Published 22nd Apr, 2023

By Abimbola Abatta

“I’m glad to inform you that finally they approved our degree results at the Senate. We are now cleared to start clearance, get our certificates, be mobilised for NYSC and join Batch B, Stream 1.”

These were the words of an excited Kalu Ogunlesi (not real name), a University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT) student who is yet to graduate despite defending his final year project in 2021.

On February 11, 2023, FIJ published a report on how UNIPORT excluded the names of some students from its graduation list, thereby preventing them from officially graduating at its 33rd convocation ceremony.

Ogunlesi told FIJ that the approval came on Wednesday, two months after FIJ’s publication.

FIJ had gathered earlier that the affected students ought to have graduated with the 2019/2020 session.

Since the students were not cleared, they could not be deployed for the mandatory National Youth service Corps (NYSC) scheme for Nigerian graduates.

The students also revealed that all efforts to identify the exact reason for the delay had been hitting a brick wall.

When FIJ contacted Professor Owunari Georgewill, UNIPORT’s vice-chancellor, he denied the claim that the school was withholding the results of its students. But the dispute was resolved in two months.

Ogunlesi said, “I want to appreciate you for your efforts in helping us push for this. It paid off! We appreciate.”

Although Ogunlesi noted that the approval was still pending for some departments, those affected in his department have been cleared.

“For the other departments, their approved list should be out during the next Senate seating. Our degree result sheet has been approved. We now have the full list of those cleared from my department. Every department has their own list,” Ogunlesi said.

He also informed FIJ that he and others would begin their clearance process next month.

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