Vice Chancellor of the Al-Hikmah University, Ilorin, the first Islamic faith-based university in the country, Professor Noah Yusuf, has advised the nation’s university vice-chancellors to screen prospective students on drug use immediately on admission before they mix with, and influence innocent ones.
In his speech at the 12th convocation ceremony of the university in Ilorin on Saturday, Professor Yusuf said that some fresh school leavers, who recently got admission into Al-Hikmah University, Ilorin tested positive for drugs.
“It was painful to the management to discover that students who just finished secondary school a few months ago and sat for the university qualifying examination, got duly admitted, only to test positive for drugs two weeks during the registration procedure.
“The irony of it all is that the parents admitted that the children are under their care and tutelage!!! If such a fresher who tested positive for drugs was not discovered through the rigorous admission screening at the onset, the multiplier effects in four or five years of his stay in the university would spell great disaster.
“This is, therefore, a clarion call to parents in particular and the society at large to devote more attention to our children. Individually and collectively. Let us join hands together with NDLEA to fight this ugly monster. A stitch in time saves many.
“My colleague vice-chancellors may wish to borrow a leaf from this discovery and put in place measures to screen prospective students immediately on admission before they mix with, and influence innocent ones”.
A total of 1,280 students graduated at the event with 25 of them bagging First Class Honours.
The vice chancellor urged the graduands not to forget all the moral values the university has inculcated in them.
“To my graduating students, today marks a turning point in your lives. You are now proud ambassadors of Al-Hikmah University. Do not drag the good name and sterling image of this institution into the mud. Step by step, as you climb the ladder of life, I wish you all the best, all the way to the destiny Almighty Allah has mapped out for you,” he added.
Three distinguished Nigerians; Mr Tajudeen Fola Adeola, Mrs Mosun Bello-Olusoga and Mrs Foluke Kafayat Abdulrazaq, the wife of the Mutawali of Ilorin, Dr Alimi Abdulrazaq, were awarded honorary doctorate degrees at the event.
Kwara state governor, Mallam Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, who was represented at the event by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Professor Mamman Saba Jubril, urged the students not to abuse the certificates awarded to them by the university.
He charged them to be of good conduct in the outside world, warning that if found wanting in character, the university could withdraw their certificates.
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