Orumba North Mayor, others Laud Awuzie for Restoring Peace in Fedpoly Oko Community
By Uzo Ugwunze
The Mayor of Orumba North LGA, Barr Casmir Nwafor, Director of Polytechnic Education and Allied Institution Federal Ministry of Education, Dr Ejeh A. Usman, Federal Polytechnic Oko (FPO) Dean Students Affairs, Dr Chibuzo Asomugha, FPO Chairman, Academic Staff Union of Polytechnic ASUP, Barr. Fidelis Odua have all commended the Substantive Rector of FPO, Dr Chioma Awuzie for achieving so much just within 100 days in office including the restoration of peace between the Polytechnic and the host community, Oko.
In their separate speeches they said that although Dr. Irene Chioma Awuzie remains a go-getter, intelligent and a quintessential Amazon, her achievements could be attributed to the fact that she has been an experienced staff of Federal Polytechnic Oko who understands the needs and problems of the institution and was passionate about repositioning the citadel of learning to regain its former glory.
According to the LG Mayor, Barr. Nwafor, We have seen a wonder working rector that came in with a passion to work from the first day till 100 days in office and is ready to continue.
“Oko people are very happy with her. Yesterday was medical outreach where she initiated health facilities and services for Oko community to benefit. We saw the Skill acquisition programme flagged off and my community Oko is also benefiting from the vocational trainings.
‘The LG is going to partner with the polytechnic in several areas including sports, security. We are going to have a synergy with the polytechnic community.
The LG has already made plans to construct the Total Petrol Station to Polytechnic road to ease up traffic inside the school premises.So that the school can lock up their gates away from people who don’t have any business passing through the polytechnic,” said Nwafor.
Contributing, ASUP Chairman FPO, Barr. Fidelis Odua said: “Honestly there is nothing as good as home grown Rector. When I came into office as the ASUP Chairman, Federal Polytechnic, Oko, Chapter on March 23, 2023, from that day we started agitating unwaveringly for an IIGR- Internal Internally Generated Rector.”
“An IIGR knows the problems of the people, the challenges and also knows how to solve the problems particularly when the individual has the mindset and is prepared.
“God has done it for us. God did not just give us an IIGR in the person of Dr Chioma Irene Awuzie but she came in prepared for the job. That is why you can see such a plethora of achievements recorded just within 100 days in office. You can see how computers have been distributed to various departments. Bread,water factory, printing press which were all moribund have been revived.
“The licence of our Polytechnic F.M. radio which expired for long has been renewed and the radio is now on air. Staff promotions have been released- 2023, 2024, and even 2025 all of them. Every staff who is qualified and has submitted his or her papers and documents as at 2025 has got his or her promotion.
“The Polytechnic is witnessing geometric and quantum transformation in all spheres. There is now cordial relationship between the Polytechnic and the host community. All these within 100 days in office. The jinx has been broken with the assumption of Dr. Chioma Irene Awuzie into office as an IIGR Substantive Rector.
Moreover , Governing Council Member and Dean Students Affairs, Dr. Chibuzo Asomugha stated: “today you can see how sports brought together both the polytechnic community together. This is a community that has suffered from disintegration. The Rector coming now to organize this Unity Cup actually united the community you can see everyone coming out with happiness. Everybody coming out to support this project. We were in a regime where cronyism, favoritism, exclusionism was the mode of the administration but now Dr Chioma Awuzie is coming to break boundaries, close ranks and bring people together.
“100 days is supposed to mark the laying of foundation but she is now commissioning even projects that she started from the scratch. Nobody knows the majic but she is doing it. Our only prayer is that she receives grace to sustain it. If she goes on we believe that the proper repositioning of the polytechnic is here with us,” said Asomugha.
Earlier during a press briefing, reacting to the reason why she has achieved so much within few days in office Dr. Awuzie said: “I am a homebred, in fact the first Internal Internally Generated Substantive Rector of Federal Polytechnic Oko. So, I am not a stranger in this institution and I know what is happening. I tackle the problem timely from the root because I am an insider. I know where our problems lie and can easily nip it at the bud.
“For instance, fund has always been a major challenge to most higher institutions.That is why as a visionary leader,my administration has revived some of our factories which were once moribund to generate fund internally not depending only on federal allocation or TETFUND interventions.
“We reactivated cum invested in the satchet, table water, poly foods ventures, printing press, Fine&applied Arts department, Home&Allied Economics department for different kinds of dishes and pastries . We source funds from all these departments to take care of some things or augment what we are expecting from the Federal Government,” said Awuzie.
Moreso, Angu Jacob Umoru Deputy Director in the Federal Ministry of Education who represented the Director of Polytechnic Education and Allied Institution Federal Ministry of Education, Dr Ejeh A. Usman after observing the huge success so far and listening to the question and answer session during the Rector’s press briefing recommended that Substantive Rectors be generated internally to accelerate the progress and development of the Polytechnic using Dr. Irene Chioma Awuzie as a glaring example.
“May I commend the rector for her prudent management of resources which are mostly internally generated because government has not released money yet. She is working assiduously to take this polytechnic to enviable heights”, he said.
