* By Chukwuemerie Uduchukwu
A total of seven thousand eighty hundred and twenty admitted candidates, Friday, participated in the 2016/2017 Matriculation of Nnamdi Azikiwe University.
In his address at the occasion, the University’s Vice-Chancellor Prof. Joseph Eberendu Ahaneku congratulated the matriculants and urged them to take their studies serious if they want to graduate with good grades. The Vice-Chancellor also revealed that over eighty thousand candidates preferred the University in the 2016 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination but the university was able to admit only seven thousand eight hundred and twenty candidates in line with its admission quota. Prof. Ahaneku also urged the students to avoid all forms of social vises like cultism, examination misconduct and rape as such may lead to their suspension or expulsion as the case may be. The Vice-Chancellor also, informed the matriculants that the name of any student expelled from the university will be sent to his or her parents or guardian, security agencies and all tertiary institutions in the country and such person won't be admitted in any University across Nigeria. Prof. Ahaneku also informed the matriculants that the University has a study and work scheme that help its participants who work five hours a week sustain themselves with a monthly stipend of Ten Thousand Naira. According to the Vice Chancellor, to qualify for the scheme, a student will have at least 2.5 CGPA and be cleared by the Security Department of the University.
In a brief chat with journalists in his office after the event, the University's Vice Chancellor stated that the University receives massive number of Prospective Candidates annually due to its stable academic calender and cheap school fees that have been sustained for over thirteen years. Prof. Ahaneku further said that continuing students of the University pay as low as Twenty Thousand One Hundred Naira as school fees annually and according to him, that is one of the cheapest school fees in the country. The Vice Chancellor also said that the university usually receive commendations from various employers of labour over the excellent performance of its graduates at their various places of work. Prof. Ahaneku however urged the numerous candidates that were not admitted to bear with the institution because it is difficult to admit many candidates because the number of applicants was massively higher than the University's admission quota. Using the Faculty of Medicine as example, Prof. Ahaneku said that seven thousand candidates applied for one hundred available space in the Faculty.
Dignitaries at the event which held at the University's convocation arena include Parents, lecturers, members of the academia and host of other invited guests .