MAU to honour Sultan, Indimi, Boni, Bobbo @ 27th convocation

Modibbo Adama University Yola has finished preparations to confer on four distinguished Nigerians Honorary degrees.

At a press conference on Tuesday, the vice chancellor of the university, Prof. Abdullahi Tukur disclosed the recipients as Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence Sa'ad Abubakar who will be honoured with Doctor of Law (Honoris Causa) and businessman Alh. Muhammad Indimi who will receive Doctor of Management (Honoris Causa).

Others are former governor Boni Haruna of Adamawa state who will receive Doctor of Science (Honoris Causa) and Alh. Dahiru Bobbo, a seasoned administrator and educationist who will be conferred with Doctor of Letters (Honoris Causa).

Tukur noted that during the convocation, 4,638 candidates will graduate noting that 63 fresh graduates will finish with first class degrees while 1069 candidates will finish with second class upper and 552 will finish with third class while 40 will finish with pass degrees.

He noted that in the category of higher degrees, 72 candidates will finish postgraduate diplomas, 480 candidates will finish with masters degrees and 80 will graduate with Ph.Ds.

I welcome you all to this year's Pre-Convocation Press Briefing to update you on developments on the activities for our 27 Convocation for the award of Certificates, Diplomas, Degrees, Higher Degrees and Honorary Degrees,

GRADUANDS

This year's ceremony, the 27, presents us with the opportunity to revert to our annual convocation ceremony after it was disrupted by the twin phenomena of the Covid-19 pandemic and the protracted Industrial actions observed by the university-based unions which characterized the period between 2020/2022

This year, we are graduating one set of candidates that completed their Academic programmes of the previous session, the 2020/2021 Academic Session. During the Convocation, we shall graduate a total of 4,638 Candidates in all. A breakdown of which indicates that for the Bachelor's Degree, we shall award 63 first class, 1,069 second class upper, 1,783 second class lower, 552 third class and 40 pass degrees. While in the category of higher degrees, we shall award 72 postgraduate diplomas, 480 Masters degrees and 80 Ph.D in various disciplines (The certificates of all the graduates are ready for collection on the day of Convocation).

CONVOCATION LECTURER

With great pride, we welcome our 27" Convocation Lecturer, a scholar of international repute, social critic and democratic activist, the renowned Prof. Jibrin Ibrahim; Senior Fellow. Centre for Democracy and Development Abuja, Prof. Jibrin has emerged as one of Nigeria's loading voices on matters relating to our democracy, leadership and educational development. The title of his lecture is The University and The Public Good: Pathway to Rediscovery. This will be delivered by 4:00 pm on Friday 12 May at the University Multipurpose Hall. You are all invited.

HONOURS

Colleagues, gentlemen of the press, during the Convocation, we shall be conferring our Honorary Doctorate Degrees on four distinguished personalities for their contributions to humanity for which the MAU Yola would love its alumni to emulate. Those to be conferred with Honorary Degrees are:

1. His Eminence, Alh. Sa'ad Abubakar, CFR, the Sultan of Sokoto, Doctor of Law (Honoris Causa).

2. Alh. Muhammad Indimi philanthropist and businessman, Doctor of Management (Honoris Causa)

3. His Excellency, Boni Haruna Former Governor of Adamawa State, Doctor of Science (Honoris Causa)

4. Alh. Dabiru Bobbo Seasoned Administrator and Educationist, Doctor of Letters (Honoris Causa)

HIGHLIGHTS

The Modibbo Adama University, Yola has maintained its massive growth and expansion trajectory. The last few years has provided us with events bearing monumental and historic significance for this Institution. We recently matriculated over 6000 new students into various programmes spanning two admission circles, 2020/2021 and 2022/2023 academic sessions. Among the new intakes are the first set of 100 students admitted into our MBBS programme in the College of Medical Sciences. We have also admitted Students into previously delisted programmes in the Faculty of Social and Management Sciences. This comes as plans are in top gear for the introduction of B.Sc. Nursing programme in the College of Medical Sciences and the coming on stream of the Faculty of Law which is to also admit its first set of students in the next admission exercise. We are also set to commence new B.Sc. programmes in Political Science and Sociology in the Faculty of Social and Management Sciences. These are all pointers to our quick metamorphosis to a conventional university and the attainment of parts of the immense potential that abound for this Institution. Similarly, the Modibbo Adama University Teaching Hospital to which we are a major stakeholder is gradually taking shape as a foremost Tertiary Health Institution, providing services primarily to residents of Adamawa State, the North East and even neighboring countries. It is indeed an exciting moment for sis here in the University Community as we look forward to a decade that holds so much promise for this Institution.

Ladies and Gentlemen, this Institution has maintained and entrenched a financial discipline culture as evident in the smooth running of the university despite the difficult economic realities. Regrettably, however, we had to arrive at the decision to review the cost of various levies and charges for various programmes on offer. Nevertheless, it was made with a cautious consideration of the impact on parents, guardians and sponsors to meet up to the veracities of the times

page is bey CHALLENGES

1. EMPLOYMENT

I believe none of you here is a stranger to the many challenges confronting the Nigerian University System (particularly the federal public institutions) which are not peculiar to us here in MAU. As we have pointed out time and again, universities must be allowed to recruit staff as and when seeded; without external control and also be free to operate the personnel cost of the titution appropriated by the National

Asembly This is the only way to accommodate the distinct peculiarity and dynamic ture of our Universities

2. SECURITY

We have appealed to the Federal Government in the past to facilitate the perimeter fencing of the University Campos. The university basically has over 4000 hectares of d with the bulk-up area being just a tiny fraction of the huge landmass. With no peter fencing of the Instination, we are constantly battling to arrest encroachments, isions and incursions into our land and campus. This is even more worrying as the Instin looks forward to a massive growth in students' population and the mous expansion of facilities. There is no better time than now to solicit for a complete perimeter fencing of the university. Currently, the University Management, algade security agencies and local security arrangement through vigilantes/hunters are making concerted efforts to maintain relative peace within and around the University Campus

3. ROADS

The Modibbe Adama University. Yola is located several kilometers from the state capital, however, the route plied by staff and students is increasingly becoming dangerous and difficult to navigate. We are calling on the Federal Government to as a matter of urgency consider rehabilitation and dualization of the Mubi bypass to Girei portion of the road. This is particularly needed as we foresce a boom in population of the area which will be accompanied by increased social and economic activities, all thanks to the conventional status of the institution and expanding urban fringes. Commuting to the university daily and watching the density and precarious driving along the highway has become a constant nightmare especially when one encounters unnecessary and tragic loss of lives and limbs on the road

On our part, collaborations with the Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) and the Federal Ministry of Works, Power and Housing have yielded some fruits with the rehabilitation of some of our road networks and the local efforts of the University Management in maintaining the existing ones and creating new routes and drainages where necessary. It is important though to mention that our 42 years old campus is still being accessed through its temporary gate. The main entrance to the university core academic arca, a dual carriage way of 1.1km, is only on the Master Plan.

APPRECIATION

Our profound appreciation and gratitude go to the Visitor, President of the Federal Republic Nigeria, His Excellency, Muhammadu Buhari. It is instructive to state here that, Mr. President twice granted our requests, he first assented to the hill for the conversion of the vity to its present conventional status and also promptly consented to the request to upgrade the then Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Yola to Modibbo Adama University

Teaching Hospital. These significant acts will impact positively on the education, health, and well-being of millions of people.

We will also like to extend our appreciation to the Executive Governor of Adamawa State, His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Ahmadu Umar Fintiri, for always championing causes associated with this university. He is a believer in the partnership between Government and the Academia which has continuously been of mutual benefit.

We cannot thank less the roles played by the National Universities Commission (NUC) and the endless support it offers at all times.

We appreciate most sincerely the giant effort of TETFund, for the various interventions ranging from physical structures to capacity building for staff through routine training in workshops and conferences, sponsorship for academic fellowship and research endeavors. TETFund footprints can be seen all over the University. We equally appreciate the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) for registering its presence on our campus by building a block of Professorial Officers for the Faculty of Social and Management Sciences.

CONCLUSION

We want to specifically thank you, ladies and gentlemen of the press for your tireless support and cooperation. You all, members of the fourth estate of the realm have time and again acted as emissaries disseminating our messages. We value and appreciate you.

Thank you.