Insecurity: 500 Armed Security Personnel Engaged by Thomas Adewumi University in Kwara

• 6 Bag first class honours at institution’s maiden convocation Hammed Shittu in Ilorin

The authorities of newly licensed private owned University, Thomas Adewumi University(TAU), Oko-Irese in Kwara State at the weekend said that, it had engaged about 500 armed security personnel to guard The institution so as to ensure safety and academic excellence of the students.

The engagement of the security personnel by the University, according to THISDAY Checks, might not be unconnected with reported cases of the prevailing insecurity in some parts of the Kwara South senatorial district of the state where the university is sited and other parts of the country.

Speaking at a press conference to mark the first convocation ceremony of the institution where six out of the 26 pioneer students of the University will be bagging first class honours, the Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. Francisca Oladipo said the gesture was part of the efforts to attract more students to the institution and to assist the students to be more focused on their academic pursuits.

She explained that, “I want to say that about 500 soldiers, men of the civil defence corps, vigilante groups and local hunters have been engaged to man the security of our students.

“This is apart from the perimeter fencing of over 300 hectares of land of the University so as to guide against any invasion of the institution”.

Prof. Oladipo said, “The management of the institution realised the present insecurity in the country which called for such engagement so as to assure the parents and guardians of the students that adequate security are in place for their children in our school.

“This is also important because our students are residing in the campus of the university 24/7 and we must ensure that all necessary adequate security arrangements are on ground to ensure effective learning of the students without any hindrance in the campus”.

Speaking further, Prof. Oladipo stated that, six graduands of the institution would be honoured with first class in the forthcoming first convocation of the University.

She said that, “Apart from this, 14 will graduate with Second Class Honours (Upper Division), 4 with Second Class Honours (Lower Division) and 1 with a Third Class.

“And these graduates cut across Faculty of Computing and Applied Sciences with 8 graduates and Faculty of Management and Social Sciences with 18 graduates.

“Given the quality of the training that these graduands have received from our university, we are proud to be contributing this token of innovators to the Nigerian and global workforce and we have no doubts that they will deliver”.

Professor Oladipo noted further that, “the university was officially licensed by the Federal Government on 8th April 2021 and began on 16th May of the same year with 13 academic programmes across three faculties.

“Since then, the University has expanded significantly, offering 27 academic programmes in 24 departments under seven faculties, with a solid record of achievement, including 100% full accreditation by the National Universities Commision.

“On 2nd September 2024, TAU as popularly called received its full operational license, affirming its status as a fully recognized private university ad infinitum.

“Our innovative approach to university education has positioned our graduates to address contemporary challenges with competence, innovation, and integrity.

“Hence, in a little over 3 and half years, we are set to proudly present our first set of graduates for the award of the degrees of Thomas Adewumi University.

“The maiden convocation ceremony is not just a celebration of academic achievement but a testament to the hard work, resilience, and dedication of our pioneering students”.

She said that the Governor of Oyo State, Engineer Seyi Makinde, would deliver convocation lecture at the event slated for Tuesday at the campus of the institution at Oko-Irese with the lecture titled ,”The Fourth Industrial Revolution and the Future of Work:
Implications for Nigerian Graduates.”

She said that, Governor Makinde was s also expected to commission the new locally-engineered Sustainable Student Hall
of Residence while the Kwara State governor, Alhaji AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq would be the special guest of honour and will lay the foundation for the Faculty of Medicical and Health building.