Gov. Okowa Commends DELSU For Advancing Knowledge, Sustaining Academic Calendar

By Ben Nwanne

The Governor of Delta State, Sen. (Dr.) Ifeanyi Okowa has commended the Delta State University, Abraka (DELSU), for advancing the frontiers of teaching, learning and research in its 31 years of existence and for its unbroken academic calendar in the past few years even when others were on strike.

Governor Okowa was speaking on Saturday, April 29th, 2023 during DELSU 15th Convocation Ceremony, at which the University announced the graduation of a total of 4,885 graduands for the 2021/2022 academic session; comprising 3,843 first degrees, 416 diplomas and 596 postgraduate degrees. Of the first degree candidates, 58 made a First Class, 1396 came out in Second Class Honours (Upper Division), 1827 were in the Second Class Honours (Lower Division) while 47 graduated in Third Class Honours, including 44 new Doctors and 77 fresh Pharmacists. On Postgraduate degrees, 58 were awarded Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D), 339 earned Degree of Masters while 199 got Postgraduate Diploma.

The two-term Governor who was represented by the Delta State Commissioner for Higher Education, Dr Kingsley Ashibuogwu, congratulated the graduands on their commitment to their studies, adding that “Convocation is meant for those who met the requirements for graduation.”

Governor Okowa underscored the importance of Education, stating that “as an administration, we understand the importance of Education in nation building. It remains the bedrock for sustainable progress. This explains why we set up three Universities in the State.” The University of Ibadan- trained Medical Doctor, better known as ‘grassroot’ politician, explained that the decision to establish new Universities was based on a Need Assessment Research carried out in 2018. “We had to face it squarely,” he told the huge crowd that turned out for the event. “The Universities are running well and have helped in bringing Education nearer to the people.”

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Governor Okowa advised the University to steer their curricula towards Entrepreneurship in view of the high rate of unemployment in the country. He urged all to key into the State Government’s Skill Acquisition Programme which has produced 9,154 young entrepreneurs. While promising that the State Government would not relinquish its responsibility to the University, he called for synergy of efforts to enable it achieve a high quality Education needed in the country. Speaking at the occasion, the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Professor Abubakar Rasheed commended the efforts and commitments of Delta State University in sustaining the good track record the Institution has been known for. According to the Chief Executive of the Regulating Body “DELSU within 31 years of its existence offers eighty-two (82) Programmes, cutting across twelve disciplines. This is a feat worthy of commendation. Even more worthy of commendation is the fact that the University enjoys 100% full accreditation status for all its Programmes. The National Universities Commission is proud of this achievement and wishes to enjoin DELSU to sustain such a proud record.”

Professor Rasheed stated that the challenges of University Education in Nigeria and indeed Africa are problems of deficit quality of Faculty and inadequate funding. He therefore suggested the need for continuous capacity building and attraction of funding from the industry and other sources to complement Government efforts towards the University’s improvement and development.

Speaking at the Convocation, the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Andy Egwunyenga, who officially admitted the graduands into their different degrees, commended the State Government for its magnanimity in funding the University which has resulted in the overwhelming number of academic Programmes fully accredited by the National Universities Commission (NUC). He however, observed that “since our University is evolving, we crave the indulgence of our Visitor for increase in funding. This will certainly leapfrog the development of the University.” Despite the challenging operational environment, Professor Egwunyenga who is giving DELSU an enlightened and committed leadership, noted that in addition to the modest achievements reported at the 2022 Convocation, his Administration has in the last one year built, renovated or procured a total of 38 items, including the Ultra modern Faculty of Management Sciences Complex; construction of a Block of six (6) classrooms for the Delta State University Secondary School, Zenith Leisure Park for students relaxation, completion of Phase II of the construction of the Entrepreneurship Centre Road with spurs at the Faculty of Science and Faculty of Pharmacy which were all commissioned on the Convocation Day.

In welcoming guests to the occasion, the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council, Professor Sam Oyovbaire appreciated Governor Okowa for his “remarkable commitment to Tertiary Education in the State.” Specifically, he commended the Governor for his courage in establishing three additional Universities in Delta State. In his words, “It unarguably provides upcoming Deltans greater opportunity for Tertiary Education with ease, as without a doubt it has largely doused the annual tension of the quest for admission in our hitherto-only University – Delta State University, Abraka.” He therefore enjoined all stakeholders “to unite in sustaining the DELSU dream as it is only through this that we will continue to breed the Great Brains for which Delta State University, Abraka, has become the pride among Universities in Nigeria and the global community.”

The Overall Best Graduand, Obuseh Emmanuel Ewere, from the Faculty of Engineering who made a First Class Degree with a Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 4.91 acknowledged the support of God, his parents, his lecturers and the Vice-Chancellor for goading him to achieve the feat. He urged his fellow graduands not to be discouraged by the current circumstances of the country in his thoughtful words “Get a dream. Do not be idle. Chase perfection and you will catch excellence.”