Vice Chancellor of Delta State University, Abraka, Prof Andy Ogochukwu Egwunyenga, has described the Delta-born female record holder in solo biking and alumna of the university, Miss Attracta Akpeweoghene Ogboru, as a worthy ambassador of the University, the female gender, Delta State and Nigeria in general.
The Vice Chancellor stated this recently during a reception organized by the university in Abraka Campus to honour Miss Ogboru, for being the first female African biker to cover over 8,000 kilometers on a solo power-bike trip across 12 West African countries.
According to a statement by the Deputy Director in charge of Ceremonials, Information and Public Relations in the University, Mr Peter Ijeh, Prof Egwunyenga expressed the delight of the university management, staff and students over the accomplishments of Miss Ogboru, describing it as a true reflection of the spirit of Delta State University embedded in dignity, resilience and desire to explore.
He pointed out that by daring to combine power-biking with her job as a Chief Superintendent in the Nigeria Custom Service, she has succeeded in breaking barriers and stereotypes that the tedious practice is the sole preserve of men that women cannot excel in.
Prof Egwunyenga said the university decided to showcase her achievements to the students who are its most important constituency and to challenge them to strive to break boundaries both as students and active players in the industry after graduation.
Addressing the large crowd of principal officers, staff and students during the reception in her honour, Miss Attracta Ogboru thanked God for the opportunity to visit the university 19 years after her graduation from the Department of Languages and Linguistics in 2005, where she studied the French Language.
She said she took interest in biking as a way to overcome her transportation challenges to and from work in Lagos State because of traffic jams and expressed delight that her decision has given her opportunities to explore and excel.
Miss Ogboru used the opportunity to debunk the negative assumption that power-biking is for loafers pointing out that her four fellow female power-bikers, who rode with her to Abraka from Lagos on motorcycles, were high-earning entrepreneurs.
She pointed out that many other power-bikers who would have come with her could not because of their jobs and urged both male and female students to embrace power-biking as a hobby.
The renowned power-biker equally urged the students to take whatever course they were studying seriously as limitless opportunities await them in the industry irrespective of the courses they studied.
She recalled that her study of the French Language in Delta State University made it very easy for her to communicate freely in French-speaking countries and that she remains grateful to the university for that.
She also particularly challenged female students to strive to excel in all spheres of life to debunk the saying that a woman’s place is in the kitchen, even as she praised the University’s management for the beautiful developments in the university in all its ramifications.
She expressed great delight in the vast improvements that have taken place in the university after her graduation and stated that she is proud to show-off her alma mata to her friends.
The ceremony witnessed the presentation of an award for astute leadership in the university to the Vice Chancellor and a cash prize for the best graduating female French Language student in the university in the next convocation ceremony by Miss Ogboru.
In return, the Vice Chancellor presented her with an award for her remarkable achievements as an alumna of the university.
