UNIPORT Honours Jonathan with Distinguished Fellow Award

The Senate and Council of the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT) have approved that former President Goodluck Jonathan be honoured as a distinguished fellow of the university.

The Vice-Chancellor of UNIPORT, Prof. Joseph Ajienka, made the disclosure monday in Port Harcourt while briefing journalists on the 30th convocation ceremony of the university scheduled for Saturday.

According to him, “He (Jonathan) will be the first to be honoured and we are proud that he took all his degrees from the unique UNIPORT.

“This rare fellowship is being conferred on the former president in recognition of his exemplary leadership of the country and contributions to the development of his alma mater.”

Ajienka also disclosed that 41 graduates of the university would receive first class grade at the convocation.

The development, he stated, was different from the university’s 29th convocation where only 20 graduates bagged first class (honours) degree.

He stated that 10 of the First Class graduated were from the Faculty of Humanities.

Ajienka explained others who graduated with First Class grade were from the Faculty of Social Sciences, Education, Management Sciences, College of Engineering, College of Natural and Applied Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture and the School of Science Laboratory Technology.

Describing the forthcoming event as a combined 30th convocation, which covered the 2011/2012, 2012/2013 and 2013/2014 academic sessions, the vice-chancellor stated that a total of 18,363 students would receive first degrees, post-graduate diplomas, masters and doctoral degrees.

“A further breakdown of the figure shows that in the undergraduate category, 41 graduands earned the First Class (Honour) degrees of the university. Out of this number, 10 are from the Faculty of Humanities,” he said.

He also disclosed that renowned industrialist, Mazi Samuel Ohuabunwa, would on Thursday deliver the 30th convocation lecture of the University of Port Harcourt at the Ebitim Banigo Auditorium.

He gave the title of the 30th convocation lecture as Nigeria: From Consumption to a Production-oriented Economy.

Ajienka explained that the university was transforming to a research-oriented institution, adding that UNIPORT had concluded a research assessment exercise aimed at determining the varsity’s strength and weakness.

Source: This Day