We’ll provide facilities for three universities take-off — Okowa

The major facilities needed for the full take-off of the three newly-established universities in Delta State will be provided within the limit of available resources, the state governor, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa has said.

Speaking while inspecting ongoing projects at the new Dennis Osadebe University, Asaba,  Okowa said that he would do everything humanly possible in the remaining two years of his administration for the universities to operate all the approved courses by the National Universities Commission (NUC).

Accompanied on the inspection by the vice chancellor, Delta State University, Abraka, Professor Andy Egwunyenga and Commissioner for Higher Education, Professor Patrick Muoghare,  Okowa, said things were working out as planned for the school to take-off in September, 2021, and solicited support of all stakeholders.

He charged the contractors handling the projects to redouble efforts as his administration was in a hurry to leave lasting legacies in the state, including the education sector.

“I believe that we are on course because we don’t need to have all the facilities fully, but at least when the students come in, they will to see the progress

“In the first year, we won’t be admitting students for all the courses. However, some courses have been approved for admission. I believe that the two buildings in the Faculty of Environmental Science will definitely be completed by the end of September, 2021.

“The Faculty of Agriculture will most likely be completed next year; so the good thing is that the institution has structures to kick-off,” he said.

Okowa assured that equal attention would be given to the three new universities to enable them compete favourably with other tertiary institutions in the country and beyond.

“Next year, I will have to approve a lot of funds for projects going on in the three universities. I intend to visit the University of Science and Technology, Ozoro and University of Delta, Agbor,” he said.

Earlier, the project consultant, Mr Kester Ifeadi, who conducted the governor and his team round various project sites at the new Dennis Osadebe University, Asaba, said that the first phase of the faculty and administrative buildings would be done in accordance to the contractual agreement.

He disclosed that the main faculty building would house 20 lecture rooms, double auditoriums of 250-sitting capacity each, laboratories, offices for the lecturers and other administrative staff offices, among others.

On their parts, Commissioner for Higher Education, Muoboghare and his counterpart in Housing, Chief Festus Ochonogor, said that the university already had structures that would be used for the take-off of academic work and lauded the governor for giving approval for the construction and total upgrade of facilities in the university.

The governor also inspected the vice chancellor’s lodge and the ongoing building for the Department of Agriculture where he expressed dismay over some structural defects and directed the Housing commissioner to ensure that the error was quickly corrected.

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