From Princely Onyenwe
The rector of Federal Polytechnic Nekede, Engr. Dr. Michael Arimanwa FNSE, JP, has bagged the iconic Banking Education Award.
The award was last Saturday presented to the Rector by the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), Imo State branch, at its annual CIBN Dinner/Awards Night held at Rockview Hotels.
Arimanwa received the symbolic award alongside Gov. Hope Uzodinma, Dr. Ken Opara (CIBN President), Mr. Oliver Alawuba (GMD/CEO UBA) and some top financial experts and bankers in the country.
The Rector who is also an Honorary Senior Member of Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (HCIBN) was given the award based on his invaluable contribution in banking education through the Department of Banking and Finance of his education.
It is on record that the polytechnic has maintained an excellent record of performance in the activities of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria. The institution also has a thriving MoU with the CIBN where students of the programme can run CIBN approved curriculum alongside while in their regular classes. This practice would leave them with only a few courses to pass through to be chartered bankers, after their undergraduate studies. This is a noble platform that has been variously applauded by academic experts.
Meanwhile, the Rector has described the iconic banking education award by CIBN as an honour which he considers a source of motivation to him, vowing to remain committed in his avowed commitment in banking education in Nigeria.
The polytechnic chief also commended the good relationship existing between the polytechnic and the CIBN, which according to him, “has been reinforced by the banking education award given to me.”It would be recalled that the CIBN earlier in the year bequeathed a smart Bankers Hall to the polytechnic based on what the body described as the track record of excellence which the institution had maintained in all CIBN activities and programmes.
It is also noteworthy that the Federal Polytechnic Nekede was the only higher institution in South East bequeathed the beautiful edifice. In a lecture at the event themed “Building Resilience for Economic Growth in a Challenged Economy: The Agriculture Finance Option,” the guest speaker, Mr. Linus Okafor who is also the Accountant General of Imo State, described a resilient economy as that which has the ability to deal with adversity and withstand economic shocks, suggesting that agriculture is a veritable option to overcome the bleak economic indices faced by the country.
Speaking to newsmen at the sidelines of the event, the Rector described the lecture as very apt while describing agriculture as a credible option left for Nigeria to explore to keep the economy stable. He advocated a mechanized system of agriculture which has capacity to add value to farming as well as guarantee food stability.
The Rector encouraged the government to fully exploit the agricultural potentials of the country by incentivizing the sector adequately. Beyond agriculture, the Rector made a case for a knowledge-based economy which he described as a possible goldmine for the country when fully harnessed. The CIBN Banking Education award is one among a deluge of awards that has been bestowed on the Rector for what stakeholders have described as his outstanding performance in service delivery at the educational sector.
It would be recalled that Engr. Arimanwa had at four different occasions bagged best Rector award courtesy of reputable education bodies in the country.
Principal Officers present at the occasion included the Deputy Rector (Academic) Dr. C.C. Onyemenonu and the Registrar, Mrs. E.C. Anuna, while the Bursar and Librarian were represented by Mrs. Ijeoma Ukwu and Dr. Charles Obichere, respectively.
In a related development, rector of Federal Polytechnic Nekede, Engr. Dr. Michael Arimanwa FNSE, JP, has stated that his institution is working very hard to emerge Africa’s best-performing polytechnic.
The Rector said this Thursday while declaring open the 1st International Conference on Security organized by the School of General Studies of the institution which is billed to last three days.
According to the Rector, the Federal Polytechnic Nekede has remained the best-performing polytechnic in Nigeria and the most-sought-after by JAMB, a reason why his administration is working hard to embrace and sustain the international best practices in teaching and learning.
He also posited that his administration is working hard to give global visibility to the Federal Polytechnic Nekede through excellent service delivery.The Rector commended the idea of an international conference on security in view of the rising spate of insecurity in Nigeria.
Hear him, “I am delighted with this conference that has international coloration. And I commend the Dean, Dr Anayo Uhiara and the organizers of the conference, for this project. It is my hope that beyond the intellectual discussions and parleys on insecurity, there will be practical solutions proffered.
“Indeed, the communique issued at the end of the conference would be very vital to the government in its determined effort to end insecurity. Insecurity has affected everyone terribly. Our economy is nosediving and it is adversely affecting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) to Nigeria. So what we need now is solution which we hope to have after this international conference.”
Earlier in his address, the Dean of School of General Studies, Dr. Anayo Uhiara, had welcomed the Rector and participants to the conference, stressing that the academic gathering had become necessary in view of the “threat being posed by insecurity of lives and property in almost all states in Nigeria, and even beyond.”
In their separate remarks, the Keynote Speaker, Prof Samuel Ezeanyika of the Imo State University pointed out that insecurity affects farming and the economy very adversely; while the lead paper presenter, Dr. Austin Onuoha identified insecurity as emanating from the action or inaction of leadership, charging government to reinforce and resource all constitutional channels through which citizens can ventilate their grievances, with a view to acting on them very promptly.
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