INTERVIEW: How I Rejected Luxury Car, Built Abia Poly’s First Lecture Theatre In 32 Years — Rector

In this interview with Tayo OLU and Philip UKPE of THE WHISTLER, Engr. Dr. Okoro Christopher Kalu, the Rector of Abia State Polytechnic, Aba, shed light on his transformative tenure and ongoing efforts to revitalise the institution.

Appointed in March 2024, the Rector inherited a polytechnic grappling with infrastructural challenges, academic shortcomings, and a general lack of direction.

Within just 180 days, Dr. Kalu embarked on a comprehensive overhaul to address pressing challenges facing Abia Poly. He implemented a multifaceted approach focusing on infrastructure development, academic excellence, and character-building to reshape the institution’s landscape and restore its reputation. Excerpts…

Can You Share Your Experience In 180 Days As Abia Poly Rector?

More than 180 days have been eventful for me and for the institution. It’s a period of learning. It’s also a period of applying what has been learnt. It’s also a period of unlearning, and then bringing to bare certain things that must be done. To me, 180 days is just like yesterday. I don’t know if it’s important.

Before I was appointed as Rector of Abia State Polytechnic on March 18, 2024 by His Excellency, Dr. Alex Chioma Otti, the institution was in shambles. You know, there are basic things that define an institution. One, it’s a place for moulding character; a place for research and for learning. And to have all these things on ground, you must talk about infrastructure, you talk about academics, and then you talk about attitude, that is character – these three things. So, we met these three things at the negative part of it. Infrastructure-wise, we were nowhere. Character-wise, nothing. And then academics was the other way around.

What Can You Say You’ve Achieved During This Period?

In 180 days, by the grace of God, the cooperation of the Council on Management, and most importantly, the total support of His Excellency, Dr. Alex Otti, we’ve done a lot. Like I said, we have three aspects – Infrastructure, character, and academics. On Infrastructure, we have been able to clean up all the classrooms. All the classrooms on campus are tiled. All the laboratories are tiled. We’ve also started painting all the classrooms to make them conducive for learning.

Environment-wise, as a part of infrastructure, there is now daily cleaning of all the classrooms and the whole environment. So, if you come down step by step, you see a lot of difference. Infrastructure-wise also, when I came on ground, we had the science block donated by TETFund not being used. The building has about four floors, giving us about 36 classrooms, laboratories inclusive. I approached His Excellency, and he graciously approved funds.

And today, that place is completed. We have built 19 laboratories, and we have equipped all the classrooms to world standards. Most of them have gas piping, electrical conduits, and all the rest. And we also have been able to equip the offices there, about 22 offices. We equipped them with state-of-the-art standards. And then, just weeks ago, we’ve been able to award a contract through TETFund for us to use the normal intervention fund for construction of a 350-capacity lecture theatre, the first lecture theatre in Abia Polytechnic after 32 years. When I came on board, their money had already been mapped out for them to acquire a luxury car for the Rector.

But I rejected it, and to me, I cannot drive a luxury car when my students have no classroom. So, I rechanneled that particular fund through the advice of His Excellency, Dr. Alex Otti. And today, we have a lecture theatre being built in the institution. Also, based on infrastructure, we’ve been able to attract a lot of funds for equipment upgrade. As of today, we have funds for us to upgrade equipment on campus. Also, when I came on board, none of the equipment attracted by that fund from 2011 to date had been installed. But under my administration, as of today, all of the equipment has currently been installed, making sure that students have access to facilities.

As of today also, for all the principal officers, by the time I came on board, no classroom was tiled in the institution. As of today, all of them are tiled. When I came in as director, there was only the director’s office that was tiled for the principal officers. As of today, all of them have been tiled so that they can be able to sit down and work. When I came in, we used to spend about N9m monthly on diesel.

As of today, through the help of some good Abians, Chief James Ume was able to link us to the owner of APL, and today, we have steady light on campus, easing research and learning.

Students these days stay on campus up to 7, 8, 9, and 10 p.m., giving the environment that particular atmosphere of a tertiary institution. A lot more has been done.

Then, you come to the area of academics. When I came in, the institution did not have what is called an academic brief. An academic brief is a document that tells you about the institution and also projects what the institution should become in some years to come.
But as of today, we have developed an academic brief. We have people from all walks of life coming together from the industry, from universities and politics, coming together to give us the academic brief.

Already they have submitted, and we are going to move into that. Still on academics, we’ve been able to introduce a total of 14 new courses: Mechatronics. We’ve unbundled Computer Science to have those four courses in Computer Science. We’ve added artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, data network, and the rest of them. We’ve also unbundled mass communication to have media and journalism. We have also introduced courses like robotics, mechatronics, agriculture and biotechnology engineering.

We’ve also introduced taxation, cooperative economics. And then, we’re also presenting all our courses that have lost accreditation as of about 2021. We are also going for accreditation, full accreditation of those courses, and we believe with the level of preparation we have today, and with the support of Dr. Alex Otti, we are rest assured that we are going to come out successful 100 percent.

Still on academics, we’ve been able to unbundle the admissions. Before now, students didn’t have their files in their departments. Everything starts and ends at the admission office. No, that’s not the standard practice across the world. Today, we’ve been able to make sure that our students start the process from department to the schools, that is the college, and then to the admissions office.

What Are You Doing About Delay In Abia Poly Students’ Mobilisation For NYSC?

As of today, our students cannot go for NYSC as and when due. We have prepared our academic calendar in such a way that it runs through the normal one-year academic calendar.
The SUG election was held free, fair, and transparent – the first e-voting in the institution. It was conducted free, fair, and credibly. On the issue of character, lecturers are no longer involved in some petty things or negative things that are attached to lecturers. It is a taboo under my watch to extort students.

It is a taboo under my watch to engage in immoral acts. It is a taboo under my watch to be late to work. People are now serious. A lot of things are happening. Financial management is at the optimum because you have to look at your leader. I have spent over six months as a rector. I have not collected a dime for accommodation as rector of the institution. I have not collected N1 for accommodation. Thanks to His Excellency who has approved funding for us to renovate the rector’s lodge which is currently ongoing.

But for these six months, I have not collected a kobo from the institution for issues relating to accommodation and feeding or anything.

Where Do You See Abia Poly In The Next Four Years?

The best in the world and we are heading there.

There is this talk about making Abia Poly attain a federal status. Are there still plans to achieve that?

I do not think we might be moving towards that route, reason being that we already have a federal polytechnic in Abia, that is Federal Polytechnic, Isuochi in Umunneochi Local Government.
So, I do not think we might be moving into having two federal polytechnics in one state.

There is an issue of reports of students being knocked down on the road. Is there anything in management that could protect the students?

Yes, when we came on board, the last incident happened in March 2024, just two weeks after I became rector. And since then, His Excellency, being somebody that is pragmatic and proactive, has been able to sort out that problem by ensuring that he renovated the pedestrian bridge. Students now use the pedestrian bridge to cross.

So based on that, students no longer pass through the road; they use the pedestrian bridge. So for now, I don’t think we have such issues again.