Razaq Bamidele
Federal College of Dental Technology and Therapy, Enugu during the week matriculated 4,321 fresh students for various degree and diploma programmes in different faculties and departments of the College. The ceremony, which was the combination of 2020/21 and 2022/23 sessions was also the 67th and 68th matriculation of the institution.
The ceremony, according to a statement signed by the college’s Public Relations Officer (PRO), Omololu Ogunmade was combined because last year’s matriculation could not hold due to the prolonged strike of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
In his matriculation speech, the Rector, Prof. John Emaimo, who expressed his pleasure to welcome the students to campus, disclosed that the students’ admission process was highly competitive so much that out of the 3,417 applicants who applied for admissions in 2021/2022 session through the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), only 2,760 were admitted.
The Rector who was represented by Deputy Rector (Academics), Dr. Obiora Eke, further disclosed that whereas 2,196 applicants applied for admission through the UTME in 2022/23 session, only 1,561 of them were admitted, describing the matriculating students as lucky.
While congratulating the students on their admission, Prof. Emaimo acquainted them with the commitment of his administration to make the College a world class institution with the capacity to raise highly skilled personnel who will make a difference in the society.
His words: “It is with utmost delight that I welcome you today to the 2022/23 matriculation of our fresh students. This occasion is significant because it is a platform through which qualified students are formally admitted into this institution. It may interest you to know that no fewer than 3,417 applicants applied for admissions for various Degree and Diploma programmes of this College in 2021/2022 session, out of which only 2,760 were admitted.
“In the same vein, whereas 2,196 applicants applied for admission in 2022/23 session through the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), only 1,561 of these were admitted. You can see how lucky you are. I therefore congratulate you on your successful admission which was a product of a competitive selection process.
“In the past six years since I assumed office as the Rector of this institution, we have worked very hard to reposition this College to serve as a veritable platform for the training of highly skilled personnel with the capacity to compete effectively globally. Not only have we expanded our academic programmes from two to nine within this period, we have equally upgraded a number of our academic programmes from diploma to degree status.
“This is in demonstration of our commitment to provide you with the platform to pursue academic programmes that can position you for relevance in this dynamic 21st century. That is the reason some of you here today have the opportunity to pursue Degree programmes in unique disciplines in this institution.”
The rector further revealed that, in the institution’s commitment to expand frontiers of knowledge and service to humanity, it became the first and only institution in the entire West Africa to train dental nurses, disclosing that “our first set of dental nurses was admitted into the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN) in December 2022.”
Warning the students against misdemeanour, Prof. Emaimo charged the matriculating students to be of good conduct, explaining that the institution has “zero tolerance for social vices such as cultism, drug offences, indecent dressing, indiscipline and all forms of ills that are prevalent among youths.”
He asserted that, “Any student therefore, caught in the web of any of these vices on campus will be adequately sanctioned and dealt with according to our rules.”
