The Bayelsa state government has flagged off a special programme intended to provide infrastructure in its territory institutions, with a donation of 500 million Naira to the Senate building project of the Niger Delta University (NDU), Amassoma.
The state governor, Seriake Dickson, who made the presentation of the cheque while performing the ground-breaking ceremony for the Senate building and a three kilometer internal road project at the University’s permanent site, assured that, the government would aggressively pursue the implementation of the programme, to give the institutions the desired face-lift.
Describing the NDU as a foremost university in Ijaw land, he said, “The Government has already made provision for the programme in the 2017 Budget by setting aside 10billion Naira as infrastructure development fund in all the tertiary institutions”.
“More than 50 percent of this amount will be channeled to the provision of critical infrastructure at the university, to create a befitting environment for academic activities”.
The Governor, who disclosed that about 50billion Naira has been expended on various educational projects and programmes in the last five years, especially at the primary and secondary school levels, said, his administration would now focus on investing on high quality infrastructures at the tertiary level.
While launching what he called, “Operation Change NDU”, Governor Dickson charged the contractor to deliver the two projects according to specifications within one year.
In their separate remarks, the Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Mr. Lawrence Ewrudjakpo and his Education counterpart, Mr. Markson Fefegha, expressed confidence in the government’s ability to replicate its achievements in the secondary school sub-sector, in terms of infrastructure development at the tertiary level.
According to Mr. Ewrudjakpo, the three kilometre road project, which is expected to be completed in nine months, is designed to link the old and new campuses of the university.
In his remarks, the Vice Chancellor of the Niger Delta University, Prof. Humphrey Ogoni, expressed delight at the flag off of the projects, noting that, their completion would not only give face-lift, but also attract respect to the institution.