Niger Delta Ex-agitator emerges overall best, four others bag first class as varsity graduates 119 student

A scholarship student under the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Bassey Emmanuel, has emerged the overall best student of Ritman University, Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State with a CGPA of 4.81 in a maximum scale of 5.00. 

Other PAP students who graduated with a first class are Akudike Ifeanyi Stephen, Obaila Christiana Church-Ere, Avura Blessing Elozino and Baloga Livinus Baridupopnen.

Bassey, who graduated from the Department of Computer Science and Mathematics was the valedictorian during the Institution’s 2019/2020 convocation ceremony.

A statement signed on Tuesday by the Special Adviser, Media to PAP’s Interim Administrator, Neotaobase Egbe, said In his valedictory speech, Bassey attributed  his academic achievements to  hardwork and dedication.

He said the privilege extended to him by PAP to attend the institution  motivated him to be at his best throughout the programme. 

He thanked the Interim Administrator of the PAP, Col. Milland Dixon Dikio (rtd) for the scholarhip and promised to be a worthy ambassador of the programme.

He encouraged other beneficiaries of PAP scholarship not to make best use of the opportunity.

In his remarks, Dikio who was represented by his Special Adviser on Projects, Godwin Ekpo, congratulated the graduating students for their academic feat and urged them to continue to be shinning examples in the society. 

He said the PAP was elated to see that its students were among the very best, describing it as a testament that the investment in the scholarship scheme was not a waste. 

Dikio also commended the school authority for what he referred to as the quality of learning and the facilities which  helped the students and charged them to maintain the standard. 

The PAP boss also  appreciated President Muhammadu Buhari for his support for the amnesty programme and tasked companies in the region to employ the new graduates. 

He said: “Education is beyond academic feats; there is the area of character building too. Let your successes in the academics reflect in worthy character development and the world is yours. 

“I want to encourage other students and the youths of the region to emulate these ones. I am elated to see their CGPA, especially those from our scholarship scheme. It gives us the assurance that the scholarship is not a waste. 

“I thank Mr. President for still believing and supporting the amnesty programme and I call on all stakeholders to continue to support the drive for human capital development in the region. For companies operating here, this is an opportunity to employ this new set of graduates who have so much to offer”. 

On his part, the founder and visitor of the school, Sen. Emmanuel Ibok-Essien, said the institution would  not relent in churning out quality graduates that would be employable and agents of societal transformation. 

He lauded the PAP leadership for granting scholarship to deserving students to study in the institution and assured that the school would continue with its penchant for academic excellence.

Ibok-Essien, a former Deputy Chief Whip of the Senate and currently the national chairman of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), offered the best graduating student automatic employment in the university and a cash gift of N100,000. 

Four other PAP scholarship students were among those who also graduated with a first class and 43 others with a Second Class Upper.

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