By Marvis-Eterigho Osiobe
The outgoing pioneer Vice Chancellor of the Southern Delta University, (SDU), Ozoro, Professor Jacob Snapps Oboreh has expressed profound gratitude to the university visitor, Gov. Sheriff Oborevwori for his unwavering support in advancing the institution during his five-year tenure.
Professor Oboreh shared this sentiment during a media chat yesterday 23, April 2026 in Ozoro, having presided over the final Senate meeting of his administration, ahead of his official hand-over and pullout ceremony scheduled for Monday 4, April, 2026, saying his achievement is majorly anchored on the concept of always working towards non negativity constraints.
Addressing the press immediately after the valedictory senate meeting, the V.C highlighted the seamless growth of the university from it’s establishment in 2021 by the Delta State government, not only to carter for the yearnings of the young ones seeking university education, but also has ensured uninterrupted academic calendars over the past five years against the expectations of critics who never believed in the survival of the three new universities in the state.
He stated that the university which originally started with six faculties and forty five programmes, has grown to 11 faculties with 89 programmes; that in 2023, a campus was established at Orerokpe which started with Faculty of Administration but now accommodates Faculties of Law, Arts and Social Sciences and have been fully accredited by the National University Commission (NUC).
The Vice Chancellor commended Gov. Oborevwori for doing enormous and wonderful job in the Orerokpe campus including the speedy accreditation, infrastructural developments and approval to engage qualified manpower.
Speaking further on his achievements, Prof Oboreh noted that he has been able to instil discipline both on staff and students, ensured that effective teaching and research are carried out, with adequate quality assurance system instituted, and had embarked on serious infrastructural developments, emphasizing that “teaching and research is our focus”
He stated the infrastructural developments to include the construction of five in number of five bedrooms duplexes for the principal officers; construction of a storey building comprising 12 laboratories/workshops and studios for the Faculty of Environmental Sciences; construction of two storey building for the Faculty of Computing complex with 126 offices and two lecture halls and conveniences in each office; construction of 80 rooms with conveniences in each room of hall of residence with buttery, common room, 8 kitchen and reading hall for the female students and construction of 80 rooms with conveniences in each room of hall of residence with buttery , common room, 8 kitchen and reading hall for the male students.
Others, according to the outgoing VC, included construction of 8 nos of laboratory, furnished for the Faculty of Science; construction of a central store; construction of one kilometer perimeter fence of the university, completing the perimeter fencing of the university; purchase of various equipment for Faculty of Environmental Sciences; construction of a multi-purpose Engineering Workshop through a sustainable and focus-driven relationship with a donor agency; purchase of 900 computers to replace obsolete computers in the CBE centre; purchase of a D6 bulldozer to open up the university unused land as well as establishment of University Printing Press.
The outgoing VC also added to his list of developmental strides to include the completion of 1200 seating capacity auditorium abandoned in the defunct Polytechnic since 2009; completion of the abandoned Engineering building of 3 lecture halls and 6 staff offices from NDDC contractor; acquisition of Eco bank building within the campus through court processes for the university use; Purchase of official vehicles for Principal Officers of the university and constant maintenance of the vast land of the university.
He stated that “the university is at its rightful pact, I expect the new VC to do more than what I have done, having implicit trust in his capacity”, noting that part of his challenge during his tenure was funding which he conquered by always prioritizing resource deployment to cover scarce resources.
The outgoing VC, on what the incoming VC should priorotise, stated that the university is a continuous process and that there is always room for improvement, with emphasis that “Assuming I had more years, my focus would have been on staff quarters and hostels for students for the university to attain the status of a community of it’s own in order to address the challenges posed by shylock landlords in town and to also secure the young ones”
He pointedly stated that the numerous successes recorded under his tenure were as a result of the unalloyed support from Gov. Oborevwori who was always listening and responding to the requests of university’s management and enjoined the new Vice Chancellor to maintain the culture.
Present at the media chat were the university’s principal officers including the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Prof. Presley Obukoadata, University Liberian, Prof. Ogochukwu Emiri, the Bursar , Dr. Sylvester Okoh, University’s Director of Public Relations, Dr. Florence Chukuebuni and the Deputy Registrar, Mrs. Margaret Amata.
Others were Dr. Jeroh Ejaita, member of the Public Relations team and the Auditor of the university, Dr. Godday Pakepimeme amongst others.
