The Vice Chancellor of Rivers State University, Professor Blessing Didia, has warned students, who recently gained admission into the institution to shun any overture from members of cult groups.
Didia cautioned that the penalty for any student found to be a member of any cult group was expulsion from the university.
The Vice Chancellor, who issued this warning at the 36th matriculation of the institution in Port Harcourt, informed the new students that the university senate would not tolerate any form of examination malpractices.
He enjoined them to take their studies seriously from the beginning to the end.
“The university and indeed the Senate frown on nocturnal and clandestine association or secret cults. The penalty for any student found to be a member is expulsion.
“I therefore caution you to beware of any overture to lure you into joining these discredited groups. Senate also abhors all forms of examination malpractices in all their ramifications.
“You should learn to take your studies seriously from the outset and do the first things first, so as to avoid doing the last thing first,” Didia stressed.
The vice chancellor noted that the university was moving away from the traditional award of paper degrees to seriously pursue the possibility of becoming an entrepreneurial institution.
He pointed out that the intention was to produce graduates that would be self-employed and not seekers of employment.
Didia stated, “Our vision is to create something out of nothing by using the power of imagination and creativity. The process of innovation will lead to wealth creation through the setting up of prototype industries for jobs and revenue generation for the university.”
No fewer than 3,795 students gained admission to study various courses, including Law and Engineering.
He expressed gratitude to the state governor and Visitor of the university, Chief Nyesom Wike, for the massive infrastructural intervention in the university.
Didia said, “By this intervention, three faculties; Faculties of Law, Environmental Sciences and Management Sciences, which hitherto had no faculty buildings, are now housed in their own faculty buildings.”
