By Austin Ogwuda
THE National Open University will soon take off in Delta State with three designated centres, namely Sapele, Warri and Asaba.

State Commissioner for Higher Education, Prof. Hope Eghagha, who disclosed this when he led officials of the ministry to the state House of Assembly to defend their 2011 budget, said that the take-off of the Open University system in the state was as a result of the ministry’s drive to provide opportunity for workers and other Deltans yearning for higher education to acquire same with convenience.

Eghagha told the Victor Ochei-led Delta House Committee on Education, that  the Asaba centre will take off in the next academic session at the Federal College of Education (Technical), Asaba complex.

Meanwhile, the state Commissioner for Basic/Secondary Education in the State, Dr. Tony Nwaka has appealed to the contractors handling the Education Trust Fund, ETF, project in the state to adhere strictly to the specifications of the BOQ (Bill of Quantity) as sub-standard job will not be tolerated.

The Commissioner stated this during an interactive meeting he held with the contractors in Asaba, saying that the ministry has drawn up a work schedule for effective monitoring of such projects.

According to him “the work schedule include showing of site, erection of sign posts where the projects are located among others”, adding that “the sign post is expected to spell out the project title, name of contractor,  sponsoring agency and benefiting school”.