Dennis Osadebay Varsity was a glorified secondary school - VC ~ Truth Reporters

By Nelson Egware, Freeborn Eghagha, Ghene Igbogidi, Bayagbon Daniel, Christopher Odamah and Oreva Godwin 

Vice-Chancellor of Dennis Osadebay University, Anwai-Asaba, Professor Ben Oghojafor, has lauded Delta State Government for it's effort in developing the nascent University, describing it as "a glorified secondary school" at inception. 

Prof. Oghojafor disclosed that the University was established by an Act of Parliament in February 2021, stating this in an exclusive interview with Delta Revealed team at his office in Asaba. 

According to him, I never wanted to come when I was approached for the job. But, I later had an affirmation from God and I came. g

Getting here, I had no office, no accomodation. 

"When we came in here, it was like a ghost town, all of you can testify to that, the records are there to show. There was no befitting building here before, there was no place for the VC to stay and I asked myself how else will I go?

"I stayed in the campus and was disappointed because it was like a glorified secondary school. With all those behind my mind, I asked God to give me the strength otherwise I go back to Lagos, but I was brought here because of my pedigree and the records I had. 

"They gave us 35 programmes to run and the programmes cannot sustain the existence of this University because they are the least demanded programmes from applicants. 

"So I asked myself from the experience all over the places in the world, what is my vision for the University? The slogan I was given was not in consonant with reality, so I sat down because my areas of specialization is strategic and general management. 

"So i defined what the University should be, 'I want to empower the future generations' our mission is to provide tradition of excellence in teaching, research, innovation, entrepreneurial skills and competent endeavours towards meeting societal needs. 

"Our vision is to be a leading transformational University for the empowerment of all stakeholders leveraging on technology. 

"So, I increased the programmes from 35 to 46 since I had the advantage of being an accreditor to NUC for decades, so I leveraged on that to go and meet them. 

"I told them that the programmes will not sustain the existence of the University because we don't get allocation from government." 

The Vice-Chancellor said the University eventually commenced with 46 programmes, "the first year we were able to admit about 500 and the charges the students were paying were used to run the University. Nothing more, nothing less. How can that justify the existence of a University? 

"I said the Governor meant well, it was not out of paucity of funds but surplus that he created three Universities at the same time. He felt the needs of Deltans that total number of candidates that applied for JAMB in each year it doesn't take much number, the rest becomes political thugs, criminals, yahoo yahoo. 

"Those are the things that encouraged us to say go ahead. Keep fighting until you get where you are going to and we did that to the glory of God, they came for accreditation last year, we got some full, some interim and I have approached NUC again to give us more programmes to enable us exist." 

Prof. Oghojafor further remarked that Dennis Osadebay University was unique because of the tradition and new courses introduced, "As far as I know, DOU is the only University in Delta State that is offering Optometry. NUC approved for us and we entered into negotiation with Asaba Specialist Hospital to use their Laboratory for the practicals. 

"Also, of the four Universities in the State the programmes added of which we are in 200 level now is Insurance which is not offered in any Delta State Universities. Actuarial Science is not also offered in any Delta State Universities. 

"We all are involved with Insurance of policies. Policy of life, policy of children you have dearth of staff in those areas. These programmes are supposed to be cash cows when they are fully blown. Unfortunately to get the Lecturers is difficult. We are offering Survey, Architecture, Town Planning, Regional Planning. In these areas, manpower is scarce to get. 

"The University had rules we took from Abraka, these rules are not meant for the successful existence of this institution because every community has its own perculiarity and culture. 

"So thus far, we have gotten so many other programmes added to us, Laboratory Science, Aviation Management, Transport Management and the list goes on that we have approvals now to go for. 

"Second year, our admission figure was 1,300, third year we rose from that level to 3,000 plus and by the grace of God this year, we should be able to go about 4,000 and to fastrack development of the University. 

"Now we have Agriculture and two capacity buildings. Faculty of Environmental Sciences was under DELSU Abraka and the contract was awarded prior to the establishment of this University that building has not been properly completed because the contractor did a very shoddy job. 

"Before the state hosted the National Sports Festival, the Governor invited us and as we were discussing he said he was going to build a place in Ibusa and a place in Issele-uku. Issele-uku is justified because it can be used for Youth Corpers and i asked what are we going to use the facilities for after the sports festival? 

"So i suggested we make one hostel for female and one for male in the University and he was elated saying he never thought about it, using one stone to kill two birds; that is how we have two hostels by culture of practice here. 

"The contract of the building is independent, landscaping and the fencing. It has not been fenced, it has not be landscaped. After the visit and commissioning of the building aforementioned, I wrote to the Governor through the Commissioner for Higher Education the need to furnish all these places, the need to have the hostels properly furnished. 

"So the little money we are making we use them to buy some of those things. If you don't get Mr. Right as a wife or man, get what is available and go because the more you wait, the older you become." 

"When I met the then Governor in a function, i told him you have a good idea establishing these Universities but there are no roads and he said what do I mean and i told him, how can you just drive into the University in one lane and you turn left that is the only road you have in a University and said it is not futuristic. That was how we got a new gate designed and road construction leading to the University. 

"Before now, students in Agriculture were doing 5 years in this University and students were not coming so i wrote a memo to NUC for our students to do 4 years programme instead of 5 years. 

"Here at Dennis Osadebay University, every Agricultural student is duty bound to have a farm, when we discussed security of a nation, food security is very strong, if you are not food secured, you are nowhere. 

"I went to NDDC in Port Harcourt to beg them to give us a project and to the glory of God they promised a project of N1 Billion and by the grace of God we have designed and presented to them the design for the University Library and I have also appealed to them to give us some solar lights to light up the University." 

Oghojafor commended Governor Oborevwori for steps taken to secure the University from land encroachment, adding that get the right staffing for lecturers was a huge challenge. 

"The staffing I mentioned to you is difficult, so I am using a hybrid method. Sabbatical leave people, short leave people and do online. I have invited some people that came from Lagos, talked to people, the students; go back and face your work. 

"These are various dynamic processes one is going through. By and large, I give God the glory that the University is standing."

(C): New Media Office