Delta Names New Varsity after Midwest Premier, Osadebey

After several weeks of hinting at plans to create more stateowned universities, the Delta State Government has finally announced the establishment of three new universities with one of them named after Chief Dennis Osadebey, the late Premier of the defunct Midwest Region of Nigeria.

Delta State Commissioner for Higher Education, Prof. Patrick Muoboghare, who disclosed this while fielding questions from newsmen in Asaba on the government’s initiative, said that the new universities were not entirely brand new institutions as they were products of upgrades of existing college of education, university campus and polytechnic owned by Delta State.

He listed the new universities as Dennis Osadebey University, Anwai-Asaba, which is taking off from the Anwai-Asaba Campus of Delta State University Abraka; University of Delta created from the upgrade of the College of Education Agbor; and, the University of Science and Technology, Ozoro.

Dennis Osadebey was the premier of the then Midwest Region, which was later called Midwest State and then Bendel State, from which Delta and Edo States were carved out.

Muoboghare, who is former vicechancellor of Delta State University Abraka, allayed concerns in some quarters over possible financial difficulties in the take-off of the new universities, explaining that necessary provision had been made in the state’s 2021 Budget to take care of that need.

Muoboghare was joined at the briefing on some resolutions of the state Executive Council (EXCO) meeting by the commissioner for Information, Mr. Charles Aniagwu and the Senior Policy Adviser to the governor, Prof. Sylvester Monye, both of who gave further details on the rigorous processes culminating in the signing of the agreement for the concession of Asaba International Airport.