Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State on Saturday said the scrapping of weekend and continuous education programmes was inimical to the nation’s education system.
Uduaghan made the observation at the 9th Convocation of Delta State University, Abraka.
The governor urged the National Universities Commission to reconsider the scrapping of weekend and continuous education programmes from Nigerian universities.
He held that NUC’s decision had a consequential effect on the nation’s education system because it would deny the poor access to qualitative education.
He said: “The scrapping of the weekend programmes and others have completely shut out poor persons who used the programmes to further their education.
“Such programmes help to reduce the illiteracy level of the society.”
Uduaghan promised to uplift the DELSU to international standard.
The Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof. Victor Peretimode, said his administration was committed to improving the standard of the institution through aggressive developmental plan.
Peretimode said 9,607 students took part in the convocation, adding that 13 of the graduating students obtained first class degrees.
He said: “The graduating students included recipients of diplomas, post-graduate diplomas, first degrees, masters and unclassified certificates in medicine and surgery, pharmacy and dentistry.
“However, the university recorded the highest number of graduates in the first degree category with 8,148.”
The Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council, Prof. Sam Oyovbaire, spoke of plans for a blue print to make the institution one of the best.
