By Uzo Ugwunze
African politicians, administrators, and leaders in positions of authority have been tasked with implementing policies and programs not driven by tribe, culture, religion, or ethnicity but by purpose, value, and people.
Speaking during the Alumni
Annual Award and Institution of Gen. Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB) Public
Lecture Series, the first edition organized by the Federal Polytechnic Oko
Alumni Association, the Public Lecture presenter, Vice Chancellor Tansian
University Umunya, Prof. Eugene Nwadialor, urged leaders to offer selfless
service that would benefit the majority, not just in the interest of a few
people at the expense of others. He emphasized that leaders should learn from
IBB, whose leadership approach was cosmopolitan in nature.
Delivering his lecture themed
'Federal Polytechnic Oko and the Pivotal Role of Gen Ibrahim Badamasi
Babangida,' Prof. Nwadialor, who spoke ex-cathedra, analyzed the history and
evolution of the ivory tower now known as Federal Polytechnic Oko. He
highlighted that, with the help of Former Federal Minister of Education, Late
Prof Ben Nwabueze SAN, and former Anambra State Commissioner for Education,
Lady Victoria Ilonkem V.V.I Okoye, the institution became a federal
establishment, along with Federal Polytechnic Nekede and Federal College of
Education Eha-Amufu.
"The polytechnic started
as a college of Arts and Science in 1979 with the help of former Vice
President, Late Alex Ekwueme, and his Oko community, providing 90 percent of
the infrastructure. In 1981, it metamorphosed into a state polytechnic up until
1993. After A.B. Uzuakpunwa's tenure, I took over in 1988. Despite difficulties
in paying staff salaries, our staff voluntarily donated about 25 percent of
their salaries to construct classroom blocks for the accreditation of programs.
The borrowing and financial challenges were so much until 1993 when the
people's General came," Nwadialor stated.
"IBB represents different
things to many, but to Federal Polytechnic Oko, he was a transformer, a living
Messiah who brought Oko to the global map. A man with a large heart, who is
heterocentric in his leadership approach. He is multidimensional and a highly
detribalized Nigerian. As a military leader, he enjoyed wide acceptance all
over Nigeria because of his cosmopolitan outlook and participatory approach to
governance."
"The Nigeria education
sector was politicized, and the South East zone had been crying of
marginalization because of the perceived little presence of federal
establishments within the region, but IBB went ahead to convert previously
state-owned institutions like Anambra State Polytechnic to a federal
establishment, thereby balancing the equation of limited academic opportunities
in the South East zone. The trio of Federal Polytechnic, Oko, Nekede, and
College of Education Eha-amufu were converted to federal establishments.
Institute of Management and Technology Enugu would have benefited them, but
Enugu State government refused. IBB gave priority to education and funded the
institutions," said Nwadialor.
Moreover, the former Governor
of Old Anambra State, Senator Dr. Jim Nwobodo, a Founder's Awardee who was
instrumental in the conversion of the College of Arts and Science to Anambra
State polytechnic in 1981, thanked the Fedpoly Oko Alumni for finding time to
remember and celebrate the founders with awards.
According to Jim Nwobodo, who
was represented by Prof. Dan Chukwu of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, as captured
in Luke 17, of the ten men healed of leprosy, only one returned to show
gratitude to Jesus. "Where are the other nine? Did we not establish Anambra
State University of Technology (ASUTECH) with campuses at Enugu, Awka, and
Abakaliki? These campuses evolved into ESUT, NAU, and EBSU respectively. Also,
Colleges of Education in Nsugbe and Eha-Amufu, among others, were established
in the old Anambra; how many of them have ever celebrated the Founders Day with
Awards? They should take a cue from the Alumni and management of Fedpoly Oko."
In his welcome address, the
President FPO Alumni Association, Nze Henry Nnebe, reiterated the need for
rewarding hard work by honoring outstanding founders, progenitors, students,
staff, veterans, alumni polytechnic Ambassadors with Awards to galvanize them
towards excellence.
Nze Nnebe further noted the
importance of the museum to preserve the vision, ideas, dreams, and relics of
the progenitors of Federal Polytechnic Oko. "The trajectory of growth and
development by FPO becoming one of the best polytechnics in Nigeria should be
guarded jealously and protected against falsification and usurpation."
However, Nnebe, after eulogizing
the landmark achievements of both the Monumental past rectors and the present
Digital rector, lamented the inability of FPO to do a convocation in the last
12 years, urging the present rector not to renege on her promise to organize a
convocation before the end of her tenure.
Earlier in her address, the
Rector, Federal Polytechnic Oko(FPO), Engr. Dr. Mrs. Francisca Unoma Nwafulugo,
who spoke through the FPO Bursar, Mr. Stephen Udu, an awardee after
appreciating the founders awardees, dignitaries, and past rectors commended the
Alumni association for instituting the IBB lecture, awards scheme for
outstanding lecturers cum best graduating students, and the Ufuma Campus Gate
project, saying that FPO alumni association has undoubtedly shown that they are
partners with the polytechnic management for the well-being of the institution.
She said that her
administration since assuming office in 2019 was to build on the foundation
that others have laid. "We have worked tirelessly to make FPO
distinguished among the committee of polytechnics nationally and
internationally.
"We started with the
accreditation of 62 programs that were at the verge of closure, and now all the
programs we run in this polytechnic are accredited. We also mounted new
programs, namely Chemical Engineering and Horticultural technology. In
infrastructure, we have completed 17 buildings sponsored via Tetfund, capital
fund, and IGR. A 1.2 km road was also constructed and commissioned by Federal
Ministry of Works; we look forward to commissioning remaining completed
projects in January 2024," said Mrs. Nwafulugo.
Responding to the issue of
holding a convocation, the rector said that the major setback included a
paucity of funds but assured that the management was not relenting in trying what
they could to find a way of organizing a convocation as soon as possible.
In his remarks, the Chairman
Gen Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida Annual public lecture, Ichie Izuchukwu Nwabueze,
a FPO Ambassador awardee, the Federal Commissioner Public Complaint Commission,
Mrs. Emelda Okoli, who represented Prof. Barth Nnaji(Chairman IBB Lecture), Dr.
Egwuchukwu Ifensor who represented the BOT Chairman FPO Alumni, Hon. Okey
Victor Orji, FPO Head of Department, Accountancy, Dr. Emmanuel Ezen.
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