Thirteen First Class graduates from the Plateau State University (PLASU) Bokkos have been offered automatic employment by the Visitor to the University, Governor Simon Lalong who also announced cash gifts to them.
Lalong announced the students’ employment on Friday during the 6th and 7th combined convocation ceremony held at the institution’s campus in Bokkos where three Nigerians including, Professor Ochapa Onazi, Professor Jonah Elaigwu, and Dr. Dere Awosika, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Access Bank Nigeria Limited were conferred with honorary doctorate degrees.
658 students for the 2018/2019 academic session and 698 for the 2019/2020 academic session, bringing the total to 1,356 who graduated at the ceremony.
Speaking, Governor Lalong expressed delight at the growth of the University, encouraged the graduands to look beyond certificates and practically demonstrate the knowledge acquired as the State and nation which are in dire need of solutions to various challenges are looking up to them and called on the management and academic staff of the University to also deepen their research and teaching into the critical challenges that are common to Plateau State and Nigeria.
He assured of his support saying, “it is the determination of this government to continue to deploy available resources for the development of both the physical infrastructure and manpower to promote effective teaching, learning, and research in the University.
“Because of the efforts we have put in so far and with the support of TETFund and the private sector, the University campus has witnessed tremendous growth and transformation in recent times. This has led to the establishment of additional four new faculties of Law, Environmental Science, Health Sciences, Agriculture, and Education as well as the School of Post Graduate Studies.”
Earlier, Chairman of the Governing Council Mgr. Francis Ike said among other things that the University has gradually expanded and is making its way towards national and international recognition, adding,
“we are determined to work with the government, the management and staff of the university to bring about quality scholarship in all ramifications…”
Vice Chancellor of the University Professor Yohanna Izam added that while a lot has been achieved, there is still a need for more to be done addressing the challenges of water, power, security and fencing, hostels, and staff quarters.
He called for the endowment of professional chairs in the various disciplines, stating,
“these will be named after the donors who will undertake to pay the salaries of the professors… We will immortalize those who endow infrastructures or facilities on campus by naming whatever they donate after them.”
In her response on behalf of other recipients of the honorary degrees, Dr Awosika appreciated the gesture, stressed the need for Nigeria to work on the pathway of merit, and announced a donation of N1bn to the University.
