UI insists only first class honour graduands, recipients of prizes, awards will attend convocation ceremony

The management of the University of Ibadan (UI) has debunked the report of barring non-first class graduates from attending this year’s graduation ceremony.

The clarifications were contained in a press release by the Director of Public Communication, Mr Olatunji Oladejo, made available to journalists on Saturday, 13 November, 2021.

The institution stated that members of the public should disregard a piece of information being circulated by one online medium, Naasvoice, to the effect that the institution would allow non-first class graduates at this year’s graduation ceremony.

“The said publication is mischievous, deceitful, misleading, unreliable and irresponsible.

Advertisement

“Graduates, parents, guardians and the general public are advised to disregard the publication.

“As earlier stated, the University’s management takes this seemingly painful decision in order to curtail and contain the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic, and its delta variant which is virulent, during the period of the graduation ceremony,” it said.

The statement continued: “We are restating that attendance at the International Conference Centre is open to First Class Honours graduands and recipients of prizes and awards only.

“We are using this category of graduates as a point of contact with over 8,000 graduates at this year’s ceremony. We could have invited graduates in the third class or pass division.

“We appreciate our stakeholders for their understanding and co-operation in this circumstance.

“Once again, we congratulate our 2021 graduates on this landmark occasion. May the joy of the event be permanent in their lives. Amen.”

It would be recalled that sometimes, last week, it was reported that the Institution, in its efforts to curtail the spread of the pandemic, had ordered that only the first class graduates would be allowed at the venue of the convocation ceremony.