Student Affairs, Dr. Solomon Owolabi, both urged the new students to be of good behaviour.
