Michael Okpara varsity matriculates 6,802 students

The Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike in Abia has matriculated 6,802 students admitted for the 2021/2022 and 2022/2023 academic year.

In a speech at the ceremony on Saturday, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Maduebibisi Iwe, said the university married the 2022/2023 set with their colleagues in the 2021/2022 session “in a bid to accommodate outstanding admissions”.

Iwe said that the university’s last matriculation took place in October 2021.

He attributed the development to all manner of disruptions in the university system in the country.

Our correspondent reports that the university academic calendar was disrupted, following the eight-month strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities

Giving a breakdown of the matriculants, the vice chancellor said that the institution admitted 2,537 students for the 2021/2022 session and 3,532 for the 2022/2023 session.

Furthermore, he said that the university admitted 180 Continuing Education students as well as 553 for its Post Graduate programme for the 2021/2022 academic year.

According to him, this figure is grossly inadequate when compared to the teeming population of candidates seeking admission into the university.

Iwe charged all the freshmen and women to take their studies very seriously.

He strictly warned them to shun cultism and other anti-social behaviour, adding that the university had zero tolerance for such vices.

Iwe said: “We shall soon commence the enforcement of moral codes throughout the university.

“It is imperative to make it abundantly clear that anyone of you who allows himself or herself to be lured and initiated into cult groups shall be shown his or her way out of this school.”