Gemade Commissions FedPoly Oko Monument, Applauds Awuzie’s Transformation Drive

By Our Reporter

The Federal Polytechnic, Oko, has unveiled a new landmark at its main entrance, with the Chairman of its 12th Governing Council, Senator Engr. Dr. Barnabas Gemade, describing the monument as a symbol of the institution’s transformation, identity and renewed ambition.

The imposing structure, constructed through the Polytechnic’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) under the leadership of the Rector, Dr. Chioma Irene Awuzie, was formally commissioned amid excitement and applause from members of the institution’s Governing Council, management, staff and students.

Representing Senator Gemade at the commissioning ceremony, which took place at the Polytechnic’s main entrance, Council member Comrade Chibuzo Asomugha conveyed the Council Chairman’s congratulations to the Rector, management, staff and students for the successful completion of the project.

Gemade said the monument should be viewed beyond its physical appearance, describing it as a visual representation of the Polytechnic’s vision, mission and aspirations.

“This monument is more than a physical structure. It symbolises the vision and mission of Federal Polytechnic, Oko and reflects its aspiration for growth, excellence and enduring relevance,” Gemade said.

He commended Dr. Awuzie for her commitment to the development of the institution and assured her administration of the Governing Council’s continued support for initiatives designed to reposition the Polytechnic and move it to greater heights.

Awuzie: We Are Deliberately Transforming the Polytechnic

Speaking at the event, the Rector, Dr. Chioma Irene Awuzie, thanked the staff and students for their support, cooperation and commitment to her administration’s development agenda.

Awuzie said the monument was one of several visible outcomes of her administration’s broader transformation programme, which she said was focused on improving infrastructure, academic standards, student welfare, security, enterprise development and the overall environment of the Polytechnic.

According to the Rector, her administration, within a relatively short period, had embarked on interventions across virtually every critical sector of the institution.

“Our transformation agenda is deliberate and comprehensive. We are touching infrastructure, academics, student welfare, security, enterprise development and the revival of facilities that had been abandoned or left moribund,” she said.

She disclosed that the Polytechnic Water Factory and Bakery had been successfully reactivated and restored to productive use, contributing to the institution’s revenue base and enterprise development.

The Rector also announced the resuscitation of the Polytechnic Printing Press, as well as the construction of a Staff Sports Club and Guest House aimed at improving staff welfare and strengthening institutional hospitality.

Among the major infrastructural projects highlighted by Awuzie was the newly constructed Geological Technology Department Building.

She further disclosed that a Medical Centre was being constructed at the Ufuma Campus to improve healthcare delivery and provide easier access to medical services for members of the Polytechnic community.

Other interventions, she said, include the reduction of school fees and ongoing initiatives aimed at improving teaching and learning, student welfare and the general physical environment of the institution.

Monument Adds to Oko’s New Institutional Identity

The commissioning of the monument represents another visible milestone in the administration’s ongoing efforts to give Federal Polytechnic, Oko, a more functional, aesthetically appealing and development-oriented outlook.

Beyond serving as a landmark at the institution’s main entrance, the structure is expected to reinforce the Polytechnic’s institutional identity and provide a lasting representation of its vision and aspirations.

The ceremony attracted members of the Governing Council, principal officers, management staff, other employees and students, who witnessed the unveiling with enthusiasm and a strong sense of institutional pride.

The event ended on a celebratory note, with stakeholders commending the Rector’s administration for its ongoing interventions and expressing optimism that the renewed focus on infrastructure and institutional development would further strengthen the Polytechnic’s position as a leading institution of technological and vocational education.

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