The Rector of Delta State Polytechnic, Ozoro (DSPZ), Dr. Jacob Oboreh has disclosed that despite inheriting an institution with huge infrastructural deficiency some years ago, his administration has greatly succeeded at upturning the gloomy nature of the polytechnic into a model that can be reckoned with in Nigeria.
Oboreh categorically told this reporter that he inherited an empty polytechnic in 2012, but expressed satisfaction that his administration has executed a flurry of projects which were commissioned December 1, this year by Governor Ifeanyi Okowa.
“Quite unfortunately, I met an empty school. I inherited a tertiary institution with only six classroom blocks and a huge gap in basic infrastructures. The challenge of these inadequacies was a very serious one.
"Having realized this deficiency, I declared a state of emergency on infrastructures and concluded that a total revolution of infrastructures in the school was inevitable and that was how we started building infrastructures”, he said in an interview at Ozoro, Isoko North Local Government Area of the state.
The Rector who recounted some of the projects he executed to include over 24 lecture halls, 1,000 seating capacity multipurpose auditorium, staff club and a 4,000 seating capacity Olympic size stadium, confidently observed that only a visit to the school would convince people on the reality of the myriad of infrastructural development that has taken place in the school, adding that “as it stands, I have lost count of the achievement of my administration”.
Narrating how he recorded such frightening feats in the face of dwindling national and state earnings, Oboreh said: “The magic has been that we took government properties as our own. We realised that until we do that, we can’t make the desired progress. We built the polytechnic as if we were building our personal houses.
"It will interest you to know that of all the projects we embarked on, we didn't issue contracts to anyone. As a matter of seriousness, no contractor dares walk into this place for projects. We built everything through direct labour and for every amount of money given out, we ensured a maximum accountability and transparency.
"That is the right way to go in the face of economic recession. That model has helped us and we are proud of it today. My staff who did the jobs are more qualified than the so called contractors out there. It is inconceivable that a polytechnic that is supposed to train the younger generation on the mechanics of design and construction cannot design and construct its projects by itself. Any polytechnic that does that has failed. How can you teach others how to build when you cannot build yours? What are all the civil engineers and building technologists doing?”
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He commended the efforts of the state government towards the repositioning of tertiary institutions in the state, noting that Delta remains the only state that takes full responsibility for the payment of staff wages in tertiary institutions.
The author, Joshua Erubami, could be reached via 08065108405 or Erubami26@gmail.com
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