On Saturday, November 15, the Western Delta University, WDU, Oghara, Delta state,

graduated its first set of PhD students; about ten in number. Prof

Augustine Ovuoronye Ikelegbe, the Vice Chancellor said “the doctoral

degree graduands have passed through a rigorous process of

examinations, seminars, proposal defences and oral PhD thesis defences

with (remarkable) external examiners”. With this, 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, Prof

Ikelegbe said. The university also awarded Masters and first degrees

to hundreds of graduands.

Prof Ikelegbe said “our academic quality control is one of

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 Onanefe Ibori’s vision of

providing affordable university education to his constituents. He has

consolidated on this vision through the Otemu Education Foundation’s

(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 awardscfrom the Prince Adewoye Adebayo Foundation, too.

The Presidential Amnesty Program is also deploying scholarships to the

students”.

Addressing the graduands, the WDU Chancellor, His Excellency 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.

Your next 25 years will be spent EARNING. Earn as much as you can, in

truth and honesty, in whatever field you desire, for youth is a

currency, spend it wisely before it devalues and leaves you. Spend the

next 25 years and thereafter with reserve and wisdom; you will spend

it GIVING. 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 Ibori,

the former governor of Delta State, for the care, understanding and

support he has always extended to this university. He tasked graduands

to always remember Albert Einstein’s advice: ‘“Be a voice not an

echo”. I encourage you to be good ambassadors of Western Delta

University, dream big and work hard; achieve the impossible through

determination and innovation”.

Prince Adewole Adebayo from Ondo State, the 2023 presidential

candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and retired Lt.Gen

Abdulrahman Bello Dambazau from Kano state were honored with honorary

doctorate degrees.

Among the new steps taken to improve the university, the Vice

Chancellor said “Dr. Igho Oghenegaren Okotete Foundation has donated a

Central Laboratory Block to WDU and “the Administrative and Office

Complex for the proposed College of Engineering would be completed at

the end of this month, while the WDU Centre for Digital Excellence

Integrated Technology Hub construction would start before the year

ends. Also, a massive complex of offices, laboratories and classrooms

is being constructed for the College of Health Sciences by the NDDC

while Prince Adebayo has donated the Macaulay and Margaret Omugbe

building for the College of Postgraduate Studies. The ground breaking

ceremony for this building was a highlight of the convocation

ceremony.

Professor Kyari Mohammed (former VC, Modibbo Adama University, Yola

and Nigerian Army University, Biu) delivered the masterly and

well-applauded Convocation Lecture: “Overcoming Insecurity in

Nigeria”.

The great assembly at the convocation included HRM Noble Eshemitan,

Uku Oghara, N’ame, Orefe III, the Ovie of Oghara Kingdom, Adaka the

1st, the Ovie of Orogun, Professor Sadiq Zubairu Abubakar the Vice

Chancellor, Capital City University, Abuja, the WDU Visitor, H.E Chief

James Onanefe Ibori, the Chancellor, H.E Barr. Donald Duke, the

Pro-Chancellor & Chairman of Council Igbinedion University, Prof Ahmed

Tijani Mora, Professor Samuel T Wara the Vice Chancellor Edwin Clark

University, Representative of Rector DESPO Otefe, Awardees (General

Abdulrahman Dambazau and Prince Adewole Adebayo).  The former House of

Reps member, Rt. Hon. Almona Ise, Hon. Efe Afe, Dr George Iwo, Hon.

Ejaife Omizu Odebala, President, Delta State University Medical

Students Association Nyorere Dexter and Prince Olatunji Olasuji also

graced the occasion.