By Ovie Okpare
The Rector of Delta State School of Marine Technology, Burutu, Dr. Sele Ebisine is dead.
He died at the age of 61.
The deceased who was appointed Rector of the school in January, 2017, by Governor Ifeanyi Okowa died on Tuesday at an undisclosed hospital in Warri after a brief illness.
The Marine school, which was barely known until his appointment, recorded full accreditation from National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) to run National Diploma and Higher National Diploma programmes under his leadership.
Ebisine was the first Ijaw man to head the College of Education, Warri, but on acting capacity.
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Meanwhile, the Delta State Governor, Senator Okowa has described the demise of the educationist as a great loss to the state owing to his huge contribution to the development of the institution.
Okowa, in a statement issued on Wednesday by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Olisa Ifeajika, said that Ebisines demise was a colossal loss to the academic community, the state and the nation.
The governor stated, “on behalf of my family, the government and people of Delta, I mourn with the family, the management, staff and students of the Delta State School of Marine Technology, Burutu, and the Ijaw nation and the academic community over the sad demise of Dr Sele Ebisine.
“The late Ebisine was a great administrator, researcher and academic, who impacted positively on the two institutions he headed in the state.
“His death, at this time, is a huge blow to the plans and vision of the management and staff of the school to make the institution a choice destination and citadel for the training of manpower in the maritime industry.”
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“As a former Acting Provost of College of Education, Warri, the deceased contributed immensely to the growth and development of the College and he will be sorely missed by the many lives he impacted on.
“Although Ebisine is gone, we are consoled by the fact that his was a life of great accomplishments and indelible footprints in the sands of time”, the statement further added.
The governor prayed God to grant the deceased eternal rest and comfort all those who mourn the departed academic.
