Onyedi Igwe, Port Harcourt
A Presidential Amnesty Programme scholarship student, Bassey Emmanuel, has emerged the overall best student of Ritman University, Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State.
Bassey, who graduated from the Department of Computer Science and Mathematics, is the valedictorian during the Institution’s 2019/2020 convocation ceremony.
He graduated with a CGPA of 4.81 in a maximum scale of 5.00, as best graduating student.
Other PAP students who graduated with a First Class honours degree are Akudike Ifeanyi Stephen, Obaila Christiana Church-Ere, Avura Blessing Elozino and Baloga Livinus Baridupopnen.
Special Adviser, Media to PAP’s Interim Administrator, Neotaobase Egbe, in a statement on Tuesday, quoted Bassey as having 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 scheme to make best use of the opportunity.
The Special Adviser on Projects, Godwin Ekpo, who represented Col. Milland Dixon Dikio, congratulated them on their academic feats 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.
“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”. He said.
The founder and visitor of the school, Sen. Emmanuel Ibok-Essien, said the institution would not relent in bringing out quality graduates that would be employable and serve as 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 policy 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.