By Daud Olatunji, Abeokuta

The Acting Vice – Chancellor of the Federal University of Agriculture , Abeokuta,  Prof. Oladele Enikuomehin has disclosed that 203 students bagged first class in the  combined 23rd, 24th and 25th academic sessions.

Prof. Enikuomehin, however,  appealed to the Federal Government, to give the management of the institution approvals to recruit more academic staff, in order to ensure effective students training.

He stated this  on Monday in Abeokuta while briefing newsmen  about the school’s forthcoming convocation ceremony holding this weekend.

The graduating students were those who completed their courses of study between 2013/2014, 2014/2015/and  2015/2016.

The Vice-chancellor said the population of the institution currently stood at 17,312, made up of 15,847 undergraduates and 1,471 post graduate students respectively.

Giving the breakdown of the results, he said  for 2013/2014, a total of 1,881 students would graduate, and  for 2014/2915, 2,731 would graduate while 3, 065 would graduate from their various courses of study for 2015/2016 academic session.

In all the three sessions, 203 students bagged first class, while 2, 878 got second class upper while 3,602 and 828 others got second class lower and Third class respectively.

Only 32 made ordinary pass.

Prof. Enikuomehin said  the admission quota of 3,500 students was  handed over to the institution by the National Universities Commission, arguing  that the students population was beginning to over stretch the available hands required to train them.

He said, “The admission quota approved by the National Universities Commission is 3,500. This is premised on the need to create opportunity for young Nigerians to access tertiary education.

“ This quota, however, needs to be matched by adequate provision for staffing, in particular, in the academic units. The students’ population is starting to override the available hands required to train them.

“The only panacea is that university be given approvals to recruit staff required to ensure effective students training, supervision and mentoring.”

Enikuomehin who said the institution has continued to create avenues for staff training and development, appealed to Federal Government to rescind its decision to scrap college of management sciences in the university.

He said it was not enough to train agriculturists who had no managerial and administrative skills, adding that, “the Senate of the institution has started curriculum review on management courses.

“We need the management courses to train the students on how to manage loans, resources, issues of industrial relations, and management of staff.”

While talking about food security, Enikuomehin said the nation has the capacity to feed itself, but what was needed were the right policies on agriculture, implementation of such policies and adequate funding.