The 2018 graduates of the Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, have decried the failure of the university to issue them transcripts more than a year after their graduation.
The document is a copy of a student’s permanent academic record. It contains all courses taken and the grades received from the first to the final semester.
Our correspondent gathered that the university management had frustrated all the efforts of the graduates to have their transcripts.
One of the graduates, who pleaded not to be named for fear of victimisation, said the delay made him forfeit a scholarship for his Master’s programme abroad.
The graduate of Microbiology said: “I applied for my transcript on April 14, 2018, and paid N10,000. I was awarded a scholarship outside the country and I needed my transcript to register. Because the transcript was not released, I had to forfeit the scholarship. I now need it to register for my Master’s programme here in Nigeria and it has still not been released.”
He narrated how he travelled to the university after his NYSC programme for the transcript. According to him, he and others on the same mission were pushed back and forth by university officials.
“They told us that there are some issues with our 400-level first semester results and the results have to go through the Senate all over again. I am surprised that they have not resolved it after more than a year,” he added.
Our source also told this newspaper that “the school has not issued certificates yet.”
“Certificates should be awarded during the convocation ceremony but a statement of result which should last for two years was issued in place of the certificate. There is no news of another convocation holding anytime soon though there are two sets on the ground waiting to be convoked.”
Other graduates of the university have different complaints.
A graduate of Theatre and Media Arts who also asked not to be named said, “I wrote my final paper in 2017 and did my final project defence in 2017. The session ended in October 2017 but my statement of result says January 2018. Why?”
“We have not been convoked. Without convocation, there is no certificate. Some recently applied for letters of attestation and they have not gotten it till now.”
He further said, “While some schools give out transcripts for free or require a token of N3,000, we are required to pay N10,000 for local transfer and N5,000 for a student’s copy. Those who want to further their education outside the country have to pay N50,000 for the transcript. All these are minus the huge amount spent during the clearance.”
He said the negligence of the school has drawn many back in their academic pursuit.
“I need my transcript to register for my Master’s programme which will close at the end of the week. I applied for my transcript in March, paid the required sum for it and have still not gotten it.”
The school management plans a two-week break until May 14. The affected former students fear this may further prolong their plight.
The aggrieved graduates have threatened to embark on a protest if their issue is not addressed before the school goes on the break.
Godfrey Bakji, the school’s spokesperson blamed the delay on the last nationwide strike by university workers.
“You may recall that the three-month strike of ASUU caused a serious set back to a lot of academic calendars, aside from peculiar internal issues. The institution barely submitted the list for NYSC enrollment. The institution is working hard to ensure that such demands and others are met within the shortest possible time.”
Mr Bakji expressed the regrets of the university over the inconveniences caused by “this unintentional delay.”
Related posts
Recent Stories
How Barred SIM Card, NIN Issues Haunt UDUS Students
“I linked my National Identity Number (NIN) with my over 5-year MTN SIM card, but still yet it was barred,”…
Cost of living crisis: UNILORIN students lament as motorists hike transport fares amid economic hardship
The students of the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) have lamented an astronomical increase in campus transportation fares, saying they now…