By Clinton Awhawha
The Delta State University, Abraka, Professor Andy O. Egwunyenga said Delta State University is happy to see that the state government has added three new universities to the existing one in the state.
Professor Egwunyenga stated this on Wednesday when fielding questions from newsmen at this year’s interaction to usher in ceremonies and programmes for the 15th Convocation for graduation and award of degrees, diplomas and prizes to deserving graduands of the university.
According to him, these additional new Universities would give more rooms for the more admission of students in the state seeking admission into higher institutions as only Delsu can not admit all of them. He said there must be room for capacity building and advancement of the state in this regard. He said:” The new universities established by the state government would create room for intellectual growth of the state”.
According to him, the establishment of these additional universities is good step in the right direction as it gives for competition among the students and the institution themselves to make the state excel and raise the bar of academic performance.
On whether the school authority involves the Engineering students in the construction of the different projects of the school which are billed to be commissioned soon, Professor Egwunyenga said, the projects are standard beyond what the students can do hence the use of professionals in the construction of the projects. He however said, the ones that the students can be involved would be done in due course. On how the school is able to fund most of the projects, the VC said most of the projects are from Internally Generated Revenues (IGR)as the money realized in the school is ploughed back for the growth and development of the school just as he said, the University would continue to advance the course of the school through Internally Generated Revenues and other funds realized in the school.
On whether there are plans by the university authority to bring all the campuses scattered across the community to one place, the VC said, this situation is not peculiar to only Delsu saying, it is good for such campuses in the same community as they are united in functions.
He said:” The sites are integrated campuses because they are less than a kilometer to one another and they are within the university community. This is also obtainable in other parts of the world”.
On whether the University is thinking the line of banning students from using cars in the school, Professor Egwunyenga said, students would not be banned from the use of vehicles but he or she must be tested if he/she can drive just as he said, such students must have driving license before being allowed to drive on campus.
On the challenges plaguing the school, the VC said despite these growths and developments of the school, there are still challenges that the school is facing adding, if they don’t have a challenges, then they are not in existence.
He said:” If we don’t have challenges, we can not exist. We have challenges of structures but we are not afraid because we confront them, through challenges, people can be creative”.
Professor Egwunyenga said the university would continue to collaborate with internal and external bodies in research works just as he it has been doing that to see that standard of teaching and learning is raised high in this regard. He said, the school would continue to sustain both the new and old projects by developing the culture of maintenance, among others.