Over 8,600 Graduates, 72 First Class Set For Convocation In BUK -VC

The Vice Chancellor of Bayero University, Kano ( BUK ), Prof. Muhammad Yahuza Bello  says  the university  will be grauating over 8,600 students at its 34th convocation ceremony scheduled to come up next week,

Prof. Muhammad Yahuza Bello who said this on Monday noted that the Senate and Governing Council have decided not to award honourary degree to personalities during the occasion, declaring that such award is not for sale.

Prof. Yahuza Bello during a pre-convocation news conference at the University Senate Chamber said that, “going by the rule of the university, anybody who ask for Honourary Degree from BUK is automatically disqualified. It is not for sale. A number of people have approached us directly or indirectly, but we turned down their request.”

He added that, “the University Senate and Governing Council have decided not to award any honourary degree this year. This is not because there are no persons deserving of the honour, indeed, there are so many.

“In order to maintain the very high value and honour associated with such degrees, Bayero University Senate and Council have been limiting the number of honorees, and the years when such awards are made.”

However, he disclosed that BUK is to award various degrees and post graduate diplomas to 8, 634 graduands, with 72 First Class graduates, including 5, 401first degrees, 70, PhDs 1, 833 Masters Degrees and 656 Post Graduate diploma certificates.

According to him, in line with international best practices, the convocation ceremony is spread from April 3 to April 7, adding that on Friday, April 6, the convocation lecture with the theme: Leadership, Security, Democracy, and Development Challenges in Africa: Reflections by a Scholar-Diplomat, would be delivered by the Pro-Chancellor of the University and former Permanent Representatives to the United Nnations, Prof. Ibrahim Agboola Gambari, under the chairmanship of Ambassador Alhaji Shehu Malami (Sarkin Sudan).

He further noted that, “in the last one year, all the programmes presented by the University for accreditation by regulatory and professional bodies have secured full accreditation. The most recent are 15 undergraduate and eight postgraduate programmes that secured full accreditation status from the National University Commission (NUC).”

Prof. Yahuza Bello further stated that, “the University has also maintained its tradition of inclusiveness and of being cosmopolitan in nature.

“About 8, 600 newly admitted undergraduate students were inducted into the BUK family last week. It may interest you to note that these new students come from each and every state of the Federation (including the Federal Capital Territory), as well as from some foreign countries.”

He listed challenges facing the university to include scarcity of water, lack of adequate funding and inability of students to pay registration fees.