From Tony Ogbochie, Asaba
Delta State Government has established the Dennis Osadebey University, Asaba, in honour of the late Premier of the defunct Midwest Region.
The new university followed the upgrade of the Anwain campus of the Delta State University to an autonomous degree awarding institution.
The bill seeking the upgrade to University of Science and Agriculture was sent the state House of Assembly, along with two others, for consideration.
Before the bill was passed, the name was changed to Dennis Osadebey University by the lawmakers.
Governor Ifeanyi Okowa has already assented to the bill along with the bill for the upgrade of College of Education, Agbor to University of Delta, Agbor, and Delta State Polytechnic, Ozoro to University of Science and Technology.
Addressing newsmen after the assent, Commissioner for Higher Education, Prof. Patrick Muoboghare lauded the renaming by the House, saying that Osadebey was the only Premier that has no institution named after him in his state.
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“Obafemi Awolowo, the Premier of Western Region, and his successor, Samuel Ladoke Akintola; Michael Okpara of the Eastern Region and Sir Ahmadu Bello of the Northern Region, all have universities named after them.
“Dennis Osadebey was the first and only Premier of the Midwest Region. Apart from the Government House in Edo State, there is no other institution not even in Delta, his home state, that is named after him.
“This is the best way to immortalise the politician for his struggles. Osadebey hailed from Asaba, so this is the appropriate thing to do,” he said.
In his reaction, former Head of Service of the defunct Bendel State, Patrick Onyeobi commended the state government for the feat.
Onyeobi said with the university in Asaba, it would save civil servants and other residents of huge resources of affording university education for their children elsewhere.
