The 20th President of the Republic of Liberia, Late William Richard Tolbert Jr. was on Saturday, November 2022, awarded an honorary Doctorate Degree by Bowen University, Iwo in Nigeria, 42 years after he was assassinated in a coup staged by his successor, Samuel Kanyon Doe.
The Chancellor of the faith-based private university, Rev. Yusuf Gwadah conferred the posthumous Honorary Degree, Doctor of Science in Business Administration (PhD Causa) at the institution’s 17th Convocation.
Late Tolbert was represented by his two daughters and granddaughter.
Also, the former Nigerian President, Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, who was represented by the former Minister of Defence, Erelu Olusola Obada and Deacon Nebolisa Arah were conferred the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Public Administration (PhD Honoris Causa) and honourary Degree of Doctor Entrepreneurship (PhD Honoris Causa) respectively.
In his address, the outgoing Vice-Chancellor, Professor Joshua O. Ogunwole said that 1,028 students graduated at the convocation ceremony.
According to him, at the undergraduate level, out of this number, 59 graduated with First Class, 398, Second Class (Upper Division), 366, Second Class Lower Division, 148 3rd Class, 1 Pass and 56 MBBS.
At the postgraduate level, the university graduated 11 PhD students, 8 MSc, 1 MBA and 17 PGD, totalling 1,065.
In his convocation sermon titled, “Be Good for Nothing”, the President of the Nigerian Baptist Convention (NBC) and Visitor to Bowen University, Rev. Dr Israel Adelani Akanji, urged the student to imbibe the spirit of selflessness as they are going into the larger society.
His words, “As you graduate and leave Bowen University to the larger society, go and be good for nothing.”
Part of the highlights of the events includes awards of N1 million to the overall Best Graduating Student, Iyanuoluwa Jewel Adewuyi from the Department of Economics with a CGPA (4.93), Ayooluwa Serifat Oladega, 2nd Best Graduating Student, from the Department of Food Science and Technology (CGPA 4. 92) and David Oluwanifemi Emiola, 3rd Best Graduating Student, from the Department of Physics (CGPA 4. 89).
