Today, family, friends and associates would converge on the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja to honour Senator Onyeka Okorafor as he is bestowed with an Award of Excellence in National Development. The award is an addition to a couple of others he has received for the great strides he has made as a public officer in the country, the latest being his achievements as Chairman, Governing Council of the Federal Polytechnic, Offa.IDEALLY, public office should attract only persons of proven high ethical values, proper education and independence of mind. Such persons easily become the cornerstones of good governance; they emit positive vibes and translate dreams into reality. Leading from a position of strength, they approach matters of governance with a resoluteness and sense of urgency which produces tangible results. They are institution builders and not institution wreckers.And so, when society identifies such men of character, it honours them. The Award of Excellence in National Development being bestowed on Senator Onyeka Okorafor today by Corporate and Media Communications cements the Abriba High Chief's growing reputation as a public officer par excellence and an imaginative administrator worthy of celebration.As Chairman, Governing Council of Federal Polytechnic, Offa, Senator Okorafor is proof that with sound education and strength of character, a leader can impact positively on any given national assignment. Little surprise it has been honours galore for the distinguished Senator, today's being the fifth in a row for what those honouring him describe as the niche he has carved for himself as the most resourceful and accomplished chairman of any governing council in the country in this past dispensation.Last year, he was honoured as 'Best Chairman of all Federal Polytechnics' by the Distinguished Magazine, which was a crowning glory. This year, The Guardian and Thisday Newspapers named the Senator in their 'Top 50 Nigerians of Integrity' and 'Top Nigerian Professionals,' in respective personality surveys. Vanguard Newspaper also recognized his contribution.Senator (Engineer) Onyeka Amadi Okorafor was born on the 5th of June 1944. He attended a missionary Primary School where his father was the headmaster in the present day Ebonyi State. This background probably explains his discipline, commitment to service, energy and drive. Young Onyeka attended the prestigious Hope Waddel Training Institute, Calabar, the same institution that produced some of Nigeria's brand names like Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, Chief Adeniran Ogunsanya and Dr Akanu Ibiam. Onyeka is a graduate of the elite George Washington University in Washington DC, from where he obtained his B.Sc. (Mechanical Engineering) and Masters in Engineering (Energy Systems).He was elected a senator of the Federal Republic representing Abia Central in the Third Republic, where he served as Committee Chairman on Water Resources and Deputy Chairman, Committee on Agriculture. A founding member of NADECO, Senator Okorafor's principled and uncompromising stand on the revalidation of Chief Abiola's June 12 mandate earned him arrested and detention with then Senate President, Ameh Ebute and 37 other progressive senators, including Bola Tinubu and the late Polycarp Nwite.Having paid his dues to conscience and country, today's recognition by Corporate Media may well be the icing on the cake, bearing in mind the legacy he is leaving behind in the administration of polytechnic education in Nigeria in general and Offa in particular.Established in 1992, the Federal Polytechnic, Offa is one of Nigeria's most reputable citadels of technical education, having graduated over 35,000 students in various disciplines at the ND and HND levels as well as other academic programmes.However, the institution was wracked by internal crises at several fronts, which disrupted academic programmes and halted the steady progress the school was making in manpower development and scientific research. The crises, which spilled over into the community impacted negatively on the smooth running of the academic calendar, student enrolment, teaching staff harmony and the security of lives.The coming of Senator Okorafor's Governing Council in February 2009 and the appointment of a suave, dedicated, thorough-bred intellectual, Dr Mufutau Olatunde Olatinwo, as Rector, quickly turned gloom into boom and injected into the Federal Polytechnic, Offa, the much needed breath of fresh air.Under his dynamic and purposeful leadership, the institution has been transformed into a bastion of peace and academic progress. Stakeholders, delighted at the rapid turnaround of the school's fortunes credit Okorafor with a leadership style which places premium on dialogue, consultation and openness. With this inclusive approach, the Governing Council chairman has brought everybody on board ' the rector with his principal officers, the lecturers and non-academic staff with their labour leaders, the students and their union executives and the larger community. Through dialogue, council and management resolved issues with labour and student union leaders to move the institution forward. Dialogue has opened new vistas of opportunity for containment and accommodation in an atmosphere formerly thought to be intractably combustive.The pervading peace has yielded dividends. The institution successfully held its 7th Convocation in November last year, after an eight-year hiatus occasioned by strife. Student admission has been regularized and the academic calendar is running on schedule. At present, Federal Poly, Offa, is one of the most sought after by students seeking admission.Okorafor is being celebrated today because of the noble efforts he and his team invested in transforming the polytechnic from a dream to a viable entity that can hold its own as a centre of academic excellence. Through phenomenal hard work on an aggressive development agenda, stakeholders are unanimous that the institution is today punching above its weight and has left its peers far behind in the pursuit of academic and infrastructural excellence. At inception, there were plans to move the school to its permanent site, but nothing concrete was done in that direction, even at a time the mini-campus, which is the temporary site, was overcrowded due to increased student intake. This posed an urgent challenge, which he met with characteristic pragmatism.Faced with the familiar obstacles against capital project execution in public schools in Nigeria ' paucity of funds (the Federal Government has yet to release to the school the statutory take-off grant), and contractors unwilling to re-mobilize to site because they could not access their funds, Okorafor directed the authorities to mobilize for a direct labour approach for all abandoned projects.At present, 15 projects have been completed, equipped and commissioned. The School of Business and Management Studies has been relocated to the permanent site, while plans are concluded to also move the Schools of Environmental Sciences and Communication Technology. Sourcing funds beyond what was approved by the Federal Ministry of Education for capital projects, the school embarked on 14 major capital-intensive projects ' a medical centre, new classroom, administrative and hostel blocks, engineering laboratory and workshop equipments, sports complex, student and staff common rooms, rehabilitation of a theatre and hostel, the construction of a new bukateria and a network of internal roads, landscaping and beautification of the campus, including major drainages among others.All courses offered by the school have been accredited by the National Board for Technical Education for National Diploma and Higher National Diploma certificates. Four new departments have been added and also accredited. They include Estate Management; Town and Urban Planning; Land Survey; and Hotel and Catering Management. An ambitious manpower redevelopment scheme has been put in place so staff can take advantage and retrain themselves. Laboratories have been equipped and upgraded while a modern ICT Centre is nearing commissioning.Honour to whom it is due! And as Senator Okorafor's associates and supporters file out today to honour him, it sends out an unambiguous message to the younger generation -' integrity, honour and hard work are the constants of true character.
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