The 11th Convocation Ceremony of Akanu Ibiam Federal Polytechnic, Unwana

On behalf of the governing council, the academic board and the entire Akanu Ibiam Federal Polytechnic Unwana family, may I most warmly welcome all our partners, friends and guests to the 11th convocation of this great institution. We are greatly honoured today, with the esteemed presence of these highly distinguished personalities. It is indeed, only in an expanded family such as ours, that one would see this uncommon array of eminent Nigerians.

Therefore, I deem it proper at this point to recognize some of the dignitaries, as attempting to recognize all, will indeed be difficult, if not totally impossible. Your Excellencies, Anyim Pius Anyim, former Senate President of Federal Republic of Nigeria; Dr. Martin Elechi, Executive Governor of Ebonyi State, ably represented by his deputy, Professor Chigozie Ogbu; the Governor of Imo State, represented by Professor Njoku; our amiable friend, Hon. Farouk Lawan, Chairman House Committee on Education; Hon. Minister of Education, Prof. Raqayyatu Ahmed Rufa’I; Your Royal Highness, the Reagent of Unwana, Princess Alu Ibiam; Engr. Muttagha Rabe Darma, our friend and dear brother and the Executive Secretary of the Petroleum Trust Development Fund (PTDF).

Ladies and gentlemen, permit me to recognize a few more even at the risk of boring you all. We have here distinguished Lady Joy Emordi, a sister and a relentless crusader – her colleagues call her Joy of the Senate; our reliable partner, Chief Samuel Onyishi, Chairman, Peace Mass Transit. How can I forget our close friend and partner in progress, Chief H.E. Ikpor, Ebonyi State Commissioner for Education? And finally, our dynamic rector and our own “Pythagoras,” Prof. Francis O. Otunta.

The events of the past several days compel us to publicly register our deep sorrow and inexpressible sense of loss at the demise of President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua. It is such a pity that our late President passed on at a time when his Seven Point Agenda was beginning to flower in readiness to bear fruit here in Akanu Ibiam Federal Polytechnic, Unwana. May his very gentle soul rest in perfect peace.

We are however consoled, ladies and gentlemen, that his dream lives on, and shall be vigorously pursued by His Excellency, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, The President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Your Excellency, let me on behalf of the Governing Council, the staff and students of Akanu Ibiam Federal Polytechnic, Unwana, congratulate you on your new appointment and pray God to give you uncommon wisdom to handle your now expanded responsibilities. We entertain no doubt at all, but are hopeful that you will intelligently steer the ship of state to a safe heaven. We salute your courage and stewardship.

Without an iota of doubt or fear of possible contradiction, today marks a turning point in the history of this institution. It is not an accident that it is named after one of Nigeria’s foremost leaders who was highly detribalized and incorruptible, Late Sir Dr. Akanu Ibiam, the Eze Ogo Isiali 1 of Unwana. His love for education, excellence and industry while alive, have continued totally inextinguishably today in the lives of these young Nigerians that will receive the certificates and diplomas of this great Institution. You have every reason to count yourselves privileged to be associated with a sage, celebrity, achiever and a towering academic, the Eze Ogo.

Today, we charge you to go into the world and shine the light the Polytechnic has ignited in you. However, always remember that you are our epistle, one not written with hand, ink and pen. Do not forget to keep the family chain unbroken. Let your character and academic prowess which the school now bears record of never at any time be tarnished or faulted.

This Polytechnic is not a very young institution. It is rather regrettable that there is dearth of infrastructure. It is an understatement to say that the level of infrastructural development makes a mockery of the total number of years this institution has existed. For instance, the internal road network is not better than what is found in rural primary Schools. Our learning environment, campus transport system, etc, ridicule the very concept and expectation an outsider has of higher education and institution of excellence. There has been no doubt about the sustained neglect of this institution by past administrations and administrators.

Records show that a glimmer of hope only came a few years ago when the present Rector, Professor Francis O. Otunta, was appointed. With the encouragement and support of the present Governing Council, the management has made giant strides in all spheres of infrastructural and human development. In this regard, we commend the efforts of the Federal and State governments, the friends and philanthropists, like the ones here, who have always come to our aid at very critical points. You cannot afford to abandon us, no, not at this time. We shall continue to look up in great expectations to you.

To the immediate past two Ministers of Education, Drs. Sam Egwu and Aja Nwachukwu, we owe you so much than words can possibly express. To the mother of Education in Nigeria Honourable Minister of Education, Prof R.A. Rufa’i, we are reasonably assured that as a mother you will not forsake us, your suckling child, or would you? You will in your dynamism re-brand us, properly locate us on the Education Road Map, and then walk us all the way to success. I salute you Madam.

I should like to recognize the patriotic, untiring and unputdownable spirit of the present 6th Governing Council of this institution. On our first visit, some of us nearly refused the appointment, but soon we came together and promised ourselves that we shall work so hard to leave a legacy here. We pledged and do still pledge that we shall leave this institution, better than we met it. The Council has mid-wifed several projects and, in the course of time, will be taking on many more projects. An ultra-modern classroom block which was originally planned to be class room shade was in less than five months built by the prompt intervention and supervision of this present council. This is the first of its kind in this institution.

The Council has implemented every Federal Government directive about the school and has stood for truth, transparency, equity and fair play in every matter it has handled.

It is on record that there is a high degree of industrial harmony here at Akanu Ibiam Federal Polytechnic, Unwana. The relationship between the institution and the host community has greatly improved as a result of the partnership between the Town and Committee of the Council, between the Management and Her Royal Highness the Reagent of Unwana and her cabinet. Your Royal Highness, Jokwa!

This council has been adjudged the best performing Governing Council at the Federal Polytechnic cadre by the Federal Ministry of Education. We are anxious, Hon. Minister Ma, to receive our trophy. As I had earlier observed, some very distinguished Nigerians will be honoured by this institution today. I take special joy in congratulating you all. Today we admit you into the life membership of our institution, which we eloquently show by the conferment on you of the institution’s prestigious Fellowship. I do hope that this Fellowship will generate an unending energy of fellow-feeling in you for all of us at Akanu Ibiam Federal Polytechnic Unwana.

Finally, I shall not end this address without reminding our major partner-in-progress HME, Prof. (Mrs.) R. A. Rufai, that with the improved level of federal government investment in AIFPU, and the anticipated further support from your office, we are ready to change level to a degree awarding institution. The transformation this will bring to our institution, nay, the community, Ebonyi State and Nigeria in general, will be better imagined than expressed. Your Excellencies, your Royal Highnesses, my Lords spiritual and temporal, ladies and gentlemen, I hope I have bored you enough. Thank you for coming to share your precious time with us at this our 11th Convocation Ceremony.

Thank you!

Nwaorgu Omenihu Chiemala, PhD

Chairman, Governing Council, Akanu Ibiam Federal Polytechnic Unwana, Ebonyi State

Excerpts from an Address Presented by Professor Francis O. Otunta, Rector, Akanu Ibiam Federal Polytechnic Unwana, on the 11th Convocation Ceremony of the Polytechnic, this 22nd day of May, 2010

Greetings

This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice in it. Our happy God, in his infinite mercy, has graciously made it possible for us to gather for this great occasion in the life of Akanu Ibiam Federal Polytechnic Unwana.

I want to welcome this great assemblage, who defied the turbulent social pressures of our day to be in our midst and to rejoice with us and our graduands for having successfully completed their academic programmes in this great Institution.

With a deep sense of humility and gratitude to god, I deem it a great privilege to present my 1st Convocation address since my assumption of office as the 4th Rector.

The Convocation Ceremony

This is the 11th Convocation Ceremony of Akanu Ibiam Federal Polytechnic Unwana since its inception in 1982. Convocation ceremony is a very important event in the academic calendar of any tertiary institution. Today’s convocation ceremony is very unique, because it is the second time the Institution is conferring its Fellowship on deserving Nigerians, Nigerians who have distinguished themselves as a result of their excellent track record of services to humanity, in private or public life. These select few, through their godly services, have impacted positively on the lives of many Nigerians.

Akanu Ibiam Federal Polytechnic Unwana today admits a total of six thousand, three hundred and twelve (6,312) students into the graduand membership of the Polytechnic. A breakdown of this number shows that two thousand, one hundred and seventy-three (2,173) students will receive Higher National Diploma (HND). While four thousand, one hundred and forty (4,140) graduands are to bag National Diploma (ND) certificates. These graduating students finished their programs in different sessions, spanning from 2004/2005 to 2008/2009 – five years.

To these worthy graduands, we congratulate you on your meritorious success, having scaled through the huddles and crucibles of academic rigour and emerged triumphant. You have proved true to the saying that hard work does not kill, that freedom does not fall from heaven; you have to fight for it.

Your success and convocation today will strengthen and invigorate you and at the same time motivate our present students, who are yet to round off their academic programs, to buckle up and work hard since hard work has no substitute.

Our Honorary Fellowship Conferment

The Academic Board of the Polytechnic will today confer Fellowship on a few deserving Nigerians in both private and public sectors of the economy. Our people say that when you tell a person to hold on to what he is doing or holding it means that what he is doing is good. We esteem and reward noble deeds so that we may spur them into further action for more deeds of goodwill. People will always be kind!

It is essential that we strive to observe and commend good qualities and deeds we find in our fellow men so that they may do more; thus human society will be a bliss, for such men will work to deemphasize the dark sides of them, their frailties, which also make up their humanity.

The conferment of our Fellowship on you presupposes you are, today, part of the Polytechnic Family. You now share our problems with us, our joys and hates, fears and aspirations, the good, the ugly and the bad of us! We have all of it. Our humanity! We, therefore, congratulate you on your meritorious award of the Fellowship of Akanu Ibiam Federal Polytechnic Unwana, Honoris causa.

My Stewardship: The Journey so Far

My Christian name is Francis. And the legend who was named after this Institution was also Francis! This coincidence of name holds a lot of implications for me, so much that history has placed me the 4th Rector and chronicled me also as the 1st Chief Executive of Akanu Ibiam Federal Polytechnic Unwana, from Ebonyi State. In view of this, my dance step and dance vocabulary are interestingly mirrored and filtered, to ascertain how I live up to that great name bestowed on this Achiever, Dr. Francis Akanu Ibiam, the Ezeogo Isiali 1 of Unwana.

In full awareness of this fact, on my assumption of office, I did not take for granted the assets and liabilities I inherited. I made these challenges a prayerful matter; indeed I recollected the prayerful medication of Francis of Assisi, who prayed: Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.

Where there is hatred, let me sow love,
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
Where there is sadness, joy.

I recite this prayer, a poem, as part of my canticles and hymns, for I met daunting challenges which constrained me to declare my mission statement. I vowed to leave Akanu Ibiam Federal Polytechnic, Unwana, better than I saw it. In addition, I resolved to “build a pilot tertiary institution that will be 21st century compliant.”

I am neither a magician nor Omniscient God; but with the co-operation of my team, staff and students as well as other stakeholders, we have made some modest impact on the soil of the Polytechnic, as the balance sheet of my stewardship shows below.

1. We have been able to sink four bore holes. Before I came on board, it was a myth held that the Polytechnic’s crust would not produce viable water at commercial quantity. Today that jinx has been broken. The myth is now a fact.
2. The Administration Block A stands resplendently to welcome visitors to the administrative seat of the Polytechnic. This block was at the D.P.C. (Damp Proof Course) level, abandoned by successive administrations of my predecessors.
3. An additional three academic departments have sprung up – Food Technology, Public Administration and Estate Management. Our regulatory body, the N.B.T.E., has granted us approval to mount the following academic departments: Agricultural Engineering Technology, Town and Regional Planning and Geomorphology.
4. Following the Federal Government directive to tertiary institutions to look inwards to increase their internally generated revenue (I.G.R) base, we have put in place a number of business units under the canopy of Poly-Unwana Consultancy Limited. These business units include: Vibrated Block Industry, Bottled and Sachet water Factory, Arable Farm (You may have seen our Pineapple Orchard, in front of our Admin. Block A), Food and Beverage Division, and Agro Business Centre.
5. I met one structure of I.C.T Centre in place, built by Education Tax Fund in 2003. However, it was not equipped. That centre has been fully furnished. In addition to this one, three others have been built.
6. Our new Ultramodern Library Complex has reached ninety percent completion.
7. Through our administrative strategy and diplomacy, the E.T.F. selected Akanu Ibiam Federal Polytechnic Unwana from the South East geopolitical zone along with two other polytechnics – Kaduna Polytechnic and Yaba College of Technology – for E.T.F. special intervention package. The presence of E.T.F. in our Polytechnic is visible enough for the blind to see, as you may observe choice structures and projects that are springing up. This testifies to the policy thrust of the Federal Government, that the Government does not take the education of our youths lightly especially the special attention in which it has on our Polytechnic. We assure the Hon. Minister of Education that we will buy that for which we have been asked to buy from the market, the knowledge Industry.

I am still a young man bubbling with zest, good health and vivacity, to God’s glory, all of which I will put to good use to attract educational infrastructure to the Polytechnic before I bow out from the stage. It is on this note that I renew my call for co-operation from all concerned stakeholders to assist us develop the Polytechnic so that we may be part of history in what we are accomplishing here for the good of the people. I remain ever committed and more reinvigorated to take the institution to the next level. I stand on the principle of uberrima fides (utmost good faith)! My word remains my bond in my unshakable and unwavering resolve to leave Akanu Ibiam Federal Polytechnic Unwana, better than I saw it.

Problems of the Polytechnic

Akanu Ibiam Federal Polytechnic, Unwana, is grossly underdeveloped, even though it is the 1st Federal Polytechnic, East and South-South of the country. Nevertheless, there is no household or classroom, however managed, that has not its problems.

The Polytechnic, for instance, has no good access roads. We do not have Classroom Lecture Theatre which could serve a number of needs. Let us articulate some of the pressing needs of the Institution thus:

1. Academic staff office complex
2. Rehabilitation of access roads
3. Perimeter fencing of the Polytechnic vClassroom blocks
4. Vehicles
5. Upgrading the institution to a federal university

Our Invitation to Macedonia

In light of the above, we invite public-spirited individuals to come over to Macedonia and help us. Since no man is an island unto himself, we beckon to them to help us chart a brighter future for our youths. Our pioneer nationalists of the First Republic left us with enduring legacies which we tap from today. If Dr Akanu Ibiam and his contemporaries did not labour, we will not be here today. I reiterate my pride in the noble achievements of our ancestors, our founding fathers, because as the platitude goes: People who take no pride in the noble achievements of remote ancestors will never achieve anything worthy to be remembered with pride by remote descendants!

So we invite them to do today what will represent their own legacies for the good of our own youths and humanity. Our Fellowship recipients are absolutely at liberty to choose from any of these pressing needs of ours enunciated above and erect for us structures that will be named after them as a permanent legacy to humanity in furtherance of their services to God and humanity. God will continue to replenish your deeds of goodwill.

Our Word for our Graduands

Our graduands, you are rather fortunate enough for having drunk the fountain of knowledge of this Polytechnic. However glaring our challenges may assume, I dare say that Akanu Ibiam Federal Polytechnic Unwana still remains the most sought-after polytechnic, east of the Niger. The quality of our programmes and academic instruction speak for themselves, considering the reports that filter to us from the labour market on areas such as the cognitive, affective and psychomotor conduct of our products.

The Polytechnic enjoys a pride of place, a position of primus enter pares – first among equals – among the polytechnics east of the Niger. Besides the E.T.F. intervention package mentioned earlier, our Institution has been chosen from the South East geopolitical zone for the implementation of Phase Two of the “UNESCO – Nigeria Project in support of the Revitalization of Technical and Vocational Education (TVE) in Nigeria.”

With all the skills and competences that have been inculcated in you, prove yourselves illuminators or light-bearers and worthy ambassadors of your alma mater. I urge you to treat your profession with passion, for it is the meaning of your life, and the you in you makes you the you you are.

While you may go into the labour market in search of greener pastures, I will urge you as well, if you may, to deepen yourselves further in the acquisition of knowledge in order to add additional feathers to your cap. You probably need further academic laurels to make you more relevant both in the Nigerian labour market and the global village that is in a constant flux. Drink deep from the Pierian Spring, for the more you read the more you know.

But whatever virtuous venture you may embark on today or tomorrow, I charge you not to allow the society to engulf you into its complex catacombs of corruption.

Remain ever focused, vigilant, full of drive and achievement motivation. Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty! Prove to everybody that you received a holistic education from your alma mater; that you received sound instructions that make you an educated person, the person who is not only able to read and write, but the person who is also ethically sound in the fear of God. Your being able to read and write is a necessary condition in becoming an educated person, but sufficient condition comes into the picture when you can rationalize in the fear of God in all you do! When you radiate godliness in your endeavours – God first – it is by which time we may adjudge you as being truly educated.

We watch you to see how you live your lives as well as monitor your professional report. On our part, we can confidently say of you on a philosophic note: we have fought the fine fight. We have run the course to the finish and we have observed the faith. Pound in the mortar!

Commendations!

We pay glowing tribute to you, our dear Honourable Minister of Education, for having stood by us through thick and thin. May your hand never be too short in your resolve to uplift the Polytechnic to an enviable height so that we may maximally contribute our best possible in the technological development of the nation. It is all about life of interdependence, give-and-take, game of the dogs, on the philosophic framework of social welfarism. Under such social relations, we work in co-operation while we keep faith to the defined road map to tertiary education which we have chartered for ourselves in our bid to join the top twenty economies by the year 20:20:20. This is a vision we will guard jealously as we ensure that nothing detracts or distracts us.

We must commend the Chairman of our Governing Council, Professor Omenihu C. Nwaorgu and his team of wise men who work assiduously, committed as zealous stakeholders they are. Our relationship has been very cordial. I find them an excellent team in achieving the best for the Polytechnic and the Nigerian Polity.

My principal officers, staff and students, deserve a pat on the back, for a work well done. I could not have had better team in my principal officers! We are all players and actors on the stage of the Polytechnic, acting our roles. And we will depart the scene at the opportune moment; but we have no choice than to leave a legacy that will serve as memento, so much that we will be remembered happy, for sweet is the memory of the just.

I extol the resilience and stoicism of the parents and guardians of our graduating students, for their moral and financial support given to our graduands, amidst unquantifiable sacrifices by them during their transitory stay here. Great ideals are born of great suffering!

To our Fellowship recipients and friends, we thank you for accepting the offer we confer on you which have made you today significant stakeholders in the Polytechnic Family. Do not, please, hesitate to answer our distress call whenever we beckon to you. Above all our superlative thanks go to God, the father of tender mercies, for giving us power beyond what is normal with which to push ahead as we grapple with our challenges. The entire story has been a long walk to freedom, freedom to triumph over ignorance and superstition, freedom to attain technological freedom, in all godliness. We salute our pioneers, pioneers of intellectual freedom.

Conclusion

With God on our side, we shall cross the Rubicon because except the Lord keeps the city, the watchman waketh but in vain. We rely also on another watch-word: Fidelis in minimis, which is, faithfulness in little things. We are not unappreciative and ungrateful to all and sundry for your noble contributions, however infinitesimal you may have expended or yet to do, to advance our cause.

Once again, we immensely thank everybody who strove to be here today to rejoice with us. May God grant you all journey mercies as you travel back to your destinations.

Thank you and God bless!

Francis O. Otunta, PhD
Professor of Mathematics and Rector