‘Quality Education Isn’t Cheap’

Omon-Julius Onabu in Asaba

Vice-Chancellor(VC) of Delta State University (DELSU), Abraka, Prof Andy Ogochukwu Egwunyenga, has urged Nigerians to brace up to the fact that quality education cannot be obtained on a platter of gold but demands financial sacrifices from those desiring to have it.

Egwunyenga said that it would amount to wishful thinking for Nigerians to expect quality university education anywhere without paying reasonably for it, stressing that university system operate  is also affected by the  economic forces just like every other sector.

The VC  stated this during a press conference yesterday in Abraka campus of the university on the 16th Convocation of DELSU, whose programme of activities is to be concluded on Saturday.

Fielding questions from newsmen, including claims that the state-owned university was charging increasingly high fees for its academic programmes, Prof Egwunyenga noted that the complaint was attributable to the seeming lack of political will by the country’s leaders in the past to accept the fact that quality education, especially at tertiary Ievels,  demands a huge financial budget.

During the 16th Convocation, DELSU will be graduating more than 4,750 students who have successfully completed programmes in their various fields of study in the university, and duly satisfied the requirements for being ascertained worthy in both character and learning, he said.

Egwunyenga disclosed that DELSU has established the Directorate of Open and Distant Learning Programme, including courses in nursing science, for which the NUC visited in February for requisite pre-validation assessment.

 He dismissed fears in some quarters that poor internet network might hinder the smooth and effective operation of the impending programme, noting that there was no better time than now for such academic activity.

 “Such fears are certainly not supported by reality  of the situation today. I’d say, it’s not a network thing; it’s even more appropriate now, it’s more seamless”, he said.

 “The motivation behind ODL establishment is to expand the frontiers of knowledge and provide access to quality education and equity in educational opportunities for those who otherwise would have been denied education.

“In this mode of learning, students are taught in their homes through interactive texts supplemented with other resources such as CD ROM, DVD and USB Sticks to deliver e-lectures as well as simulation and assessments.”

“During the graduation ceremony on Saturday, DELSU will confer award on two distinguished Nigerian academic giants, namely Prof Sam Ejite Oyovbaire and Prof Chukwuma P. Aloamaka,” VC further said.

He thanked the state government for ensuring that the university is able to run uninterrupted, year-on-year academic programmes, through financial assistance, which has enabled the university to rank first among state-owned universities in the South-South geopolitical zone, and third in southern part of the country.

 Professor Egwunyenga, who assumed office in 2019 as DELSU’s Vice-Chancellor, said he felt fulfilled as his promise to take the institution to a greater pedestal as a distinguished centre for advanced learning, research and character formation has clearly been realized with all 83 courses offered have been given full-credit accreditation by the National University Commission (NUC) while the student population stands at a sizeable figure of 33,000 currently.

He asserted that under his watch the university has created a viable environment for proper knowledge impartation, noting that the three sites of the university are reflection globally accepted standards not only in academic activities but also in terms of infrastructure and environmental ambience.

The vice-chancellor, who revealed that the university authorities have maintained a cordial relationship with the host community of Abraka by engaging all the stakeholders constructively, said that the institution took the extra step recently by carrying out remedial work on some roads in the town outside the campuses, including failed portions of Sapele-Eku-Abraka-Agbor federal road.