By Dayo Johnson, Akure

32 students are graduating in the first class category as Ondo state owned Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko (AAUA), holds its 14th convocation ceremony.

The Vice-Chancellor of University, Prof. Olugbenga Ige, said a total of 5,799 would be bagging degrees and diplomas in various programmes during the ceremony.

Prof lge, said that the first class graduates will be retrained as academic staff.

While describing the initiative as a policy and tradition of the university, the Vice Chancellor said that the move will further assist the institution to mitigate the brain drain syndrome in the academic sector.

Speaking during the press briefing to herald the convocation ceremony, Prof lge, said that “the outstanding graduates who are interested in lecturing at the university will be immediately employed upon the completion of the mandatory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).

He appealed to the government and stakeholders to step up efforts to combat the issue of japa syndrome.

The Vice Chancellor said: “We have a policy on campus that first-class students are appointed as graduate fellow or graduate assistant.

“We normally give them employment if they are interested in coming back after their NYSC.

“Japa syndrome within the academic sector is not limited to AAUA alone, it is all over Nigerian universities. It is happening because of the economic situation in the country.

“A Ph.D holder in Nigeria, lecturer 2 or lecturer 1 will receive maximally maybe N250,000 in a month but if he has an opportunity to go outside this country, he will be receiving nothing less than N5 million.

“Funding is very fundamental to the growth and development of any higher institution. Funding in AAUA is inadequate, and that is why the issue of strike by ASUU came up. What was coming in as subvention was grossly inadequate to meet the university needs

While giving the breakdown of the graduating students, Prof lge disclosed that 5,251 of the 5,799 are undergraduates, 526 postgraduate students, while 22 will receive diploma certificates.

According to him “32 bagged First Class honours, 1,444 earned Second Class Upper Division, 3,177 obtained Second Class Lower Division, 582 made Third Class, and 16 will graduate with Pass,” the Vice-Chancellor stated.

The Vice Chancellor, who whose tenure would lapse in the next few month, said hat is only regret since assumption of office in 2021 was his inability to build adequate hall of residence for students on campus.

On his achievements, he said that the university now runs programmes in cyber security, data science, software engineering, and other digital skills.

According to him the state government has earmarked N500 million for the building of hostels for students while the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) Hall of residents for students is at the verge of completion. He said the state Oil Producing Area Development Commission (OSOPADEC) would resume the construction of its abandoned project.

“We have expanded partnerships, modernised infrastructure, and maintained peace and stability on our campus, even in challenging times.

“None of these achievements would have been possible without the unwavering support of Dr. Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, Governor of Ondo State and the Visitor to the University, the Governing Council, the Senate, the Management, our dedicated staff and students, our proud alumni, and our host community. “

The Vice Chancellor said all academic programmes of the university have secured 100 per cent accreditation status from the National Universities Commission (NUC) saying the institution has also produced confident, critical, and excellent students who embody the quality of the school’s academic enterprise.

As part of the convocation ceremony, Prof Ige said a convocation lecture titled “Strengthening the Academic Tradition in the Nigerian University System,” would be delivered by Professor Idowu Olayinka, former Vice Chancellor of the University of Ibadan.

According to him ” My target was to build as many halls of residence for students using the TETFund template, but unfortunately when I came in, TETFund had stopped intervention in our university. ” My only regret was that I couldn’t build enough halls of residence for students on campus.