UNILAG VC Defends Graduates’ 5.0 CGPA

FOR some graduates and undergraduates who appear cynical about the possibility of a student graduating with a perfect score of 5.0 CGPA, Vice Chancellor of the University of Lagos, UNILAG, Professor Rahamon Bello, has come out in a strong term to defend the academic feat.

When Vanguard, last week, broke the news of Miss Taiwo Bankole and Oyindamole Omotuyi’s academic perfect score of 5.0 CGPA, many readers thronged Vanguard’s website to catch a glimpse of the duo, read their success stories and drop some comments. While many saluted their academic discipline and intelligence, some criticized and questioned Nigerian universities rating system, arguing that the scale system in varsities has made obtaining a perfect score very cheap.

Cheap perfect score: Ezekiel Leke, a commentator based in Canada said “In Canada and the USA, the standard scale is:  90%-100% A+ = 10 Exceptional, 85%-89% A = 9 Outstanding, 80%-84% A – = 8 Excellent, 75%-79% B+ = 7 Very Good, 70%-74% B = 6 Good, 65% – 69% C+ = 5 Satisfactory, 60% – 64% C = 4 Adequate, 55% – 59% D+ = 3 Passable, 50% – 54% D = 2 Marginal, 40% – 49% E = 1 Failure and 0% – 39% F = 0 Failure. This is the standard scale in the western world. To have a 5.0 CGPA, a student must extremely be exceptional. Nigeria educational system needs overhauling.

Extremely brilliant

“Currently, I have an average score of 75% in all my courses but there is no way I will graduate with first class. Therefore, these ladies can’t graduate with first class if they were to study in Canada or US, so stop parading them as first class graduates. Bet me if they should come down here they will not find it easy. To graduate with a first class, you have to be extremely brilliant.

Impossible 5.0: “In most varsities in Canada, to pass a course, one has to score at least 65%. To have a CGPA of 5 on the dot, one has to score 95%. The rating system of our educational system needs to be looked into that is why most Nigerian students struggle to pass their exam.”

Benedict in his comment said “That’s to show you that our educational system is gone. No thanks to some of these examiners in our citadels of learning. Am not a sadist, but a realist. How is  CGPA of 5.0/5.0 possible? A first class student is not only an embodiment of theories as it covers more, like their performance in practicals. Even his/her moral life may be considered.

5.0 without equipment: “What baffled me was that one of them had it in Systems Engineering. How possible is this? Where are the equipment? A state of emergency should be placed on varsity education in Nigeria if truly we want to be a producing and not a consuming nation. Congrats girls, but guys like me would have multiplied your score by a control factor, just to make it realistic. We are not perfect, the Bible made it clear. It means both of you are perfect in your fields. My submission.”

Control factor

Kunle Oni said, “These students didn’t study but outsmarted the system. A first class student abroad is all round complete. Nigeria needs real problem solvers.”

Another commentator who simply identified himself as Holy Wahala, said, “it is not mathematically possible to make those perfect scores, especially given the courses they studied. Yoruba and ‘ojoro’ are like Taiye and Kehinde. How come it is only UNILAG that produces geniuses?”

Why only Unilag? Mr. Epsilon Delta also remarked “They started with one last year, this year two, next year maybe six? Na only UNILAG.

Incidentally, Mr. Balo, another commentator who once taught Oyindamole said: “I taught Oyindamola Omotuyi some courses in Systems Engineering Department. She scored 80% and above in all the three courses. SSG411 (Stochastic processes), SSG407 (Mechanics of Robotic1) and GEG202 (Statistics and Computing).

“For a student to be a systems engineering graduate, s/he needs to pass all the courses from these faculties: Science, Law, Social Science and Engineering. Now! my friends tell me, how is it possible for her to fu….k all the male and female lecturers to achieve this perfect record?”

Mr. Reticula, who also replied via online chat said “You must understand the grading system and marks allocation in America is different from Nigeria and the UK. What you get marked up for in the US will not fetch you marks here. If they could make it in Nigeria, they can make it anywhere. If you don’t know, your 75% may not get you a B grade in Nigeria as well. So get it right.”

Jealous fault finders: In agreement is Mr. Jayjay who said, “A Nigerian once scored a perfect score in Russia, another in Japan, another somewhere in Europe. You’re a jealous fault finder. Go and have your children get admission first. Nigerians are making 5.0 CGPA around the world so why are you weeping because these kids made it in their land.”

Female professors

Speaking in the same vein, Odusanya Kayode said, “Even if you go to top varsities in the US and other countries, it’s still the Asians and Africans that bag exceptional grades.”

Mr Ewu said “I know exactly what they endured! Sleepless nights studying! Why did the female professors not fail them?”

For Sola Akinwande, “What is not possible? If it had happened in a private varsity you will claim it’s fraud. You probably don’t believe this type of feat is possible in our setting because it’s not Oxford or Cambridge or Stanford University. Let’s celebrate our own please. Congrats to the girls.”

Meanwhile, UNILAG Vice Chancellor, Professor Rahamon Bello, while defending the 5.0 CGPA perfect score as obtained by three of his graduates over two years said, “we don’t manipulate our scores as what you score is what you are given and that is what will be recorded for you. Since the results are published electronically, the human management has been removed from it. If after marking and calculation, you scored first class, so be it. It is the energy you put into your work that will reflect in your results.

Qualitative students

“Mind you also, UNILAG most likely has the most qualitative students in terms of admission in Nigeria. The quality of students we admit may probably be the reason we are now having students graduating with perfect scores.

Well deserved perfect score: “Last year, we had one graduate with a perfect score, this year, we have two, maybe next year, five students will graduate with 5.0 CGPA. In UNILAG, we monitor students’ performance and we can see it from their results from 100 level. In 100 level, you can see many of them having 5.0 CGPA. Maybe by the time they get to 200 level, some scores may drop to 4.7, while some may still maintain it.

“We don’t give anybody scores and we don’t mark anybody down. To get a first class, you are not being taught by three to five lecturers alone. You are taking courses across various places and taught by minimum of 15 people. So, if anyone scores well to be able to get first class, so be it. We have standard, quality control and quality check. If you work for first class, you will get first class.”

Source: Vanguard