Residents of Ozoro in Isoko North and its environs have expressed mixed reactions on the dwindling commercial activities in the community since the Delta State Polytechnic Ozoro in Isoko North Local Government Area of Delta State was converted to the Delta State University of Science and Technology Ozoro by the outgoing Governor of Delta State, Sen. Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa.
Some of the residents and former students of the Polytechnic while speaking with news outlets asserted that there have been changes since the conversion from Polytechnic to University. It is visible now that most hostels in the community are vacant and most buildings have been put up for sale, since there are fewer students paying the higher school fees of the University as against what was being paid when it was a Polytechnic. They noted that most of the students now troop to either Delta State Polytechnic Oghara and Delta State Polytechnic Ogwash-uku.
Speaking further on the number of students in the community and school environment compared to before when it was Polytechnic, some of the students disclosed that some departments now have 40 students in a class, others 30 and some 90 as against triple of that when it was a Polytechnic. They expressed faith that there might be increase or decrease as a result of the fees being paid by students overtime.
The Delta State University of Science and Technology, Ozoro was first established as a college of Agriculture which was turned into a Polytechnic on January 1, 2002, by law during the administration of James Ibori.
In January 2021, Governor Ifeany i Okowa announced plans to convert Delta State Polytechnic, Ozoro and two other schools into a full-fledged University, the bills had its first reading during plenary at the Delta State House of Assembly on the 28th day of January 2021.
In February 2021, the bill were passed into law after going through the house committee on Education.
