By Titus Oise, Benin
The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has announced automatic employment of 15 first-class graduating students of the Edo State University, Uzairue.
Obaseki, who made the announcement at the fourth convocation ceremony of the institution in Etsako West Local Government Area of the state, commended the school for the gains made in learning and research.
He said, “As usual, all those 15 students that made a first class in this set have automatic employment into Edo State Civil service; your job is waiting for you.
“We have made it a standard that any graduate from any of our University in Edo State that made a first class should be given automatic employment in our public and civil service. We want to build quality manpower.
“As we mark the fourth convocation ceremony of the Edo State University Uzairue, the institution has continued to blaze the trail in teaching and research in Nigeria. This academic year has been challenging but we are today celebrating the first set of our post graduate students.
“In the last six years, we have placed a premium on education. We have continued to implement transformational reforms in our basic education sector because we believe that the foundation in which education rests must be a solid one.”
He continued: “As a government, we are now prioritizing technical and vocational education as we believe that to build our country, our educational system must now focus on building people who can now use their hands and skills in the workplace.
“Unless we strengthen the foundation of education in this country by strengthening basic education and promoting TVET, we will not have the strong human capital base that we require.
“Our vision for higher institutions of learning is that we should be able to compete with the best in the world, offering education that is relevant and contemporary in the country.
“This university has continued to record impressive milestones in its mark to self-reliance and sustainability. I am impressed with the success so far achieved.”
Commenting on the convocation lecture titled, “Fake news: Rethinking the role of mainstream and social media in national development,” by the former Director General of the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA), Tonnie Iredia, the governor said, “There is an imperative to ensure that journalistic ethics are upheld across media platforms and that the media is socially responsible in the discharge of its activities so that the generality of the people are best served with the content that will cause them to make best judgement in the election and other spheres of life.”
