Oko Alumni Hall of Fame: Ekwueme, Gemade, Onu, Ayinde, others honoured tomorrow 

By Ezurike Ugochukwu

The Federal Polytechnic Oko Alumni Association will on Saturday honour Nigeria’s first elected Vice-President, the late Dr Alex Ifeanyichukwu Ekwueme, Senator Barnabas Gemade, former Rector Professor Godwin Onu, Chief Tayo Akinmade Ayinde and other distinguished personalities at its 40th anniversary celebration.

The honourees are being inducted into the Oko Polymath Hall of Fame in recognition of their contributions to institution-building, public service, academic leadership, professional excellence, entrepreneurship, media, entertainment, community development and the advancement of the Federal Polytechnic Oko legacy.

The event will mark 40 years of Higher National Diploma (HND) excellence and honouring  distinguished graduates whose contributions have helped shape the Polytechnic and extended the name of Oko across Nigeria and beyond.

The anniversary, scheduled for September 26, 2026, is themed “Oko to the World — Building Stars” and marks four decades since the Polytechnic produced its pioneer HND graduates in 1986.

At the centre of the celebration is the unveiling of the Oko Polymath Hall of Fame, featuring prominent figures from politics, public administration, academia, media, law, entertainment, banking, entrepreneurship, technology, philanthropy and community development.

The late Dr Alex Ekwueme, was one of the foundational figures, the visionary initiator and driving force behind the establishment of the institution that eventually became Federal Polytechnic, Oko.

As pioneer chairman of the Oko Progressive Union, his resourcefulness, patronage and commitment helped transform the community’s educational aspirations into a permanent institution of higher learning.

His recognition therefore represents a link between the community vision that birthed the institution and the generations of graduates it has produced.

Another major figure being honoured is Senator Engr. Barnabas Gemade, OFR, CON, Chairman of the Governing Council of Federal Polytechnic Oko since 2024.

The association credits Gemade with providing principled leadership and interventions aimed at restoring administrative stability, institutional harmony and academic focus during a critical period in the Polytechnic’s history.

Former Rector Professor Godwin Onu, who led the institution from 2010 to 2018, is also being recognised for his contribution to digital and institutional transformation.

During his tenure, the Polytechnic introduced computer-based examinations, expanded academic programmes, attracted funding for infrastructure and pursued international partnerships, alongside initiatives on discipline and staff development.

Dr Chukwugekwu Eugene Ubaka, who served as Acting Rector from August 2024 to January 2025, is recognised for providing continuity during the final phase of a prolonged leadership transition.

Ubaka holds another distinction as the first alumnus of the Polytechnic to serve as Acting Rector of the institution. He had also served the Alumni Association as Chairman of its Caretaker Committee and at one time as Chairman of its Board of Trustees.

The alumni category features an equally diverse group of personalities whose careers demonstrate the breadth of talent associated with Oko.

Among them is Chief Tayo Akinmade Ayinde, an Accountancy graduate and Chief of Staff to the Lagos State Governor, recognised for strategic leadership and public service.

Rt. Hon. Ben Nwankwo, Ph.D, a former three-term member of the House of Representatives representing Orumba North/South Federal Constituency, is honoured for his contributions to public administration, governance and leadership.

The media and communications sector is represented by personalities including Kingsley Datubor Uranta, a media executive and trainer associated with Channels Television and the Channels Academy; Chief Moses Akaigwe, Motoring Editor and principal automotive writer with The Sun; Lolo Obiageli Eunice Osakwue, a media executive and alumni leader; and filmmaker Alex Eyengho, former President of the Association of Nollywood Core Producers and the first African elected Vice-President of the International Federation of Film Producers Associations.

The entertainment industry also features prominently, with Dr Ejezie Emeka Rollas, MON, former President of the Actors Guild of Nigeria, among the honourees. Barr. Augustine Metu Ejike, whose career spans student leadership, law and acting, is also recognised.

In entrepreneurship, Chief Sir Kevin Chukwumobi, founder and Chief Executive Officer of APAMS Funeral Undertakers Nigeria Limited, is honoured for building a nationally recognised brand and introducing greater professionalism and specialised services into Nigeria’s funeral services sector.

Other honourees include Chief Sir Obialor Kingsley Ikechukwu, an industrialist and philanthropist; Chief Marcellinus Ugochukwu Chikaodi Iloh, recognised for community development and support for the Polytechnic; Dr Chris Odimgbeonu, whose career spans banking, technology and philanthropy; and Nze Kanayo Chukwumezie, businessman, political leader and humanitarian.

The list also includes prominent alumni leaders such as Hon. Victor Okey Orji, Commodore, former National President of the Alumni Association and Chairman of its Board of Trustees; Sir Udensi Eric Uchenna, former National President and current Board of Trustees member; Dr Chinyere Jovel Emele, a pioneer of the Alumni Association and former Dean of General Studies; Prof. Rose Nwankwor, a pioneer Library and Information Science graduate; Barr. Emeka Okpala, lawyer, broadcaster and former General Manager of NTA Yenagoa; and Ichie Sir Dr Izuchukwu Isaac Nwabueze, banker, philanthropist and community leader.

Chief Barr. Austin Arinze Obiefuna, an alumnus, lawyer, public health advocate and humanitarian, is also listed among the Hall of Fame honourees for his contribution to global health and development.

Rev’d Emeka Iloelunachi, a distinguished alumnus and an accomplished banker, financial services executive, digital transformation expert and ordained Anglican priest. A former MD/CEO of Fast Credit Limited, he led its transformation into a leading non-bank financial institution. He is currently CEO of AMS Finance and Management Limited and Deputy President of the Finance House Association of Nigeria. His professional excellence, leadership and service earn him a place in the Oko Polymath Hall of Fame

For the National President of the Alumni Association, Nze Henry Chukwuka Nnebe Agunaechemba, the anniversary is not merely a celebration of elapsed years but a reflection on the enduring impact of the Polytechnic’s educational heritage.

He said the pioneer HND graduates of 1986 opened the way for generations of men and women whose intellectual versatility, professional excellence, leadership, enterprise and commitment to service had carried the name of Oko far beyond its campus.

Nnebe described the expression “Oko Polymaths” as a fitting description of the breadth of talent and accomplishment nurtured by the institution.

According to him, the distinguished personalities being celebrated come from different professions, generations and spheres of influence, but share a common foundation in the Oko experience.

“Their accomplishments stand as living evidence that education becomes truly consequential when knowledge is joined with character, discipline, courage and service,” he said.

He said the anniversary would celebrate not only individual achievements but also the collective legacy of the pioneers who laid the foundation, generations that strengthened it and contemporary graduates who continue to extend the Polytechnic’s influence.

The Alumni President urged younger graduates to see the accomplishments of the honourees as a reminder that education should be measured not only by where it takes an individual but also by what the individual does with the knowledge, values and opportunities acquired.

The September 26 celebration will consequently bring together the institution’s history, its former administrators, pioneer graduates, alumni leaders and contemporary stars in a single commemoration of “40 Years of HND Excellence, 1986–2026.”

From the community initiative that gave birth to the institution, through four decades of HND production, to graduates now making their mark in Nigeria and internationally, the message of the anniversary is encapsulated in its theme: From Oko to the world, the stars continue to rise.