BY TOSAN ATIE
THE Vice Chancellor, Western Delta University (WDU), Oghara, Delta State, Prof. Augustine Ikelegbe, said the institution has graduated its first set of PhD students.
Prof Ikelegbe said the10 doctoral degree graduands passed through rigorous process of examinations, seminars, proposal defences and oral PhD thesis defence with remarkable external examiners
According to him, in attaining this feat, the university has transited into the ranks of research institutions where people are trained to carry out researches independently and train the next generation of university lecturers, future professors and those to open the doors to Nigeria’s industrial and societal greatness,
”The university also awarded Masters and first degrees to hundreds of graduands.
“our academic quality control is one of the par-excellence, and our fees remain at the most modest level in spite of high operational cost,compared with other private and state-owned universities, our fees are moderate and paid in installments. This is in line with the Visitor, Chief James Ibori’s vision of providing affordable university education to his constituents.
He has consolidated on this vision through the Otemu Education Foundation (OEF) Scholarship Awards to Nigerian students”.
Ikelgbe said: “We do not play with the integrity of our programs. All our programs are duly accredited by the national universities commission and the professional councils. We are now privileged to be recipients of scholarship awards and support for our students. We have received scholarships from the OEF scheme and financial support for Niger Delta students in the university from the NDDC. We are expecting scholarship awards from the Prince Adewoye Adebayo Foundation, too.
While addressing the graduands, the WDU Chancellor, Donald Duke alerted youths to the three stages of life; “Let the first 25 years of your lives be dedicated to Learning. Absorb all you can, while you can and as much as you can. Nurture and equip yourselves for the world out there is demanding and merciless with little or no room for mediocrity.
He said, “your next 25 years will be spent earning as much as you can, in truth and honesty, in whatever field you desire, for youth is acurrency, spend it wisely before it devalues and leaves you. Spend the next 25 years and thereafter with reserve and wisdom; you will spend it . Give as much back to the society, for you will take nothing away with you except the goodwill, love and esteem of your fellow men.”
The WDU Pro-Chancellor, Prof. Eghosa E. Osaghae congratulated Chief Oanefe Ibori, the former governor of Delta State, for the care, understanding and support he has always extended to this university while he advised the graduands to always remember Albert Einstein’s advice.
