Soludo offers automatic employment to 37 first class graduates of Ojukwu Varsity

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By Madu Obi

Anambra State governor, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, has offered automatic employment to 37 first-class graduates of the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University (COOU).

Soludo made the announcement during the 16th convocation ceremony of the university at the Igbariam campus of the institution.

The governor also donated N4 million to the overall best graduating student, Mr Augustus Umeh of the Department of Economics, who graduated with a cumulative grade of 4.85 on a 5.0 scale.

The governor urged the graduands to seize the moment and emerge as beacons of hope, disruptive thinkers and agents of change in the society.

“The Nigeria of 2026 is a country facing difficult challenges, but on a path of necessary transformation. This is our country, and we must rise to the occasion rather than dwell on lamentations,” he said.

Soludo also charged the institution to focus on producing problem-solvers rather than mere enumerators, adding that his administration would continue to prioritize human capital development to build the desired future.

The new Chancellor of the university, Bishop Matthew Kukah of the Sokoto Diocese, commended the state government for its significant investment in education.

According to Bishop Kukah, statistically Anambra is performing well in education, among the 36 states.

“As the new Chancellor, we will not only strive to achieve the university’s goals, but surpass them,” Kukah said.

At the convocation, 3,155 students were awarded first degrees across various disciplines, while 803 obtained postgraduate degrees in different fields.

Giving a breakdown, the Vice Chancellor, Prof Kate Omenugha said 37 students graduated with first-class honours, 888 with second-class upper division and 1,712 with second class lower.

She congratulated the graduands and urged them to uphold the university’s values and represent the institution with pride.

Omenugha also pledged the university’s commitment to achieving global relevance and academic excellence, and thanked the governor for his support in upgrading the institution.