Magnus Emuji
ASABA/Nigeria: Delta State Institute of Continuing Education has been officially handed over from the Ministry of Higher Education by the state government (DTSG) to that of Basic and Secondary Education with a pledge to reposition the institution for optimum service delivery in line with its objective in the state.
In a handing over ceremony, which was held at the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education Conference Hall in Asaba, the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Mr. Augustine Oghoro, who represented the State Commissioner for Secondary Education, Mrs. Rose Ezewu, said that the ministry would ensure that the purpose of establishing the institute was realised for the overall benefits of the state.
Ezewu stated that the Institute would serve as a veritable platform for young individuals, especially students with intention to further their education but could not pass their first attempt at the West Africa Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) and the National Examination Council (NECO) examinations, to be provided with opportunity for second attempt.
While saying that the transfer of the Institute to the ministry would support its efforts towards effectively driving education to the grassroots, Mrs Ezewu recalled that the number of public secondary schools in the state had contributed to the increase in the enrollment figures in schools.
The commissioner assured that the staff of the Institute would be carried along in the scheme of things.
In his remarks, the State Commissioner for Higher Education, Prof. Patrick Muoboghare, represented by the Permanent Secretary in his ministry, Mr. Anthony Nwokolobia, said that the idea behind the establishment of the Institute in 1975 by the administration of Late Samuel Ogbemudia of the defunct Bendel State was to ensure that students that had passed out from secondary schools, but could not obtain the required credit passes could use the institute for remedial courses to prepare themselves for external examinations for advancement in their educational pursuits.
He explained that in a bid to reposition the Institution for greater services, the Okowa led administration had in December, 2021 approved the transfer of the Institute from the Ministry of Higher Education to the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education in the state where, according to him , the Institute was supposed to be.
Prof. Muoboghare, urged the staff of the Institute to interface with the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education with a view to proffering solutions for their challenges.
