The Alumni Association of Federal Polytechnic, Oko in Anambra State, has conferred a “Polytechnic Ambassador Award” on Mr. Charles Chukwunyere Onyeakazi, a top management staff of the Abuja office of the National Youth Service Corp (NYSC) scheme.
The award conferred on Mr. Onyeakazi, who graduated from the institution nearly three decades ago, came as part of activities marking the 2023 Alumni Award of the National Alumni Association of the school, which held on December 15, 2023 at the polytechnic’s campus.
Onyeakazi, a career civil servant who has spent his entire post-graduation years with the NYSC, and is a1996 graduate of the Department of Mass Communications from the institution, was honoured alongside other former graduates, students and former and current lecturers of the school.
Giving an insight as to why the ambassadorial award was being on conferred on Mr. Onyeakazi and seven others, Nze Henry Chukwuka Nnebe, National President of the Federal Polytechnic, Oko Alumni Association, said the decision was premised on their contributions to the growth of the Alumni Association, the society and humanity at large. He urged recipients of the award to think of ways of giving back to the school.
“I challenge you to think of ways you can give back to the Polytechnic to whatever degree you are comfortable. And I do not mean monetarily, though that is of course, always welcome. There are many ways to give back, from career and academic mentoring to volunteering at on-and –off campus events, to simply attending academic and social events”, Nnebe stated.
Commenting on the award bestowed on him, Mr. Onyeakazi, who said he was humbled by the recognition, said it would fire him to do more for the progress and development of the institution and to humanity at large.
“Trust is a burden and I will strive to always live up to expectation. I am indebted to the school in many ways not the least being the fact that it helped in shaping me intellectually and moulding my perception and worldview. This award is an honour I will forever cherish. I thank the Alumni association for making this possible”, Mr. Onyeakazi said.
Reacting to the award conferred on the top NYSC staff, his classmates at the polytechnic described him as a jolly good fellow propelled by lofty ideals.
While Mazi Ifeanyi Igboanugo, President of Oko Mass Comm 93/96 Class, a registered association of Mr. Onyeakazi’s classmates, said in a message of goodwill, that the association was “honoured to be associated with him for the award conferred on him for his giant strides in public service”, his classmates based in Abuja described him as a “worthy ambassador of our great institution, a dependable friend and trusted colleague, and a true patriot”.
Other categories of awards conferred at the occasion included the Outstanding/Distinguished/Most Distinguished Lecturers awards, Polytechnic Veterans Award, and Best Students Award.
The occasion also witnessed the institution of a public lecture series in honour of former Nigerian Head of State, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida (Rtd) who during his tenure as Nigerian leader, upgraded the institution from a state polytechnic to a federal one.
The Rector of the institution, Dr. Francisca Nwafulugo thanked the alumni association for instituting the lecture series and conferring awards on deserving individuals noting that she and members of the school’s management are working tirelessly to make the polytechnic a distinguished and outstanding citadel of learning.
