By Donald Iorchir
University of Abuja‘s distance learning programme has received a boost with the donation of a one-storey building in Yenagoa, Bayelsa state, by a former military governor of the old Rivers state, King Alfred Diete-Spiff.
This will serve as zonal office of the Centre for Distance Learning and Continuing Education (CDL&CE) in the South-south geo-political zone.
King Diete-Spiff, who donated the office when the management of the university, led by the vice-chancellor, Prof Michael Umale Adikwu,
visited Bayelsa state last Wednesday for distance learning sensitisation, said he was impressed with the university’s efforts to provide opportunities to as many people as possible outside the conventional school system to improve themselves.
Deputy Governor of Bayelsa state, Rear Admiral Gboribiogha John Jonah (retd), received the team at the Government House, Yenagoa, where he assured of the government’s support in its drive to enhance distance learning.
He said government would look into the management’s requests for assistance with a view to enhancing the provision of distance education to the teeming population in the state in need of such outlet for self-development.
Responding, the vice-chancellor told the deputy governor that the university was opening up offices in all the states of the federation in fulfilment of its mandate to reach out to all persons “who may not have had the opportunity of a formal education to develop themselves.”
He urged the Bayelsa state government to join forces with the university in its overall desire to liberalise education for the benefit of all.