UNILAG offers automatic employment to first class holders

The authorities of the University of Lagos have offered automatic employment to all the institution’s graduates who obtained first class degrees.

The Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Rahamon Bello, announced this on Wednesday during the institution’s 2013/2014 convocation.

No fewer than 125 persons obtained first class degrees with 21-year-old Korede Akinpelumi, emerging as the overall best graduating student. Akinpelumi, a Chemical Engineering graduate, obtained a Cumulative Grade Point Average of 4.96 out of five points.

The idea of providing them employment, according to Bello, is to promote a culture of excellence in the citadel of learning.

The VC, who said that the Governing Council of the university had approved the job offers, added that the recipients would be employed as graduate assistants.

Bello added, “Let me acknowledge the support of the Governing Council of the university for the promotion of excellence in the institution. It has just approved that commencing from this year, the two best graduating students, with CGPA not less than 4.00, in each of our programmes, be automatically employed as graduate assistants. This will enable the retention of some of our best brains in the system while fostering Ph.D training at the university.”

The VC, who solicited better funding for higher institutions in the country, urged the President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari, to endeavour to insulate tertiary institutions from fluctuations of the economy.

Such insulation, he said, would help the schools to be stable as well and enable them to contribute positively to the nation’s economic development.

He also condemned the recent violence in Kenya and South Africa, saying that the killings would retard economic and social development on the continent.

Bello said, “The use of violence and the killings of innocent lives on mutual and other issues that could be otherwise addressed, are not only barbaric but would also retard economic and social development. Its impact on higher education is real. The University of Lagos currently has a few of its academic members of staff pursuing Ph.D programmes in South Africa and a lot of partnerships exist between us and many of the universities in South Africa. Internalisation and exchange activities as well as joint research efforts are bound to be hampered if not scuttled by this kind of activities. This should not only be condemned but should also not be allowed to rear its head on our continent again.”

Meanwhile, the UNILAG Pro-Chancellor, Prof. Jerry Gana, has urged the Federal Government to review the model of funding education in the country.

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