A total of 38 First Class graduates of the Madonna Univeristy Nigeria will take part in the institution’s 16th Convocation ceremony billed to take place on Saturday.
The 38 First class graduates will be part of at least 1365 students who will receive their first and higher degree certificates of the school which is also marking its 20th anniversary having been registered as Nigeria’s pioneer private university in 1999.
Chuks Ezedum, the varsity’s vice Chancellor, who addressed a news conference at the institution’s campus in Elele, Rivers state said a total of 427 will bag second Class upper Division, 393 Second Class Lower division, 142 third Class, and three Pass Degrees.
He further disclosed that Michael Adiukwu, the immediate past Vice Chancellor of the University of Abuja, will deliver the convocation lecture entitled “Re-positioning the Nigerian Educational System for National Consciousness, Unity and Economic Development”, while the Abubakar Adamu Rasheed, Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission, Abuja will not only participate in the award of degrees and prizes as the Special Guest of Honour but is expected to commission some of the newly completed projects at the Elele Campus.
Speaking further, Ezedum described the University as a Special gift to Nigerians among the Committee of Universities in the Country, which has the potentials, dynamics and unique features that can turn the fortunes of the Nigeria around.
Chuks Ezedum who stated that Madonna University is the only varsity in Nigeria that employs it’s students while still in school, stated that the system of work while you study within the school environment has helped the students not only to earn a legitimate living for themselves while still studying, but also has impacted in practical terms their various fields of study into the lives of the students thereby making the undergraduates masters in their chosen courses even before they graduate from the school.
Ezedum stated that because of the unique system, the school does not engage external consultants or labour to execute its internal projects since most of the general requirements of life are being practicalized by the students while studying, thereby virtually taking care of the economic and infrastructural needs of the University projects.
He said the school produces it’s own Table water, Buildings Construction, Pharmaceutical drugs, engineering fabrications and needs etc.
He said Madonna University is first in so many areas including, the first Catholic University in West African sub region, the first privately owned University to go for Law School, among other firsts.
Ezedum revealed that Madonna University though a Catholic based institution does not harbour religious discrimination as it houses Mosque and Pentecostal worship centres in all its three campuses of Elele, Okija and Akpugo in Enugu State.
The Vice Chancellor used the opportunity to eulogize the University and an institution without a record of Cultism in Nigeria.
