By Onome Oghenetega
Governor Ifeanyi Okowa has written to the Delta State House of Assembly seeking it to convert the College of Education, Agbor, Anwai Campus of DELSU and the state-owned polytechnic in Ozoro in Isoko North to full-fledged universities.
The three bills were read on the floor of the Delta House of Assembly by its speaker, Sheriff Oborevwori, during Tuesday plenary.
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 letter by the governor announcing the introduction of the bills urged the lawmakers to give necessary legislative actions to the three bills.
Agbor is a few metre drive from Owa Oyibu where Governor Okowa has also built teaching institute for teachers in the state. Anwai is a community near Asaba, the state capital, with a campus of Delta State University (DELSU), Abraka. Both are in Delta North area of the state.
While 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.
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Governor Okowa in the letter to the House said the proposed laws are to upgrade three existing higher institutions in the state to statues of Universities.
Oborevwori 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.
The move is coming amidst complaints from stakeholders that the state owned institutions were already poorly funded.
