By Elizabeth Osayande

History was made recently as Crawford University’s best-graduating student, Afolabi Abisola Wuraola, carted away 10 awards with automatic employment.

Wuruola, from the College of Natural and Applied Sciences, with a CGPA of 4.92, who was the cynosure of eyes at the 16th Convocation ceremony of the institution, in an emotional speech, noted that resilience, determination, and a good example shown by her elder sister, including her lecturers and coursemates made her stand tall.

Her words: “If someone had told my teachers in my formative years that I will be the one standing here giving the valedictory speech of the Unicorn 16 set, I bet they won’t believe me. However, I was able to overcome my challenges, including changing of programme through the power of resilience, determination, and the great example set by my elder sister who also was a scholar.

“While I look back and thank God for the journey so far, I must commend the efforts of my family, my lecturers, colleagues, and Crawford University for the role they all played in making me achieve this feat.”

Meanwhile, the guest lecturer at the convocation ceremony, Prof. Akan Williams, of Covenant University, in his lecture themed: Petroleum Crisis and the Need for Alternative Energy, explained that despite Nigeria being a major player in the global petroleum market, and one of the most preferred in the world, over dependency on oil, corruption, the Niger-Delta crisis and dilapidated refineries among others, have negatlvely affected the country benefitting from this natural endowment.

He, however, called on the Nigerian government to look inward in diversifying the alternative energy sector, based on its potential for economic growth and development.

Also, the ceremony saw the conferment of honorary degrees on three eminent Nigerians, namely: Prof. Jerry Gana, Arch. Toyin Ajayi, and Mr. Humphrey Okposo by the Proprietor and Chancellor, Crawford University, Dr. Isaac Adigun.

In his speech, the Vice Chancellor of the faith-based institution. Prof. Reuben Jiya Kolo, who thanked his principal, Ogun State government, staff, students, and parents for their unwavering support, called on the graduates to imbibe all the values the school has put in them.