Elizade University, Ilara-Mokin in Ondo State, recently held its third convocation ceremony where 131 graduands were produce and all of them got automatic employment.
While speaking at the well-attended ceremony, the Governor of Ondo State, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, who was represented by the Commissioner of Education, Mr. Femi Agagu said “Elizade University, no doubt has become one of the prides of the educational system in Nigeria.
He expressed the readiness of the Ondo State Government to continue to create a peaceful atmosphere where education can thrive and forge ahead”. He went on to congratulate the University management on behalf of the Governor for witnessing another year and another convocation ceremony.
In the words of the Chancellor of the university, Dr. Gbenga Oyebode at the event, he espoused that “efforts must be geared towards ensuring that education in Nigeria starts competing with others in Africa as a continent and the world at large. Education stakeholders in Nigeria must brace up to ensure they develop robust programmes”. He praised Elizade University’s management for rising up to the task of raising disciplined graduands and for devoting more energy into entrepreneurships as a way of creating more jobs.
He urged the graduands to be prepared for a world that is built to be changed by recognizing the changing nature of the world. He reminded the graduands that the primary vision of the founder was to focus on the future. He stressed that the “focus of Elizade University is Technology and Entrepreneurship”.
Oyebode added that Elizade University products are being trained to become the world’s best investors. At Elizade University, the general belief is that the future will be very great”. He revealed that 35 of the new graduands from the Faculty of Engineering will be inducted by the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE). He pledged that “Elizade will continue to strive harder to achieve greater goals so that the graduating students will continue to promote the values and good image that Elizade is well known for”.
Addressing the convocation ceremony, the newly appointed Vice Chancellor, Professor Olukayode O. Amund put the total number of the graduands at 131 out of which 18 were in the first class category. He enjoined the graduands to satisfy their desire for more recognition; acquisition of more skills and a refining process as well as unquenchable thirst for education.
“Professor Amund went further to charge the graduands to leverage on the good foundation from Elizade to catapult themselves above the springboards. He listed some of the recent achievements of the Institution to include Elizade’s admission as a member of the Commonwealth, construction of N950 million Faculty of Engineering building which he promised will be ready for commissioning by next year’s convocation ceremony. He stated that the law programme is due for accreditation by the year 2020.
The high point of the 3rd Convocation Ceremony was when the representatives of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) National President, Engineer Adekunle Mokuolu officially inducted the 35 students who graduated from the Department of Engineering as members of the Nigerian Societies of Engineers after they had taken the oath of membership of the NSE. He revealed further that a top management staff of the BEDC has equally offered to give automatic employment to 32 graduands of the Elizade University.
Miss Ugwulebo Ijeoma Roberta from the Department of Basic and Applied Sciences /Biological Sciences was announced as the overall best graduating student with a CGPA of 4.91.
In his address, the Founder and Visitor to the university, Chief Michael Ade Ojo congratulated the new graduands and urged them to intensify their efforts at running their life race outside the walls of the Institution with zeal and vigour. “Don’t worry about the results you acquired here in the Institution but focus on doing the right things out there. Failure here at Elizade does not translate to failure in life”, he said. He urged them to put on their thinking caps and define things that they are naturally good at doing.
The Visitor went on to publicly announce automatic employment for three of the new graduands from the Department of Automobiles in the Elizade Group of Companies. Two of the graduands, Mr. Adefisayo Adebayo and Mr. Olusegun Olufehinti Peters were both given a sum of N5million as a gift to start up their own businesses.
The wife of the Governor of Ekiti State, Erelu Bisi Fayemi, who is a member of the university’s Governing Council,advised the graduands dream big, be determined and brace up for more hard work and doggedness. “There is no shortcut to success. Anybody taking a shortcut will only set himself or herself up as a failure at the end of the day”, she said.
Packaged by Emmanuel Adeniran
