Kayode Olanrewaju 
…group honours her for enhancing teacher education
The Provost, Federal College of Education, Technical (FCET), Umunze in Anambra State, Prof Theresa Okoli, has pledged to work with relevant stakeholders to improve access to quality education in the state.
She made the pledge while reacting to the conferment of the Education Icon Award, the highest honour in Anambra State, her home state, bestowed on her by the Anambra Man of the Year Group.
The award was bestowed on the Provost in recognition of her remarkable contributions to learning, development of education in the state through her leadership as Provost, and relentless advocacy for gender inclusiveness in the larger society.
Meanwhile, the group also honoured the former Vice Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Prof Charles Esimone with the award of Public Servant of the Year, while the Lifetime Achievement Award was conferred on former Vice Chancellor of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), Prof Benjamin Ozumba.
Others on the honour list include a Cambridge University Postdoctoral Fellow, Senior Visiting Fellow at Harvard University, Prof P.N Okeke, who received the Scientist of the Decade Award; Prof Joseph Chukwurah Ezigbo received the Man of the Year Award, and the Board Chairman of Keystone Bank, Lady Ada Chukwudozie was bestowed with the Woman of the Year Award.
The Chairman of the event, Dr Chike Obidigbo, who vouched for the integrity of the awards, stressed that the awardees were selected strictly on merit, saying that there was no political undertone or monetary inducement for the selection of the awardees, but a due diligence scrutiny of their work and contributions to society.
The high point of the event was the keynote address delivered by a scholar from the Department of Linguistics, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka, Prof Cecilia Amaoge Eme, who spoke in Igbo Language, and appealed to parents to save Igbo Language from going into extinction by communicating with their children in their native language.
Also, the first female Ambassador Consul General in Nigeria, Ambassador Ajulu Okeke was honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award.
The Provost, who described the award as a motivation for more work, and dedicated the honour to staff and students of the college, pledged to work with relevant stakeholders to improve access to quality education in the state.
She thanked the organisers for the recognition, stressing that the honour would further encourage and spur teachers in their selfless service to the nation.
