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The Management of Prince Abubakar Audu University in Kogi State has reacted to reports that the institution allegedly rewarded her first-class graduates with the N2000 at the recently held 6th combined convocation ceremony of the institution.
The Vice-Chancellor of the University, Prof. Marietu Tenuche in a statement gotten by ebirareporters.com, said that only individual lecturers and Departments rewarded students, as the University was yet to offer reward to the best graduating students.
Prof. Tenuche stated that the institution holds a record of rewarding best graduating students with automatic employment.
“Ordinarily, the University would have kept silent and allow the mischief makers live with the figment of their imagination since it is not a true reflection of what transpired.
“However, for the discerning mind who would be misled by such misinformation, it has become necessary to correct the misleading impression by setting the records straight. The PAAU had at no time, and did not after the 6th convocation, offer such reward to her best graduating and overall students who made first class after painstaking and rigorous efforts to distinguish themselves.
“For the records, it has been the tradition of the PAAU to offer automatic employment to her best graduating and overall best students with the option of refusal.
“The best and overall graduating students who made first class at the 6th convocation ceremony held at the weekend of 29th January, 2022, could therefore not have been treated any less.
“It may interest those behind the misleading information to note, that while the University is yet to make a pronouncement on the reward for the best graduating and first class students, we are not unmindful of the fact that some individual lecturers in some Faculties and Departments of the students who excelled, with particular reference to the Faculty of Agriculture, made personal efforts to appreciate their best graduating students.
“This should not be misconstrued to be the reward from the University administration, as a corporate entity.
“It is unfortunate that personal cash donations by some Departments and individual lecturers to their students to reward hardwork and excellence through the University has been mischievously misunderstood.
“It is the tradition of PAAU for donations by individuals to best graduating Students’ be paid into the University’s Prizes Account, while the University thereafter issue cheques to the deserving recipients, an action that has been misconstrued.
“The reward to the students that is being misunderstood is only symbolic and a recognition by the individual lecturers as a way of appreciating their best students. This is a development considered a very rare privilege by lecturers and some individuals which ought to be commended. Sadly, it has been misread as the reward coming from the University.
“Beginning from the inception of PAAU, our best graduating students have always enjoyed the option of automatic employment. The records and beneficiaries of such gestures can attest to that magnanimity,” she said.
While urging the public to disregard the report in circulation, she said the university will announce rewards for deserving graduates at the appropriate time
Until her recent name-change in honour of the former Governor of Kogi State, Prince Abubakar Audu University is formerly known as Kogi State University Anyigba.
