*Delta Commissioner Justifies Govt Position: Conversion of 3 institutions to Varsities by State Govt in line with FG policy to phase out HND…
From Ameachi Prosper (The New Diplomat’s Delta State Correspondent)
Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa has come under heavy criticism over ongoing plans by his administration to convert the College of Education, Agbor, Anwai Campus of the Delta State University (DELSU), and the state-owned polytechnic in Ozoro in Isoko North to full-fledged universities.
Governor Okowa had announced the plan to convert the Institutions to Universities in separate bills to the state house of assembly read on the floor by its speaker, Sheriff Oborevwori, during Tuesday’s plenary.
Following the plan, activists and groups in the state have criticized the state government for making the move, expressing worries over the ability of the state to finance the institutions and ensure there is 21st century education quality in the schools as against quantity.
They also demanded to know how much the Governor has released to the higher institutions in the state from 2015 till date to carry out research in various fields at the existing institutions.
The Global Coordinator, Deltans Lives Matter, Mr. Christian Moses Abeh, in a statement said, “our attention has been drawn to a bill sent to the State House of Assembly by the Governor to his political hallelujah boys in the hallowed chamber to approve the upgrading of three institutions in the state to universities.
“Ordinarily, this bill would have called for celebration if there was not enough university in the state, but we have a State university in Abraka with campuses in Oleh, Asaba and a University Teaching Hospital in Oghara, but they are grossly underfunded by the Okowa’s administration.”
But in a swift response, the Delta State Government has advanced reasons why it is making moves to convert three higher institutions in the state to three separate Universities, calling for understanding and proper knowledge and awareness of the subject matter.
The State Commissioner for Higher Education, Prof. Patrick Moboughare, who addressed a media briefing in Asaba said the state was wasting huge resources in the three colleges of education Agbor, Warri and Mosogar in the state, noting that the staff strengths of the three colleges are 1,895 handling 2,888 students with wage bills of N457,570,402,76 monthly because people don’t want to go colleges of education anymore.
The Commissioner maintained that the conversion of the institutions to universities was inline with the federal government policy to phase out the Higher National Diploma HND.
Okowa is seeking the conversion of College of Education, Agbor, to Delta State University of Education, Agbor; Delta State University, Anwai Campus, to Delta State University of Science and Agriculture, Anwai; and Delta State Polytechnic Ozoro, to Delta State University of Science and Technology, Ozoro.
According to the correspondence by the governor announcing the introduction of the bills, Okowa urged the lawmakers to give necessary legislative actions to the three bills.
Agbor is a few metre drive from Owa Oyibu where the state government has also built teaching institute for teachers in the state while Anwai is a community near Asaba, the state capital, with a campus of Delta State University (DELSU), Abraka.
The Delta State Polytechnic, Ozoro, one of the polytechnics founded during the administration of former Governor James Ibori, will be upgraded to Delta State University of Science and Technology, Ozoro.
Governor Okowa in the letter to the House said the proposed laws are to upgrade three existing higher institutions to state of Universities.
Hon. Sherrif Oborevwori, the Speaker, explained that the governor in the letter posited that the move was as a result of continuous increase in the number of Deltans jostling for space into the few existing universities due to increase in the number of admission seekers.
He further stated that the decision was also to meet up with the federal government decision to upgrade educational and technical education in the country by having degree awarding institutions in these areas.
The three bills have been slated for first reading on Wednesday, 28th January 2021.
But right activists under the aegis of Deltans Lives Matter have queried the motive behind the governor moves to upgrade the Asaba campus of Delta State University to a full fledged University alongside the Agbor College of Education and Ozoro Polytechnic when graduates from these institutions are roaming the streets looking for jobs?
“Some of our graduates are fuel pump attendants in petrol stations, some are commercial tricycles and motorcycle riders, buses and taxi drivers and fish farmers of insignificant quantities, yet our Governor is not concerned about their plights but how to award mega projects to himself through fronts under the guise of upgrading institutions in the state to universities, when we almost have more than enough in the State.
“It is unthinkable to say the least, considering the fact that Okowa has borrowed so much money from various financial institutions with nothing to show for it.” The activists said.
