Prof Chimezie Omeonu, the Vice Chancellor, Clifford University, Ihie, Isiala North LGA of Abia State, said on Tuesday that the university is conducting a broad based research on how to use a particular weed to preserve some food items.
The university don stated this when he briefed journalists at the university’s campus at Ihie. He did not however name the weed, but stated that the university will come out with a comprehensive result at the conclusion of the research.
The VC, who spoke to newsmen on the oncoming maiden edition of the Clifford University Convocation ceremony billed for Sunday, March 28, 2021, described the university, established by the Seventh Day Adventists (SDA) Church as a research-based institution which is pursuing its mandate with utmost dedication.
Its core mandate, he stressed, are teaching, medical and evangelism, adding “This school is also targeting and indeed wants to harness the numerous potentials and skills abound in Aba and make the society to benefit from them”.
On the university’s oncoming convocation, Prof Omeonu explained that the Clifford University, for the first time in its life, is sending seasoned men and women, qualified, not only in character and learning, but with a focus to render faithful service to the nation and Divinity.
The VC disclosed that 65 students will be graduating, even as he informed that of this number, 11 will be graduating with First Class honours, 54 Second Class, while none will be leaving the school with Third Class Honours Degree.
He revealed that the university, established in 2009 at the former Ihie High School by the Eastern Nigerian Union Mission (ENUM) now Eastern Nigerian Union Conference (ENUC), has received blessings from the National Universities Commission (NUC) as the commission has accredited majority of its courses since inception.
On cultism, Prof Omeonu stressed that the school, which took off in December 2016, has zero tolerance for cultism, emphasising that any student caught engaging in cult activity or exam malpractice will be summarily dismissed.
His word, “Clifford University is colour blind, racial blind, tribal blind, ethnicity blind and state of origin blind. We believe in unity in diversity; we believe we are singular. Our five faculty Deans come from different states and six principal officers of the university come from five different states of the federation”.
Uche Nwosu is a two time Shell Petroleum PLC award winner in the year 2000;
He won the Shell Award on Investigative Journalism and Environmental Cleanliness.
