The immediate past Commissioner for Higher Education, Dr Kingsley Ashibogwu, has expressed joy and satisfaction with the working relationship he had while with the staff of the ministry, saying it was God that made it possible.
Ashibogwu stated this in Asaba during his valedictory session/handover ceremony to the Permanent Secretary, Dr Anthony Nwokolobia.
According to him, “We have achieved a lots within the period of ten months I was appointed to serve in this capacity, I came in when the 3 new universities were established and the institutions were groomed and taking to the needed heights with our collective and individual efforts and these achievements would be sustained and improved on.”
While appreciating God for the privilege to have served as the commissioner, he thanked the immediate past Governor of Delta State, Senator Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, for finding him worthy to serve in his administration.
Responding, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Higher Education, Dr. Anthony Nwokolobia, described the immediate past commissioner as an agent of restoration.
He stated that higher institutions in Delta State had witnessed tremendous change through reversal of salary subvention, increase in retirement age, and increase in the year of service for both academic and non-academic staff and different allowances asked were also approved under his watch.
While appreciating the commissioner, he stated that his approach of leadership contributed towards the achievements recorded in tertiary institutions in the state, particularly the three newly established universities.
He stated that the establishment of higher education was to give prior attention to tertiary institutions in the state and to be productive in their output, adding that the ministry became active during Okowa’s administration through the establishment of the three new universities with massive infrastructural development.
