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Three prison inmates serving various jail terms are among the
over 7,000 graduates expected to be awarded degrees at the 4th
convocation ceremony of the National Open University of
Nigerian (NOUN) on Saturday.
The three inmates according to the Vice Chancellor of NOUN,
Prof Vincent Tenebe, who briefed the press on the forthcoming
event, said the inmates are serving at Kirikiri and Enugu
Prisons. He recalled that in 2014, NOUN graduated one inmate.
Prof Tenebe also revealed that NOUN would confer honorary
degrees on Late Dr. Stella Adadavoh and former Inspector
General of Police, MD Yusuf. He said Dr. Adadavoh would
receive Doctor of Science while MD Yusuf would be conferred
with Doctor of Letters.
‘’This year’s convocation, we are graduating three inmates.
Two of the inmates are from Kirikiri Prisons and one from
Enugu Prisons. We will continue to award our certificates to
inmates found worthy in learning and character’’, the VC
stressed.
He said NOUN would continue to seek for amnesty for inmates
who while serving jail terms graduate and that when they leave
the prison, the inmates would contribute their quota to the
development of the country.
The VC disclosed that NOUN has special study centres
nationwide in Prisons, Police, Army and the paramilitary
noting that Open and Distance Learning (ODL) has come stay
in the country because it is one of the avenue for Nigerians to
get tertiary education.
Tenebe appreciated President Goodluck Jonathan for his
interest in NOUN and used the opportunity to call on
government to increase to NOUN and that if funded properly, it
would be able to tackle the numerous challenges confronting
the country.
He noted that the convocation ceremony would tomorrow and
be delivered by Prof. Rufai Ahmed Alkali, Special Adviser to
the President on Political Affairs, with the theme as ‘’Open &
Distance Learning and Democratic Transformation in Nigeria’’
while Prof. Godswill Obioma, Executive Secretary, Nigerian
Educational Research & Development Council (NERDC)
would chair the event.
On the honorary degree awards, Prof Tenebe described Dr.
Adadavoh as a lady who laid her life to safe many Nigerians
from the Ebola dread disease thus NOUN would honour her at
the convocation ceremony with Doctor of Science and the
former police boss, MD Yusuf, with Doctor of Letter for his
performance while in office as the IG.