Ooni, others to get honorary doctorate awards at EKSU

The Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi and other eminent Nigerians, would on Saturday receive Honourary Doctorate degrees at the 23rd convocation of Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti.

The monarch would receive a honourary degree in Public Administration.

Also to be honoured is the former Registrar of West African Examinations Council (WAEC), and the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University, Chief Alex Ajayi.

Others are Mr. Abiodun Adedapo, Dr. Olasehinde Olatunji, Mr. Israel Ovirih and Dr. Falil Ayo Abina.

They would be awarded with Doctor of Public Administration, Doctor of Finance, Doctor of Public Administration and Doctor of Economics respectively.

The university’s Vice Chancellor, Prof Samuel Oye Bandele, who spoke at a pre-convocation press conference in Ado Ekiti yesterday, said the institution has set up a work-study programme for indigent students.

Under the programme, they would work for the institution and be paid on monthly basis to finance their education and reduce drop out caused by poverty.

Bandele disclosed that a total of 9,796 students would be graduating, out of which 49 bagged first class degrees.

He said the university has secured full accreditation for 35 courses, with three placed on interim status by the National Universities Commission (NUC).

He stressed that the accreditation would boost academic performances in the institution.

He said the achievements were a follow-up to the approval given by NUC for the running of 11 new courses.

The courses include Insurance, Actuarial Science, Library and Information Science, Marketing, Cooperative and Rural Development, as well as Tourism Studies.

Others are Educational Technology, Entrepreneurship, Industrial Relations and Personnel Management, Anatomy and Philosophy.

“The reason for these new courses is to play in the world of competition. Our people need a break away from traditional courses to make them competitive in this 21st century economy,” he said.