Education
Wike Offers Disabled PhD Graduand N50m, Job
Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has honoured a disabled graduand James E. Daniel, with N50 Million and automatic lectureship appointment in Rivers State University for bagging a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree.
The governor, however, has cautioned all Rivers State owned universities to stop indiscriminate conferment of doctoral degrees on all manner of questionable candidates and people of material influence.
Governor Wike announced the N50 Million reward and automatic lectureship appointment of Dr. Daniel during the 33rd convocation of the Rivers State University, Port Harcourt on Saturday.
The governor said the honour bestowed on Dr. Daniel is in recognition of his academic excellence and for being a source of inspiration to persons living with disabilities.
The Rivers State governor in his remark, directed the Governing Council and managements of state universities to sanitize their internal academic systems by stopping every inappropriate policy, practice or procedure that compromises the high quality academic standards required of tertiary institutions.
Governor Wike said from inception, the Rivers State University has been in the forefront of providing tertiary education and training to people of the State.
He observed that like the mustard seed, the university has grown from the little beginnings to become one of the largest and leading State government owned institutions in the country.
The governor, emphasised that serious universities jealously guard their reputation and award doctoral degrees only to students who have gone through years of rigorous intellectual research and interrogation and whose dissertation is independently adjudged to be sound and contributory to new learning.
He, however, described as unfortunate, the current trend and practice in universities, including the Rivers State University, to award doctoral degrees indiscriminately, like chieftaincy titles, to all manner of questionable candidates.
“This practice must stop in all Rivers State Government-owned tertiary institutions as we demand greater character, commitment and responsibility from staff and management to the vision and fundamental objectives of university education.
“First of all, the programmes that you offer must equip the students with relevant skills, entrepreneurial or otherwise so that on graduation they can start their own businesses and professional practice and become creators of jobs from the beginning; and not jobless seekers of elusive jobs.”
The N50m offer by Governor Wike to the disabled graduand, came as he commended the present Governing Council for its leadership and unprecedented achievements in infrastructural development for the last six years.
He charged the council to stop the embarrassing erosion of the value and quality of the certificates and degrees being awarded by the university.
Governor Wike, congratulated all the 4970 graduands for their academic achievement. He, however, reminded them that the time when graduates had an easy and almost predictably straight movements; from education, to work, and finally, to pension is over.
The RSU Vice Chancellor, Prof. Nlerum Okogbule, expressed gratitude to Governor Wike for his enormous support to the institution.
On his part, the Pro-Chancellor and chairman of the governing council, Justice Iche Ndu, rtd, commended the graduands for the successful completion of their academic endeavour.
The Chancellor and the Emir of Lafia, His Royal Majesty, Dauda Sidi Bage, noted that university education is indispensable to national development.
The Chancellor, who is a retired Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, lauded Governor Wike for his unparalleled support for the judiciary, and his intervention in the construction of a brand new campus of the Nigerian Law School in Port Harcourt.
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