Delta State Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, has approved 25 percent reduction in acceptance fees payable in the four State-owned Universities as part of palliatives for students.

The Governor’s approval was contained in a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Sir Festus Ahon, on Wednesday in Asaba.

The statement said the reduction in the acceptance fee was in line with measures taken by the Delta State Government to cushion the effect of the fuel subsidy removal on citizens.

Ahon further said the 25 percent reduction in acceptance fee is applicable to new students at the State-owned Universities, viz. Delta State University, Abraka; Delta State University of Science and Technology, Ozoro; University of Delta, Agbor and the Dennis Osadebay University, Anwai-Asaba.

The Governor had earlier approved the payment of N10,000 to workers for three months and payment of N5.522bn to 50,196 workers as promotion arrears as palliatives to civil servants across the state.

This is in addition to the Governor approving three working days rotational scheme for civil servants on Salary Grade leve 1-14, while staff on SGL 15 and above are to work out what is convenient for them in their respective MDAs, thereby ensuring that essential services remain uninterrupted. Also, 2,000 primary school teaching and non-teaching staff are being recruited in 22 out of the 25 Local Government Areas in the State.

The Governor's spokesman further said that the State Government has earmarked the sum of N10 billion in addition to over 17,000 bags of rice and over 64,000 bags of maize all in 50kgs as palliatives for the less privileged, the poor, persons with disabilities and the aged in the society.

He said all these efforts were geared at cushioning the effect of fuel subsidy removal on citizens of the state.