Amgbare Ekaunkumo, Yenagoa
Bayelsa State Deputy Governor, Senator Lawrence, has encouraged alumni associations in the country not to relent in giving back to their various alma maters in terms of contributing towards the development of school infrastructure and other critical areas of education.
Senator Ewhrudjakpo, gave the encouragement during a courtesy call by the leadership of the Niger Delta University Alumni Association (NDUAA) at Government House, in Yenagoa on Thursday.
The Deputy Governor who commended the NDU alumni for their passion to see their alma mater develop by leaps and bounds, noted that they could complement government’s effort in several ways.
According to him, investing in hostel building projects at the main campus of the university and giving such out at a highly subsidized rate would not only help the students but also generate revenue for the Alumni association.
Senator Ewhrudjakpo said the Governor Douye Diri-led Prosperity Administration was determined to make the NDU much better than what it met, in terms of infrastructural development and human capacity to drive all the faculties in the institution.
He noted that the vision of the state government is to build the state-owned premier University to attain a standard of being ranked among the top-notch ivory towers in the country.
Responding to the issue of employment for NDU Alumni, Senator Ewhrudjakpo disclosed that there is an existing policy to grant automatic employment for first-class graduates to boost the academic manpower base of the university.
On the issue of non-representation of the Alumni Association in the NDU Governing Council, the Deputy Governor assured them that government would quickly look into their claim and take necessary action
Earlier in his remarks, the President of the NDU Alumni Association, Comrade Clement Monovie Lanny, thanked the Douye Diri-led Administration for the numerous projects it had executed at the NDU so far.
Comrade Clement Monovie, however, appealed to the State Government to build more hostels and staff residential quarters at the NDU main campus, and the provision of coaster buses to subsidize transport cost for commuters going to work at the university.
The Alumni President also called on government to consider a downward review of the NDU school fees, the provision of road signs to reduce accidents along the Amassoma-Tombia-Etegwe Road, as well as employment of more NDU graduates into the State Civil Service.
