Subsidy removal: Delta govt cuts acceptance fees in state varsities by 25%

Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, has approved a 25 per cent cut in acceptance fees by new intakes into the four state-owned universities.

The reduction is part of palliatives for students, following the removal of fuel subsidy by the Federal Government, in line with the state government’s measures to cushion its effect on indigenes.

According to the governor’s Chief Press Secretary (CPS), Festus Ahon, in a statement, yesterday in Asaba, this will be applied to new students in Delta State University, Abraka; Delta State University of Science and Technology, Ozoro; University of Delta, Agbor, and the Dennis Osadebay University, Anwai.

The governor had earlier approved the payment of N10, 000 to workers for three months and N5.522bn to 50,196 workers as promotion arrears across the state, as well as three working days rotational scheme for civil servants on salary Grade Level 1-14. Also, those on Level 15 and above are to work out what is convenient for them in their respective Ministries, departments and Agencies (MDAs) to ensure uninterrupted essential services.

These were in addition to the recruitment of 2,000 primary school teaching and non-teaching staff in 22 of the state’s 25 local councils.

MEANWHILE, the governor has endorsed the report of the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) calling for a review of the Niger Delta Development plan to determine its successes, failures and areas for improvement, among other recommendations.

He urged the Niger Delta state governments, the Federal Government and all development partners to adopt the report and establish corporate social responsibility guidelines that will be binding on oil and gas companies, as well as enforce civil and criminal liability for any party that fails to fulfill its obligations or found complicit in corrupt practices in relation to community development projects.

Speaking in Lagos, yesterday, in a message at an interactive session and press briefing by SERAP on promoting transparency and accountability in the use of public funds in Nigeria, with focus on the Niger Delta, the governor, represented by his Senior Policy Adviser, Funkekeme Solomon, noted that the research revealed the extensive social, economic and environmental degeneration, which, to a large extent, affected the lifestyle and well-being of the Niger Delta people.