THE ceremony had been on for a while. Every other thing had been done with, remaining the highlight of the event. The Master of ceremony’s voice stirred many back to life. He said:“This is the moment we all have been waiting for…please, give it up for the people of the moment, the newest pharmacists, who have proven themselves worthy of their calling and have distinguished themselves amongst their peers. Please, can we all rise for the First Class graduands…”
Before the compere could finish talking, the hall rose in excitement as five graduating students of Pharmacy of the University of Jos (UNIJOS), who made First Class, stepped out for their awards.
Their names were called out amidst chants from the crowd. One after the other, the valedictorians marched forward to receive their prizes. Some of them shed tears of joy; others beamed with smile.
Jude Ogunsakin, Jamilat Yakub, Lilian Nnamonu, Francis Agwom and Kenneth Onuh stood tall among their peers as they stepped forward to be honoured.
The multipurpose auditorium of the university, the venue of the 32nd Induction and Oath-taking was filled to the brim. Students, staff and family members of the inductees filled the expansive hall to witness the epochal event.
It was the first time the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences would produce multiple First Class graduates in pharmacy. Forty-seven graduates were inducted.
Jude, the best graduating student, graduated with a Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 4.78 to beat other valedictorians. For Lilian, it was a perfect match of beauty and brain. Two years ago, Lilian was crowned the beauty queen of Pharmaceutical Association of Nigerian Students (PANS).
The Vice-Chancellor (VC), Prof Hayward Mafuyai, said the First Class graduates would be retained as Graduate Assistant lecturers if they wished. Charging them to live above expectations, the VC said: “To whom much is given, much is expected”. He said that the university was committed to producing qualitative graduates, who would not only excel in their fields but also contribute to national development wherever they may find themselves.
Conducting the swearing in, the Acting Registrar, Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN), Gloria Abumere, congratulated the graduands and called on them to stick to the ethics of the profession. Maintaining that UNIJOS is among the best schools for pharmaceutical training, Abumere urged the graduands to strive for excellence in their future endeavours.
The previous day, the graduands had been engaged by PCN officials, who drilled them on the dos and don’ts of the profession. The interaction was conducted during the dinner and awards night held for the graduands.
In a show of appreciation to the faculty, the graduating students donated five high-power projectors to promote e-learning. The projectors, valued at about N400,000, would be mounted permanently in the lecture halls.
In an interview with CAMPUSLIFE, Jude said his “sheer determination” and “hard work” crowned his efforts to make First Class.
“I thank God that my five years of sleepless nights and rigorous reading has paid off. Even after graduation, I find myself waking up at night to read, as if I was still in school. This is just a clear manifestation of God’s power backed with hard work,” he said.
Also, the Faculty of Education held its first induction for its graduating students. Officials of the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) graced the ceremony, during which over 400 graduates took the oath as teachers.
Prof Mafuyai, represented by his deputy on Administration, Prof Benjamin Ugwa, said the event was aimed at highlighting the uniqueness of the teaching profession.
The Registrar of TRCN, Prof Mark Nwokocha, while administering the oath, urged the inductees to stick to professionalism.
