From Aloysius Attah, Onitsha
The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), Federal Polytechnic, Oko, Anambra State, recently organised a valedictory session for some of its retiring members.
Chairman of ASUP, Oko Poly, Dr. Fidelis Oduah, said the honour was a gesture to appreciate those who have laboured for the union over the years.
Those honoured included former deputy rector of the institution, Dr. Benji Azuka, Dr. Vincent Okonkwo, Mrs. Esther Odigwe and Mr. Edward Molokwu.
They were awarded cash gifts and also presented with merit award plaque to appreciate their contributions in service.
Oduah further stated that the gesture was part of his campaign promises while aspiring to the position of chairman of the union, where he promised to ensure that retirees in the union are adequately taken care of.
He recalled that the retirees were those who paid their check-off dues monthly throughout their years in the civil service and so it was just that such people should be appreciated when they retire.
He said such practices would continue in the life of the administration and, hopefully, sustained in the future.
“I said we must put into consideration their welfare and, today, we have fulfilled part of the campaign promises,” he said.
Oduah, who was former head of the Department of Mass Communication of the polytechnic, disclosed that his executive members came on board barely two months ago, while he has set his eyes on the ball towards achieving various goals and mission statements of his administration.
He said the ASUP building yet to be completed would be given priority while their tenure subsists.
Oduah called for a harmonious relationship between the polytechnic’s management and the union, even as he solicited more funding and support from government on the needs of the institution.
Another ASUP member, Dr. Nkiruka Akabuike, head of the Department of Statistics, who lauded the initiative of the executives in honouring the retirees, described the development as the making of history in the institution.
She recalled that such gestures were happening for the first time in the federal polytechnic, as previous leaders of the union did not toe such paths.
“This exco just came on board two months ago and we are already witnessing this. There is nothing better than saying thank you for meritorious service. These are people who have worked with us for over 35 years and they are now retiring; it is just right that we appreciate them, tell them thank you and also tap from their blessing because some people died before retirement,” she said.
She prayed for long life for the retirees that they will enjoy more fulfilling years, instead of suffering any misfortune.
Responding on behalf of the retirees, Mrs. Odigwe, in a statement, prayed for the ASUP members, that God would continue to bless their endeavours, as they deemed it fit to remember them. She described retirement as a good omen.
“It is not a bad thing to retire. We are retiring in good health and we are pulling out so as to make way for others too. The younger ones coming after us should also remember that a day like this will come,” she said.
One of the retirees honoured, Dr. Okonkwo, who spoke to the reporter after the ceremony, recalled his journey into the institution years back when he was asked to start a department without any curriculum and facilities, but they went to work and eventually succeeded.
Okonkwo said, through their efforts and the grace of God, he enjoyed his stay in the polytechnic and retired as a chief lecturer in the Department of Science Laboratory Technology.