UNIVERSITY OF SIERRA LEONE

Transcription

1 UNIVERSITY OF SIERRA LEONE STATEMENT OF WELCOME AT THE 2 ND 2014/15 CONGREGATION FOR THE CONFERMENT OF DEGREES AND APPROVAL FOR THE AWARD OF DIPLOMAS AND CERTIFICATES HELD AT THE ADJAI CROWTHER AMPHITHEATRE ON SATURDAY 29 TH OCTOBER, 2016 BY S N DUMBUYA, REGISTRAR, USL 1

2 HON. VICE-PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF SIERRA LEONE, MY LORD THE SPEAKER OF PARLIAMENT, MY LORD CHIEF JUSTICE, MEMBERS OF THE DIPLOMATIC AND CONSULAR CORPS, HON. MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT, MINISTERS OF GOVERNMENT, THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF EDUCATION, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, THE DEPUTY CHAIRMAN AND THE MEMBERS OF COURT, THE EXECUTIVE SECRETARY, TERTIARY EDUCATION COMMISSION, MAYORS OF CITY COUNCILS, CHAIRMEN OF DISTRICT COUNCILS, REPRESENTATIVES OF AGENCIES AND DEPARTMENTS, LEADERS OF RELIGIOUS BODIES, ACTING VICE CHANCELLOR AND PRINCIPAL, USL, ACTING VICE CHANCELLOR AND PRINCIPAL, NJALA UNIVERSITY, VICE CHANCELLOR AND PRINCIPAL, UNIVERSITY OF MAKENI, VICE CHANCELLOR AND PRINCIPAL, ERNEST BAI KOROMA UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, MESSRS ACTING DEPUTY VICE CHANCELLORS, FBC AND IPAM, MR ACTING PROVOST, COMAHS, PRINCIPAL, MILTON MARGAI COLLEGE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, REGISTRARS OF NJALA UNIVERSITY AND THE ERNEST BAI KOROMA UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, AS WELL AS OTHER TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS, DEANS OF FACULTIES, USL, HEADS OF DEPARTMENT, USL, ALUMNI OF USL, PRESIDENT AND OTHER REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ACADEMIC STAFF ASSOCIATION OF FBC, COMAHS AND IPAM, ACADEMIC 2

3 STAFF ASSOCIATION, USL, REPRESENTATIVES OF JUNIOR STAFF ASSOCIATIONS, USL, STUDENTS REPRESENTATIVES, GRADUANDS, MEMBERS OF THE 4 TH ESTATE DISTINGUISHED LADIES AND GENTLEMEN I WOULD LIKE ON BEHALF OF THE ACTING VICE CHANCELLOR AND PRINCIPAL AND THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF SIERRA LEONE TO ONCE AGAIN WELCOME ALL STAKEHOLDERS TO A JOINT OCCASION OF A SWEARING-IN CEREMONY OF THE COLLEGE OF MEDICINE AND ALLIED HEALTH SCIENCES (COMAHS) AND A CONGREGATION OF THE UNIVERSITY OF SIERRA LEONE FOR THE CONFERMENT OF DEGREES AND THE AWARD OF DIPLOMAS AND CERTIFICATES FOR THE 2014/15 SESSION. WE AS A UNIVERSITY CONTINUE TO EXPRESS DEEP APPRECIATION TO ALL OUR STAKEHOLDERS FOR THE INVALUABLE SUPPORT THEY HAVE BEEN RENDERING US OVER THE YEARS. CONSIDERING THE INCREASING CHALLENGES FACING USL WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO WORK TOGETHER FOR THE FURTHERANCE OF THE HIGHER EDUCATION DELIVERY SYSTEM OF THIS COUNTRY. MR ACTING VICE CHANCELLOR AND PRINCIPAL, IT IS GRATIFYING TO NOTE THAT THERE HAS BEEN A DRAMATIC IMPROVEMENT OF THE AMPHITEATRE. WITH THE COMPLETION OF PHASE II OF THE RENOVATION PROJECT, THE ADJAI 3

4 CROWTHER AMPHITHEATRE HAS BEEN TRANSFORMED INTO A MORE ATTRACTIVE AND ACCOMMODATING MULTI-PURPOSE FACILITY. LET ME THEREFORE USE THE OPPORTUNITY OF THIS OCCASION TO APPRECIATE THE EFFORTS OF ALL THOSE WHOSE EFFORTS LED TO THIS DEVELOPMENT. I WANT TO WELCOME IN PARTICULAR OUR OUTGOING CUSTOMERS WHO ARE ABOUT TO BE STAMPED AS PRODUCTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF SIERRA LEONE. TODAY YOU CEASE TO BECOME OUR CUSTOMERS AS YOU ARE ABOUT TO BE RECEIVED INTO THE MEMBERSHIP OF THE UNIVERSITY. WHILE I CONGRATULATE YOU IN ADVANCE, I SINCERELY HOPE THAT WHEN YOU LEAVE THIS AMPHITHEATE TODAY YOU WILL GO OUT THERE AND NOT ONLY DO US PROUD IN YOUR INTERACTIONS WITH THE REST OF SOCIETY,BUT ALSO ENDEAVOUR TO GIVE THE UHNIVERSITY YOUR INVALUABLE SUPPORT FOR ITS CONTINUED SUSTAINABILITY. AS ALREADY INDICATED FROM THE OUTSET, THIS OCCASION WILL WITNESS TWO ACTIVITIES VIZ A SWEARING-IN CEREMONY FOR COMAHS GRADUANDS, DURING WHICH THE LATTER WILL TAKE OATHS FOR ACCEPTANCE INTO VARIOUS MEDICAL PROFESSIONS, AND A CONGREGATION DURING WHICH VARIOUS DEGREES OF THE UNIVERSITY OF SIERRA LEONE WILL BE CONFERED AND VARIOUS DIPLOMAS AND CERTIFICATES 4

5 AWARDED. AFTER THE SWEARING-IN CEREMONY THIS ASSEMBLY WILL BE TRANSFORMED INTO A CONGREGATION. LET IT BE NOTED ALSO, DISTINGUISHED LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THAT THE AUTHORITY FOR THE CONFERMENT OF DEGREES AND THE AWARD OF DIPLOMAS, AS WELL AS THE APPROVAL OF CERTIFICATES OF THIS UNIVERSITY IS VESTED IN DR. ERNEST BAI KOROMA, CHANCELLOR OF THE UNIVERSITY OF SIERRA LEONE, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION (ii) OF THE UNIVERSITIES ACT, 2005, THE LEGAL INSTRUMENT THAT GUIDES THE OPERATIONS OF THE UNIVERSITY. SECTION 13.(2) OF THE ACT, HOWEVER, MAKES PROVISION FOR HIS EXCELLENCY THE CHANCELLOR TO DELEGATE THAT AUTHORITY TO THE OFFICER WHO HOLDS THE POSITION OF VICE CHANCELLOR AND PRINCIPAL BE IT IN AN ACTING OR SUBSTANTIVE CAPACITY; AND THIS HIS EXCELLENCY THE CHANCELLOR DR. ERNEST BAI KOROMA HAS GRACIOUSLY DONE THROUGH THE MINISTER OF EDUCATION, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY WITH RESPECT TO THIS OCCASION. THEREFORE THE CONGREGATION CEREMONY TODAY WILL TAKE PLACE UNDER THE SUPERINTENDENCE OF PROFESSOR EKUNDAYO J D THOMPSON, ACTING VICE CHANCELLOR AND PRINCIPAL WHO WILL CONFER THE DEGREES, AND APPROVE THE AWARD OF THE DIPLOMAS AND CERTIFICATES 5

6 DISTINGUISHED LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, HAVING SET THE STAGE FOR TODAY S ACTIVITIES, PLEASE LET ME END BY ONCE AGAIN ASSURING YOU THAT YOU ARE ALL VERY MUCH WELCOME HERE THIS MORNING FOR A SWEARING-IN CEREMONY FOR THE 2014/15 COHORT OF GRADUANDS OF COMAHS AND A FINAL CONGREGATION FOR THE CONFERMENT OF DEGREES AND THE APPROVAL FOR THE AWARD OF DIPLOMAS AND CERTIFICATES FOR THE 2014/15 SESSION. WELCOME INDEED AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION. 6