A total of 91 graduating students of the Niger Delta University (NDU), Wilberforce Island, Bayelsa, on Saturday bagged first class during the institution’s combined convocation.
The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Samuel Edoumiekumo disclosed this at the 5th combined convocation of the University held at the Amassoma campus of the institution.
According to the Vice-Chancellor, the 5th combined convocation featured a total of 15,811 graduands comprising 2014/15, 2015/16 and the 2016/17 academic sessions.
Other academic sessions involved in the Convocation are the 2017/18 and the 2018/19.
Edoumiekumo said among the 15,811 graduands, 619 bagged post-graduate degrees, comprising 145 Masters degrees and 15 Doctors of Philosophy, while 14,892 are to receive various first degrees.
He stated that a total of 459 graduands bagged post-graduate Diplomas just as 2,818 graduated with second class upper division, 8,100 graduated with second class lower Division, while 3,939 made third class and a total of 244 graduands finished with a pass degree.
Edoumiekumo commended Gov. Seriake Dickson for giving the institution and education a boost through the funding of infrastructural projects and others.
The VC pleading with the governor to do more within his remaining weeks in office as Governor to give the school back up in its academic programmes and developmental needs.
Edoumiekumo noted that following the contributions of the present Governor and all former Governors of the state to the institutions, some infrastructure in the school have been named after them.
In his remarks, the Bayelsa State Governor and Visitor to the school, Seriake Dickson charged the graduands to look beyond the abundant oil and gas in the Niger Delta, stressing that it is expected that rather than being job seekers they should be job providers.
The governor promised that within his remaining days in office he would look into the issues confronting the University with a view to solving them before leaving office.
He announced the approval of automatic employment for all first-class graduands of the institution.
“Vice-chancellor I’ve heard your almost myriads of complaints, as the visitor to the university and Governor, like I said the problems of a university cannot be all solved just in one day or by a single administration.
“I want to specially invite you through the Commissioner for Education and the Chairman, Governing council to a meeting before I leave office so that together we can solve some of the issues you have raised,” Dickson said.
Meanwhile, the pro-chancellor and chairman Governing council of the NDU, Mr Mathew Seyeifa urged graduands and students of the institution to be worthy Ambassadors of the school.
The pro-chancellor noted that the institution has the enabling environment to serve as an avenue for intellectual and capacity development.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Institution was established in the year 2000, by the first Civilian Governor, late Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha.