The College of Nursing Sciences, Onicha-Uku, Delta State, was on Monday inaugurated as a satellite campus of the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Asaba.
At the inauguration, Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State said the state would partner with the Federal Government (FG) to ensure the growth and development of the health sector in the state.
The Governor, who announced a donation of a 32-seater coaster bus to the college, lauded the former Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, NdudiElumelu, for attracting the project.
He said the new college, at Aniocha North Local Government Area, would greatly enhance the tempo and quality of human capital development in the health sector.
“Currently, there are five state-owned colleges of nursing, but their carrying capacity cannot absorb all the qualified applicants.
“Hence, the establishment of this college of nursing sciences, Onicha-Uku, through our illustrious son, Rt. Hon. NdudiElumelu, will provide adequate healthcare for this community and environs.
“I commend him for laying this solid foundation for the take-off of this college of nursing sciences.
“My appreciation goes to the Hon. Minister of Health, as well as the management and staff of the Federal Medical Centre, Asaba, for this achievement”, he said.
The Governor added that the presence of the school would, no doubt, boost the retail economy in Onicha-Uku and neighbouring communities.
He, therefore, charged the host communities to reciprocate FG’s kind gesture by taking ownership of the school and protecting the critical asset brought to them.
He assured that his administration would continue to support FG’s institutions in the state for the sustainable overall growth and development of the state.
“On our part, we shall lend adequate support and collaboration to the new College of Nursing Sciences.
“I have listened carefully to the requests of the Medical Director of FMC, Asaba, on various areas of need.
“I assure you of our willingness to assist within the limits of available resources in due course.
“It is my prayer that this college will fulfil its mandates by contributing immensely to the growth of nursing education in Nigeria”, Oborevwori said.
Meanwhile, Elumelu said the institution was one of the many projects he attracted to the Aniocha/Oshimili Federal Constituency, pledging to continue to contribute to the development of the area.
He challenged students of the institution to maximise the opportunity to acquire knowledge to bridge the manpower needs in the health sector.
Earlier, the Medical Director, FMC, Asaba, Dr. Victor Osiatuma, thanked Elumelu for attracting the college while in office.
He appealed to the State Government and other stakeholders to sink a borehole to solve water needs in the school, in addition to handling issues of electricity, transportation and security.
He also thanked Oborevwori for his achievements in office in the last 11 months, especially in the health sector, urging him not to relent in recording more successes.
The Tide’s source reports that the representative of Onicha-Uku town, Chief Ephraim Osubor, described the project as an asset in the health sector.

The organised labour unions in Bayelsa State have rejected the recent hike in electricity tariff by the Federal Government (FG) by staging a picketing exercise.
The Nigeria Labour Union (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) had on Monday picketed the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHED) in Yenagoa to express their resentment toward the hike.
Bayelsa NLC Chairman, Comrade Simon Barnabas, urged the government to immediately look into the matter by reversing the hike and giving Nigerians constant power supply.
He decried the situation where despite the hike in tariff, people were still subjected to epileptic power supply.
He said: “Our action today is a way to inform the government that the hike in tariff is unacceptable by us.
“Of course, the national centres of NLC and TUC gave the directive that we should have a joint action here in Bayelsa State to express our unacceptability of this policy.
“We are calling on the authority to have an immediate reversal and passing information to our people that the labour leadership is concerned about their well-being and welfare.
“We are hoping that there will be a change of mind on the part of the government after this action.
“But where there is none, we have no option than to apply confrontation, as the issue of an epileptic power supply must be addressed”.
Meanwhile, the state TUC Chairman, Comrade Julius Laye, said introducing another form of taxation was not the right way to handle Nigerians at this time.
He said Nigerians were already sacrificing to buy petrol and diesel at exorbitant prices, therefore, the hiked electricity tariff should not be added to their woes.
According to him, the President Bola Tinubu-led administration should consider the feelings of the masses and allow them to breathe.

Armed bandits, who identified themselves as “Ijaw Freedom Fighters” on Sunday night attacked Imariogha Community, near Okomu oil palm plantation, setting ablaze over eight vehicles, according to The Tide’s source.
Investigation by the source reveals that the bandits invaded the community, formerly known as AT&P, located in Ovia South West Local Government Area of Edo State.
The Commissioner of Police in Edo State, Mr Funsho Adegboye, confirmed the attack to the source in a telephone interview in Benin.
“We are aware of the incident and have visited the community. We are already holding talks in partnership with sister security organisations and Okomu oil palm company to arrest the situation”, he said.
An eye witness told the source that the invaders entered the community from the riverside at midnight, shooting sporadically into the air and setting fire to about eight private vehicles and destruction of many houses.
One of the community leaders, Mr Rex Akpokiniovo, told the source that while one person was killed, a Chief of the community, Pa Gabriel Okorugbe, who sustained injuries from the attack had been hospitalised.
“The corpse of the dead person has been taken away by the police. My house was attacked and my car burnt down by the gunmen who came into the community at midnight and started shooting sporadically into the air.
“One of the Okomu workers, who resides in the community, was killed while the invaders left a warning note on his chest”, he said.
According to the note, addressed to Governor Godwin Obaseki, the attackers, who identified themselves as Ijaw Freedom Fighters, made several demands from management of Okomu Oil Palm Plc.
Some of the demands included directorship position in Okomuoil palm company and 25 per cent of the company’s shares.
The group said : “We are not fighting any security personnel but Okomu oil company”.