It was a gathering of eminent personalities from within and outside Imo State with friends, family members as the Rector of Federal Polytechnic Nekede Owerri, Dr Basilia Igbokwe held an elaborate thanksgiving service to mark her 100 days in office as the 9th substantive Rector of the institution
The Thanksgiving service was under the Chairmanship of Deacon Chike Okeafor, member, Representing Okigwe South Local Federal Constituency. The church service was the climax of activities marking celebration of her 100 days in office as the 9th substantive Rector of PolyNek.Tthe 1000 Hall Capacity was not just filled to the brim, there was also an overflow. No doubt; the church service was a glorious outing and the entire event was a huge success to the glory of God
Aside the display of massive renovation works of the Rector, the thanksgiving service, pomp and pageantry that characterized the event, there are silent but obvious lessons to learn from the 100 days of the 9th substantive Rector of Federal Polythenic Nekede, Dr Basilia Igbokwe.
Before outlining these obvious lessons, it will be pertinent to know the productive activities of this woman of grace as she is fondly called.
In the words of the Rector while delivering her speech at th 1000 Capacity Hall of the school, she described herself as a daughter of grace, loved by a faithful God who has never disappointed her. She noted that her elevation to the position of Rector, all she was able to do and achieved within her 100 days in office was not by her own making but by the grace and faithfulness of God who is too faithful to fail.
Her words; " I am a woman of grace, God has demonstrated his faithfulness and showered his mercy upon my life, that is why I marked this 100 days in office with thanksgiving to return all the glory to his holy name. My thanksgiving service is to tell this great God that; I am grateful for all he has demonstrated upon my life. I promised that within my 100 days in office, I must touch every aspect of my eleven point agenda. After my inauguration, someone asked me how possible could that be? today , I have touched all aspects of my 11 point agenda and achieved majority of it within 100 days in office.
When I came in board, the Agric Department was moribund, the school poultry, the fish pond, the pig farm and others were not functional, I don't know what happened , everything was shut down, but today we have bought 5 dozens of fingerlings to commence the fish pond, others will come up soon. Reviving the Agric sector is not left out in my achievement within 100 days I office. I told the staff that I will pay good attention to their welfare, I know they need encouragement to motivate them for optimum performance, within my 100 days in office I have touched issues concerning their welfare, some payment have been made and it will be a continous process. On environmental cleanliness, I told the contractors, as you clean your portion, you will be paid, they know my level of integrity, I don't promise what I cannot do, the commitment, they have shown to clean environment has yielded the needed result, is quite commendation.
Is in my plans to make Federal Poly Nekede the Cleanliness institution in Nigeria, am glad they contractors have bought into that dream and is working already. When you go through the school, you hardly see dirty littered in the premises.
It might interest us to know that we lost JAMB accreditation due to the poor condition of our CBT Center . For JAMB to give you accreditation, you need about 275 laptops, what we have was less 50, because of this; JAMB refused to give us accreditation, I told a contractor to give me laptops within four days, the required computers landed, today the CBT is working. So many institutions are writing us to use the place for their CBT exams, today the lost glory of that place has been restored. On security, I bought CCTV. Camera for the entire place, I made sure every building has at least one security officer guiding it . We have increased the number of security operatives in the school to enhance security of lives and property and has given that department a face lift.
Apart from students hostel, we have other buildings renovated within 100 days in office. The Tissue Paper, the Pure Water Factory and the Block Industry, were all renovated and became fully functional within my 100 days in office. The idea behind the Block industry is that our contractors will buy blocks from the institution. Is good for them to patronize us as they execute massive building projects, this will serve as a source of revenue to the school ".
Without mincing words, it is pertinent to state in clear terms that the 9th substantive Rector of Federal Polythenic Nekede, Dr Basilia Igbokwe, matched activity with productivity within her 100 days in office. The renovated projects are there for both friends and foes to see.
Activities marking the celebration of her 100 days in office may have come and gone, however; there are silent but obvious lessons to learn from her actions and inactions.
From her 11 point agenda she showed vision, but is not all about vision, any leader can have a dream and be visionary about certain desired eadership positions.We have seen leaders with Three Points Agenda, Seven Point Agenda, Five Points Agenda and so on but not all leaders, can match activity with productivity in actualization of their agenda in office .
First; she has provision to be a product of visionary agenda with capacity for actualization. Vision has always remained
the energy for the process, the source of disciplinary and progressive actions of any successful leader.
By the vision of Dr Mrs Basilia Igbokwe, as the 9th Substantive Rector of Federal Polythenic Nekede, which is rooted in her 11 Points Agenda, she has made the unseen visible and the unknown possible.
Judging from her productive results , she has proven that once you can hold on to a vision there’s a golden opportunity for you to move to fulfillment
Secondly; through her actions; she has proven that there is a clear difference between activity and productivity and that clear difference is productive result. Talk they say is cheap but actions are not. All her outlined achievements proved her commitment, passion, deliberate and diligent actions. From all indications , she is a living proof of the maxim that says; when preparation meets responsibility it gives births to success. '
Thirdly; from the Thanksgiving service, her utterances and reference to God in all her speeches, it points out to a life of total Dependability on God.
I watched the comments and views of the Rector, this woman grace cannot speak for sixty seconds without mentioning God's grace, faithfulness and mercy upon her life.
The high level of attention she gave the thanksgiving service with uparalled respect to God, unshakable dependability on God, a heart full of appreciation, above all one who draws her inspiration and natural strenght from the supernatural strenght of God.
The success story of successful people are rooted in their ideology or philosophy about life, what they did or failed to do. The pomp and pageantry that characterised the event may have come and gone, the coordination of those in charge of refreshment to ensure that everybody ate have also come and gone but the life and achievements of the 9th substantive Rector of Federal Polythenic Rector, Dr Basilia Igbokwe is a huge lession for those in leadership positions, the younger generation and those aspiring to occupy leadership positions. From all indications; she deserves commendation for matching activity with productivity within her 100 days in office
Chuks Nwokeji is Imo State Chairman; Guild of Newspaper Reporters.
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