By Felix Khanoba
No fewer than 25 graduating students of Veritas University, Abuja, will on Saturday 22 February graduate with First Class degree at the institution’s eight convocation ceremony.
Vice Chancellor of the Catholic-owned University, Rev. Fr. (Professor) Hyacinth Eme Ichoku, told newsmen in Abuja on Wednesday that a total of 286 undergraduate and five postgraduate students would graduate from various programmes of the institution.
He said the event which would be preceded with a Thanksgiving Mass at the University’s campus in Zuma Village, Bwari, Abuja, would also witness the foundation laying ceremony for the institution’s Faculty of Law as well as convocation lecture to be delivered by former governor of Anambra State, Mr Peter Obi.
The VC said the high number of First Class recorded in the session was not unconnected with the lecturer-students ratio in the institution.
“There is a close relationship between the number of students and staff. We also have a close relationship with students and staff and that enables close monitoring and mentoring by staff of their students. The ratio is small, when you have one academic staff to five or six students.”
While saying the University has students from different religious and ethnic affiliations, the VC said the institution is renowned for discipline and zero tolerance for cultism, drug abuse and other social vices.
He revealed that Veritas University has built a Police Station, which would also be commissioned as part of activities to mark the eight convocation.
“The University has built a Police Station, which you can see at the buffer zone of the University. The essence is to give protection and security to staff and students.
“We take security very seriously here. So we are providing the police a permanent station. It will also serve Bwari, Zuma , Gaba and other adjoining communities,” he added.
Speaking further, Prof. Ichoku said the University, which has its programmes accredited by the National Universities Commission (NUC), has commenced admission into the Faculty of Engineering with programmes in Computer and Electronic Engineering.
On the internationalisation of the University’s programmes, the VC revealed that plans are in an advanced stage that would see some students of the institution going to partner universities abroad to complete their programme after spending two or three years in Veritas.
