The immediate past Rector of the Delta Polytechnic, Ogwashi-Uku, Mrs. Edna Mogekwu has blasted governor Ifeanyi Okowa for not showing any sign of seriousness in the development of tertiary education in the state as well as his recent order stoping tertiary institutions in the state from introducing new programmes and structures without permission.
In an interview with HardReporters correspondent, the former rector, lamented that the state government order to the institutions to stop new programmes and structures has no place in educational development.
“Frankly speaking, I feel the state government is not interested in developing tertiary institutions in the state, because asking us to stop new programmes and structures amounted to strangulation. In my 32 years experience as an academia, I have never seen such. In fact, it is not done anywhere in the world. New programmes and structures in educational institutions promote development.
“We are supposed to be encouraged to introduce programmes and structures as innovations that will attract the youths to education, not the other way round,” Mogekwu stated.
According to the former rector, education is what the people of Delta State need for human development, so any policy that tends to stagnant it’s development, amount to ‘killing’ the progress of education.
Mogekwu, who vacated office on Monday, after serving a five-year tenure as Rector of the Polytechnic, said the polytechnic had recorded a remarkable achievement in structures during her tenure, disclosing that the state government’s contributions to the development of the institution amounted to about one percent of the total funds so far expended to bring the institution to its present state.
While applauding former governor Emmanuel Uduaghan’s encouragement and seriousness in the development of tertiary education across the state, Mogekwu noted that “We I came onboard, the then governor of the state, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan encouraged us to seek funds to help develop the polytechnic. I went to the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND), Abuja and they responded positively. They came in, built and equipped most of the structures you are seeing here today.
“So, I can conveniently tell you that we have not received anything much from the state government in terms of the development of structures in this institution. I feel that if they can not help, they should leave us alone to help ourselves. Saying no to new structures and programmes amount to killing educational development,” she lamented.
