Red-letter Day at Chief Ibori’s-owned Western Delta University

Penultimate Saturday November 15 became a red-letter day for the Western Delta University (WDU), Oghara, Delta State, as its first set of doctoral degree (PhD) students, about ten in number, graduated and convocated after “they 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 Augustine Ovuoronye Ikelegbe, the vice chancellor, said during the well-attended event.

At the epoch-making ceremony, the former Chief of Army Staff, COAS, Lt. General Abdulrahman Bello Dambazau (Rtd.), PhD, was honored with the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Strategic Studies (Honoris Causa) while the former Social Democratic Party (SDP) presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Prince Adewole Adebayo, was also honored with the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Political Science (Honoris Causa).

Over 190 graduands were convocated as the university awarded 12 best students with different motivational awards and prizes even as master’s and first degrees were awarded to hundreds of graduands.

The ceremony also witnessed the commissioning of a completed Central Laboratory block, donated by Dr. Igho Oghenegaren Foundation, and staff quarters and the proposed Macaulay and Margaret Omugbe Block for the College of Postgraduate Studies groundbreaking ceremony was also performed by the donor, Prince Adebayo Adewale.

In his speech, the Vice Chancellor, 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.”

Specifically, Prof. Ikelegbe commended Chief Ibori, for his continued investment in the development of infrastructure and digital transformation of the University.

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 awards from the Prince Adewoye Adebayo Foundation, too. The Presidential Amnesty Program is also deploying scholarships to the students”.

Addressing the graduands, the WDU Chancellor and former governor of Cross River State, Donald Duke, alerted youths to the three stages of life; saying, “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.

Continuing, he said; “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.

In his remarks, the visitor and founder of the university and former governor of Delta State, Chief James Ibori, appreciated General Dambazau for saving his life in 2008, noting that WDU has equipped graduands for something better, stressing that he is proud and confident of the impact the graduands will make.

Chief Ibori charged the graduands to remember that education is for development and that at Western Delta University, WDU, adding value and transforming life for excellence and integrity is the focus.

A guest lecturer for the event, Prof. Kyari Mohammed, delivered the masterly and well-applauded Convocation Lecture. entitled; “Overcoming Insecurity in Nigeria” analyzed the insecurity bedeviling Nigeria across the six geopolitical zones, describing it as alarming, especially that of the Northern parts of the country, pointing out that over one hundred thousand persons have been killed and 2.5 million people displaced by Boko Haram since it began attacks on the Nigerian State years ago.

Prof. Mohammed identified the causes of insecurity in Nigeria to include politics, poverty, injustice, bad governance, and lack of political will to implement effective policies.

Prof. Mohammed, who is also the former Vice Chancellor of Modibbo Adama University of Technology, Yola, proffered solutions to insecurity in Nigeria, including good governance. He also called for security sector reform in order to get it right, just as he urged federal government security forces to fight bandits more before engaging them in any dialogue in order to weaken their fighting strength.

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.”

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 groundbreaking ceremony for this building was a highlight of the convocation ceremony.

Dignitaries present at the event 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, Chief James Onanefe Ibori, the Chancellor, Barr. Donald Duke, the Pro-Chancellor & Chairman of Council, Igbinedion University; Prof. Ahmed Tijani Mora, Professor Samuel T Wara the Vice Chancellor of Edwin Clark University; the Representative of Rector DESPO Otefe, awardees General Abdulrahman Dambazau and Prince Adewole Adebayo). The former House of Reps members Rt. Hon. Almona Ise, Hon. Efe Afe, Dr George Iwo, Hon. Ejaife Omizu Odebala, President of Delta State University Medical Students Association Nyorere Dexter and Prince Olatunji Olasuji also graced the occasion.