Delta State House of Assembly Committee on Education, has assured the public of ensuring that standards in the state’s education sector are maintained.
Chairman of the Committee, Hon Charles Chukwuemeka Emetulu, Monday stated this when the committee commenced visits of establishments under its legislative oversight to ascertain level of commitment to quality service delivery in line with the MORE mantra of the state government.
Emetulu said the 8th Delta State Assembly led by the Speaker, Rt Hon Emomotimi Guwor, expects excellent performance in government Ministries, Departments and Agencies, hence the need for all hands to be on deck to achieve the set goals, noting that oversight duty is a constitutional responsibility of the legislature which empowers its committees to oversight on financial appropriations made to the various MDAs and levels of implementations.
The Lawmakers were at the Delta State Polytechnic, Otefe-Oghara, College of Education Mosogar and College of Education, Warri, commended the removal of some bureaucratic bottlenecks to enable higher institutions run independently for massive infrastructural development and urged the authorities to be innovative, pointing out that managers of educational institutions must create alternative means of funding and not to depend solely on government.
The Committee Chairman, expressed satisfaction the institutions, particularly in areas projects executions with internally generated revenue as well as meeting the TETfund requirements to attract projects from the intervention body.
He assured the two Colleges of Education in Mosogar and Warri that the Assembly will initiate a legislation that would allow awards of both NCE Certificate and Degrees, which according to him according to him, operating the dual mode system would addressed issue of declining students population in the colleges, even as he called on staff of the institutions to upgrade themselves to meet up with present day realities.
He stressed the committee would liaise with other committees in the house to intervene in the area of internal roads network in the institutions, assured the authority of Delta State Polythenic Otefe-Oghara of support in the completion of abandoned projects and also commended management for the new administrative building under construction.
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At College of Education Mosogar, the committee lauded the institution for the perimeter fencing of the college and for attracting three new major projects to the institution and assured to interface with Desopadec to return to site to complete the administrative building it started.
Commissioner for Higher Education, Professor Johnbull Tonukeri commended the Lawmakers for the oversight visit and support, noting that the Ministry has made provisions for accreditations of courses in the various institutions as well as the issue of shortage of staff.
Meanwhile, Rector, Delta State Polythenic Otefe-Oghara, Professor Emmanuel Ufuophu-Biri, appealed to the Committee to assist on the completion of abandoned projects in the institution and release of funds for accreditations of some programmes, while the Rector of College of Education Mosogar, Dr Israel Emide and the Rector of College of Education Warri, Dr Dickson Oyovwe, appealed for domestication of the dual mode programme as applicable at federal level to enable the institutions award both NCE certificate and degrees.
Committee members who were at the oversight function include, Vice Chairman of the committee, Hon Benson Obire, Hon Ferguson Onwo, Emmanuel Sinebe, Marylyn Okowa- Daramola, Bridget Anyafulu and Matthew Omonade.
