BY JETHRO IBILEKE
November 25, 2010 12:22AM

Nigeria’s premier private university, Igbinedion University, Okada, Edo State, will this weekend make history as it turns out the first doctorate degree graduates from a private university in Nigeria at its 8th convocation ceremony.

Another interesting feature of the ceremony is that five members of two families are among the 680 graduating students across the seven colleges of the institution. While a mother and her daughter would be awarded a Ph.D and a bachelor’s degree respectively, a man and two of his daughters will be awarded a master’s degree and bachelor’s degrees in accounting respectively.

A further breakdown of the figure shows that 16 students will graduate with first class honours, 168 with second class upper, 358 with second class lower, and 20 with third class lower. Others are six doctorate degrees, nine master’s degrees, and one postgraduate diploma in mass communication.

At a pre-convocation press briefing in Okada, the vice chancellor of the university, Eghosa Osaghae, described the upcoming convocation ceremony as unique and important to the university, as the first set of nursing graduates from any higher institution in the mid-western region will be graduating at the ceremony.

Mr. Osaghae said the university was able to achieve this feat “through a robust staff development, which gives birth to the award of doctorate degrees to deserving students, the first of its kind from a private university in Nigeria.”

Private supplier of educaton

He said that in spite of the daunting challenges of running a private university in Nigeria, Igbinedion University has continued to serve as a major alternative provider of education to the public, as its operates uninterrupted academic calendar, giving high quality education and quality association and control, through behaviour modification programme.

He, however, called on the federal government to help fund research programmes in private universities, as it is done in other parts of the world.

Other activities lined up for the events include a convocation lecture on Saturday, titled ‘The Future Prospect of Nigeria’s Economy’, to be delivered by Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria.

Highpoint of the convocation ceremony will be the award of honorary doctorate degrees to three prominent Nigerians in the persons of Victoria Hansatu Gowon, wife of Nigeria’s former head of state, Yakubu Gowon; the immediate past chief of defence staff, Marshal Paul Dike (Rtd.); and Evelyn Oputu, managing director of Bank of Industries. Some deserving graduating students of the university will also be awarded prizes.

http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/News/National/5646153-147/igbinedion_university_turns_out_first_doctoral.csp

At the event of the 8th Convocation ceremony of Igbinedion University Okada, angry community members came out chanting "Igbinedion thief, Ole, 419, give us our money, our land". They were also throwing stone at the venue of the event. Sooner, the event was over. What a pity.

I hope some day that the name of that university is changed now that that family has disgraced itself.