Delta State Governor, Rt Hon Sheriff Oborevwori, Saturday, approved automatic employment for the overall best graduating student of the Delta State University, DELSU, Abraka, Ilebe Joshua of the Faculty of Pharmacy with 4.83 CGPA.

Governor Oborevwori who approved the automatic employment at the 16th Convocation for 2022/2023 academic session of the University, challenged graduands of the University not to think only of getting paid jobs but to be entrepreneurial in their approach to life.

While congratulating the graduands who had been found worthy in learning and character for the award of various degrees of the great citadel of learning, Governor Oborevwori said; “as you launch out into the world today, it is my earnest expectation that you will put to good use the academic knowledge and life lessons you have garnered during your sojourn here.

“Do not think only of getting a paid job; I challenge you to be entrepreneurial in your approach to life. Money is a reward for creating value. One of the things a quality university education does for you is that it makes you see challenges as part of life.

Governor Oborevwori commended the University’s Governing Council and management for the impressive growth recorded by the institution over the years, saying; “this administration is also committed to sustaining timely and predictable delivery of academic programmes in the state’s tertiary institutions.

Governor Oborevwori had on arrival inaugurated the faculty of Science Extension and Microbiology Laboratory Complex executed by the university.

Welcoming guests earlier, the Vice-Chancellor of the University, Professor Andy Egwunyenga, said that a total of 4,776 students were graduated from the 2022/2023 academic session, with total of 730 postgraduate degrees, comprising 99 Doctor of Philosophy, 522 Masters Degrees and 109 Postgraduate Diploma.

The graduands, according to him, includes; a total of 3,611 first degrees, comprising 54 first class, 1,207 second class honours (upper division), 380 second class honours (lower division) and 380 third class honours.

He said the university had attained 100 per cent accreditation of all its programmes, adding that it was recently ranked 22nd position out of 133 Nigerian universities with presence in Scopus, 10th position among the best state- owned universities in the country and best university in the South-South Region by the 2024SciVal Ranking of Nigerian Universities.

The Vice-Chancellor commended Governor Oborevwori, who is the Visitor to the university, for his commitment to the growth and development of the citadel of higher academic learning.

At the ceremony, Professor Chukwuemeke Peter Aloamaka was decorated as a Professor Emeritus of the university in recognition of his outstanding accomplishments as an academic scholar and administrator, while former Minister of Information, Professor Sam Oyovbaire, was formally conferred with the Honorary Doctor of Letters of the university.

The valedictorian, Ilebe Joshua of the Faculty of Pharmacy with a 4.83 CGPA score, thanked God for their success and appreciated the Vice-Chancellor, management and staff of the university for instituting the Students’ Work and Scholarship Schemes, which enabled indigent students to sustain their academic pursuits.