By Correspondent in Lokoja.
The Vice Chancellor, Federal University Lokoja (FUL), Prof.Olayemi Akinwumi, has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to salvage the plight of the institution and lift embargo on employment to enable the university aggressively recruit its manpower needs.
The Vice Chancellor gave the advice on Saturday at the 5th Convocation ceremony and award of degrees by the institution.
“The University is in dire need of manpower in academic and non teaching. To meet up this manpower needs of the university,we look forward to securing approval to recruit into the new facilities.
“We urge His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari to salvage our plight and lift the embargo on employment so that the university can aggressively recruit its manpower needs,” he said.
On academic staff training,the Vice Chancellor said academic staff of various departments was being considered for award of Foreign and local Study Fellowship to pursue Master and PhD programmes, through TETFund intervention.
While the university awaits presidential approval for recruitment, the Vice Chancellor, said the university had maintained a stable academic calendar,a developmnt he described as a motivating factor inspiring many
candidates to choose the institution as their most preferred choice.
Commenting on the formal movement to the Felele Campus (permanent site), Akinwumi said some faculties to the new site but noted that absence of critical infrastructural and essential services remained enormous challenges.
According to the Vice Chancellor,804 students found worthy in character and academic activities graduated during cutting across all the faculties of the institution, the first event since he assumed the headship of the university February 2021.
He said that the university’s request for an approval review of its admission quota had been granted, adding that over 3,100 candidates,spread across all the programmes,had a accepted their admission offers.
Akinwumig to be good ambassadors of the institution and who it would be proud of in their future endeavours.
Our Correspondent reports that 14 graduates made first class,188 with second class upper,441,second class lower and 95, third class.
Highlight at the occasion was the conferment of honorary doctorate degrees on prominent Nigerians, including an international scholar who delivered convocation, Prof. Toyin Falola among others.
Members of the university community, traditional institution, top government officials, students and heads of sister institutions in the country.
Federal University,Lokoja was established in 2011 with Prof. Akinwumi as its third Vice Chancellor.
The online publication reports that graduates who excelled in their various disciplines went home with prizes.
Edited by Dada Ahmed.
