New Rector rekindles hope in Federal Poly, Oko

…Set to introduce students work aid programme

By Sam Otti

On her first day in office, the new Rector, Federal Polytechnic, Oko, Anambra State, Dr Chioma Irene Awuzie, electrified the institution numbed by a leadership vacuum for the past one year. From the gates of the polytechnic to the Administrative Block, voices rose like a jubilant choir in a symphony of praise, laughter and celebration. The air resonated with the rhythmic beat of African drums, hands clapping in unison, feet stomping to the tempo of a new dawn. And when she addressed the jubilant crowd, her voice rang like a church bell: “Change has come to Federal Polytechnic, Oko. A new dawn is here!”

The rector

Dr Awuzie, elegant and smart, beautiful and brilliant, had shattered the glass ceiling by becoming the first female internal Rector of the polytechnic since its inception in 1979. Aside being the youngest Rector of the polytechnic, it was her unwavering passion for education and advocacy for the less privileged that had propelled her to leadership. It was reported that before she was appointed Rector, she was reputed for her humanitarian work through a non-governmental organization, Dr Chioma Awuzie Foundation that offers scholarship to indigent students and spreads smiles on the faces of the less privileged. 

A staff of the polytechnic, who gave his name as Uche, said his wife benefitted from the Child Birth Palliative, when she received cash support from the foundation after she presented her hospital card indicating the expected date of delivery. “If you are a male staff and your wife is pregnant, all you need is to present the hospital record to confirm the date of delivery, you will receive instant cash support from Dr Chioma Awuzie Foundation. This brought relief to many of the staff”, he noted.

With the goodwill Awuzie had built over the years in the institution and beyond, thousands of teaching and non-teaching staff rallied round her in procession right from the school gate. They swayed and twirled to spontaneous music renditions, their joy spilling over like a river breaking free from its bank. Some raised their hands in prayers, while others bent their knees in joyful dance. Some staff overwhelmed by emotion wiped away tears of joy, while expressing hope  that under the new leadership, old things that had stagnated their welfare would soon pass away.

Dr Awuzie came to her new office with a 12-point agenda to transform the polytechnic. She said the agenda would serve as a strategic roadmap for repositioning the institution as a hub of technological creativity, innovation, entrepreneurship, and global competitiveness. Having served the institution in different administrative positions, she said she knew exactly where the shoe pinches.

In her inaugural address to the polytechnic staff and students on Tuesday, February 11, 2025, she described her leadership as a new dawn in academic excellence and innovative research. She noted that the polytechnic stands as a beacon of technological advancement, research, and vocational education in Nigeria. Her administration would uphold this legacy of excellence while pushing the boundaries of knowledge, innovation, and technological development, she promised.

To enhance the pedigree of the academic programme of the institution, the Rector said her leadership would strengthen academic curricula, embrace digital transformation, and ensure that students graduate with not only theoretical knowledge but also practical skills that would make them competitive in the global job market.

“To whom much is given, much is expected. Federal Poly Oko is my terrain. I am not a stranger in the polytechnic. I know the necessary things to do to bring the institution to limelight,” she told The Sun reporter.

True to her words, work has started in earnest in the polytechnic. Overgrown bushes at the Extension Site of the Polytechnic, and refuse mountains at different locations have been cleared. The clean look of the institution and ongoing renovation work at different offices bespoke of the zeal that the new Rector has brought to office within one week of assumption. Excited staff of the polytechnic told this reporter that the new Rector enjoys the support of the polytechnic community and expressed faith that she would bring her Midas touch on dilapidated infrastructure and reengineer the wobbling finances of the institution.

“In few weeks to come, we will commence our development plans for the three campuses of the polytechnic, Ufuma, Atani and Oko. We have embarked on a facility tour of the academic departments of this institution and pencilled down some departments that we will commercialise their products and services. There are some departments that produce so many things that we can use to generate internally generated revenue”, the Rector revealed.

She explained that Fine and Applied Arts Department houses fashion design, ceramic and arts, which would be commercialized to boost the internally generated revenue of the polytechnic. According to her, a new printing press would be set up at the Printing Technology Department as additional stream of income for the institution. She said these business initiatives would be managed by a new office to be known as Polytechnic Ventures. She expressed faith that these businesses would address the paucity of funds experienced in the polytechnic.

Dr Awuzie has already ticked the business potentials of SLT, Home and Rural Economics Department that produce quality duvet, bed covers and other household items. She has asked the department to liaise with the Director of Physical Planning to get a space where a marketing shop would be set up for them to display their products for sale. On her priority list is to reinvent the Polytechnic bakery, Bottled water plant, skills acquisition centre, among others.

She said the recurring power outage experienced in the institution would be promptly addressed with solar energy option. According to her, solar street lights would be installed on campus to give students more night time of study. She noted that deploying street solar street light at Extension Site, Students Village and other strategic locations would reduce crime. As part of her security agenda, security posts would soon be set up to curtail mindless vandalism of polytechnic property.

“We want to launder the image of this polytechnic. We want Nigerians to know that a new dawn is here. In the next three weeks, we will have block moulding machines, welding and fabrication equipment. Very soon, I will make it a policy that every contractor doing a project in our Polytechnic would buy blocks produced in the polytechnic. In the next two months, we will start moulding our blocks,” she promised.

Awuzie said she had extended a hand of fellowship to other contestants. She commended other contestants for their passion, vision, and dedication to the growth of the institution and expressed sincere for their contributions. However, she noted that leadership is never a solitary endeavour, but thrives on collaboration, shared aspirations, and collective commitment.

“Your mission and vision for this institution remain invaluable, and I urge you to bring them to fruition by working together with us. Let us set aside differences and unite with a shared purpose to propel this polytechnic to greater heights. With a spirit of inclusivity and teamwork, there is no limit to what we can achieve. Together, we will build, innovate, and transform. Let us move forward as one team, one family, and one Polytechnic,” she said.

She disclosed that her administration would also explore the option of Public Private Partnership (PPP) and Build Operate and Transfer (BOT) models that would attract investors to build more students hostels and other infrastructure lacking in the institution. She also disclosed plans to establish e-learning programme, and restore the Regular 2 programme of the polytechnic to increase students’ access to quality academic programme. She said she hopes to introduce new academic programmes, and equally increase the carrying capacity of the institution, with the support of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE).

The Rector said her mission is to produce graduands with requisite skills. Her words: “We will produce graduates that would be job creators, entrepreneurs and employers of labour. Master craft training would be encouraged for both students and outsiders that are desirous to acquire these skills”.

To ensure that no student is denied access to study, Dr Awuzie said her administration would set up Students Work Aid programme to support indigent students in the polytechnic. She noted that such lifeline would go a long way in helping brilliant students from less privileged homes to study and work in the polytechnic.

“If you want to construct a building, there are some students from Architecture, Civil Engineering and other departments that could be engaged for labour and receive payment. Tailoring, compound cleaning, decoration and other jobs can be handled by students, while studying in the school. The casual work they do wouldn’t affect their studies and the stipend they receive monthly would cushion the cost of their studies,” she explained.

The Rector said she would also pursue upgrading the polytechnic to a degree awarding institution, with the support of the Governing Council of the institution. With the recent conversion of Yabatech to a university by the Federal Government, Awuzie expressed faith that Federal Poly Oko stands a good chance as a premier institution dedicated to technical, vocational and entrepreneurial education. She expressed confidence that with the quality leadership provided by the Council Chairman, Senator Barnabas Gemade, the polytechnic would soon be a place of pride.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of Non-Academic Staff, Comrade Emmanuel Okolie and the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnic (ASUP) had in their separate letters to the Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, commended the Governing Council led by Senator Gemade for transparent conduct of the selection and interview process for the appointment of the rector. The labour unions noted that the appointment was on merit, while expressing satisfaction that the interview exercise met the criteria required by the Polytechnic Act 2019 as amended.  With the groundswell of support for the new Rector and her antecedents as a goal-getter that has a winning team, hope has been rekindled in an institution once snubbed for despondency.