FCE Umunze Provost Bags Anambra Education Icon Award

The Provost, Federal College of Education (Technical) Umunze, Anambra State, Prof. Theresa Okoli, recently received the highest accolade from her home state, Anambra.
The Anambra Man of the Year Group, honoured her with the Education Icon Award, in recognition of her remarkable contribution to learning as an erudite scholar; the development of education in the state through her leadership as provost; and relentless advocacy for gender inclusiveness in the larger society.
The group also honoured the former Vice-Chancellor, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Prof. Charles Esimone with the Public Servant of the Year, while the Lifetime Achievement Award went to the former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Prof. Benjamin Ozumba.
On the honour list was a Cambridge University postdoctoral fellow, senior visiting fellow, Harvard University, Prof. P.N Okeke, who was named ‘the Scientist of the Decade. Also, Prof. Joseph Chukwurah Ezigbo emerged as the Man of the Year, while the Board Chairman of Keystone Bank, Lady Ada Chukwudozie received the Woman of the Year award.
The chairman of the occasion, Dr. Chike Obidigbo, vouched for the integrity of the awards, saying that awardees were selected strictly on merit.
The curtain raiser at the event was the keynote by a seasoned scholar from the Department of Linguistics, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka, Prof Cecilia Eme, who spoke for over 40 minutes in flawless Igbo Language. Her presentation held the audience spellbound, as she appealed to parents to save Igbo Language from extinction by communicating with their children in native language.
A veteran diplomat with over 30 years management -level experience in the Nigerian Foreign Service, Ambassador Ajulu Okeke was celebrated with a Lifetime Achievement Award. She was the first female Ambassador Consul General in Nigeria.
In addition to these A-list actors drawn from both the education, political, entertainment and economic sectors, institutions were also recognised for their outstanding contribution to the state.
Christ the King College, Onitsha won the Best Secondary School of the Year, while Grundtvig International Secondary School, Oba emerged the Best Private School of the Year.
Various musical renditions spiced up the event, which held at STANEL Dome, Awka.
In her remarks, Okoli described the award as a motivation for more work, and dedicated it to staff and students of the college. She promised to work with relevant stakeholders to improve access to quality education in the state.
She thanked the organisers for the recognition, saying that such honour would further encourage teachers in their selfless service to the nation.
Meanwhile, the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has scored the college high on integrity. The college scored 78.8 per cent, which connotes substantial compliance on the ethics and integrity compliance, in an exercise conducted in federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) between May and June 2024.
This was contained in the report of the Deployment of Ethics and Integrity Compliance Scorecard (EICS) and ACTU Effectiveness Index in Federal MDAs 2024 released by the commission.
In a letter to the provost, dated December 6, 2024 signed by the ICPC Chairman, Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu (SAN), the commission noted substantial compliance on the EICS, and commended the college for the structures and processes put in place to promote efficiency.
The anti-graft agency further urged the college to provide an enabling environment for the Anti Corruption and Transparency Unit (ACTU) to function effectively.
The e-copy of the report can be accessed on the ICPC website at www.icpc.gov.ng
While responding to the report, the provost promised that the college would continue to follow due process in all financial activities. She said the dispassionate assessment by the ICPC was necessary to keep the college on the path of integrity in its internal operations.
She added that the college would continue to collaborate with the ICPC and other relevant agencies to ensure transparency and efficiency in service delivery.