500 UNIBEN overstayed students granted amnesty

The University of Benin said it has graduated 17,517 in two years which, saying the figure slowed down because of coronavirus pandemic.

Briefing journalists on Monday at the Senate Chambers in Benin, the Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. Lilian Salami, disclosed that the school had granted ‘amnesty’ to 500 students who had overstayed in the school for several reasons.

During the convocation of 46th and 47th ceremony and 51st Founders’ Day, Prof. Salami said, a total of 282 of the students graduated with First Class in the combined sessions.

According to her, 125 bagged first class in the 2018/2019 session, 157 made first class in the 2019/2020 academic session, adding that a total of 8,996 and 8,521 graduated from the two sessions, respectively.

“The two sessions had to be compressed, even at great stress to the lecturers and students in order to ensure that the students graduated as planned and that no student lost any year. We commend the lecturers and students for enduring the strain.

She they were 500 students who have overstayed in the school for various reasons which the University Senate looked into, granted amnesty and graduated them.

She said the school has prepar d to issue graduands their certificates on the the day of convocation.

361 post graduate students, she said, bagged PhDs, while 2,511 bagged Masters Degree and 556 graduated with postgraduate diplomas respectively.

As part of activities for the convocation, the university would be conferring honorary doctorate degree on Lt.-General Theophilus Danjuma; Chief John Odigie-Oyegun; Dr. Natalia Kanem; Mr. Oluwakemi Pinheiro, SAN and Dr. Thomas Illube, adding that the former Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Osayuki Oshodin would be invested as professor emeritus.