Babcock Graduating Student Loses 8 Family Members In Auto Crash on their way to graduation ceremony

THE Vice-Chancellor, Babcock University Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State, Professor Kayode Makinde, on Sunday drew the emotion of the audience at the graduation ceremony of the university, when he invited one of the best graduating students from the School of Nursing Science, Miss Margaret Okwuikpo, to the podium for special prayers on the death of eight members of her family who died in a motor accident.

According to report, Miss Okwuikpo lost her father, grandmother, sisters, brothers and cousin in a motor accident which occurred on Friday in Port-Harcourt, on their way to Backcock University, for her convocation ceremony slated for Sunday.

According to the report, the family hired a Lagos bound 14- passenger bus from Port-Harcourt but the bus was involved in an accident 15minutes after it left the park, allegedly due to over speeding. Sources further informed that her mother, brother in-law and other two persons are currently on danger list in the hospital.  

Meanwhile, Professor Makinde has commended the National University Commission (NUC) for its efforts to pass a regulation to outlaw the award of pass degrees in Nigerian universities.

Professor Makinde made this declaration while speaking during the presentation of 1,059 students for the award of  certificates for first bachelor degrees of the institution, for the 2013 academic session, out of which 52 of them had first class honours. He  condemned the award of third and pass certificates in Nigerian tertiary institutions and lauded the NUC for its efforts to pass a regulation to outlaw the award of pass degree.

The Vice-Chancellor, said the step is a commendable one on the road to repairing the fallen standard of education that generated unemployable university graduates into the workforce. Acording to him “The next step is to cut out third class from the university system and begin the reconstruction of vocational training to provide medium level highly skilled artisans, technicians and craftsmen and women to fill the indispensable vacuum in production and maintenance created by years of neglect and over certification of mediocrity,” he said.

While commending the host community and the Parents Consultative Forum of the university for their collaborations toward the growth and development of the institution, Professor Makinde stated that the medical school would present its pioneer Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery (MBBS) graduates for induction in 2016.

He said the preliminary contracts have begun with the Nigerian postgraduate Medical College, the West African College of Physician and West African College of Surgeons being expected for accreditation exercise which will in return enpower the Babcock University Teaching Hospital to begin medical residency in the hospital.

This year, 71 students had their Masters degree with 40 postgraduates students who had successfully completed their Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D) degrees in various disciplines.