UNILORIN’s Best Graduating Student Bags 25 Awards

Hammed Shittu in Ilorin

The best graduating student of the University of Ilorin for the 2018/2019 session, Halima Opeyemi Abubakar has bagged 25 awards at the 35th convocation ceremony of the institution.

Abubakar, who graduated with a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MB, BS) from the Faculty of Clinical Sciences, received a standing ovation for her record-breaking achievement.

Some of the awards were: best graduating student in Pathology; best graduating student in Community Medicine; best graduating student in Medicine; best graduating student in Surgery; and best graduating student in Opthalmology.

She also won endowment funds worth different amounts like: Henry Adewole Award for best graduating student in Chemical Pathology; Prof. Mathew Akinyemi Brimoh Award for best graduating student in Medicine; late Dr. Abubakar Olusola Saraki Price for best graduating student in Medicine, among others.

Meanwhile, the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Sulyman Age Abdulkareem said the university produced 130 first class graduands out of the 12,009 graduating students.

He said 2,902 graduands bagged second class upper division; 5,661 made second class lower division; 1,392 bagged third class; and 31 got pass. Also, there were 76 MBBS graduands, 48 graduands in Nursing, 33 in Pharmacy and 16 in Veterinary Medicine.

The VC added that a total of 10 graduands obtained diploma from the Institute of Education. “For emphasis, the total number of higher degrees to be awarded at this occasion is 1,710. This figure comprises 155 postgraduate diplomas; 929 masters from various faculties; 384 MBA/MPA/MILR/MGIS/MPH/MHPM; and 242 PhDs.”

He also charged the leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to change its old-fashioned style of agitations to ensure academic stability of the country’s universities.

“I share a view that the confrontational tactics that brought ASUU success during the military era have become unnecessary and could usefully give way to a more service oriented role in support union members otherwise they might soon lose their hard-won credibility with the general public.

“I believe that national executives of ASUU are reflecting on this instructive advice because if it is heeded, then the fears about the sustainability of the stability of our calendar which had stood out for more than decades might be unwarranted.”

While lauding the national leadership of ASUU for working with the university management to resolve the long decade crisis with the local chapter, the vice-chancellor said the peaceful resolution of the matter brought a new lease of life within the local chapter of the union.

He therefore pledged that the management of the institution would continue to work with local and national ASUU to provide quality education for the students.