FUTO Alumni Association envisages global recognition, moves to improve transcript processing for graduates

By Omolola Dede Adeyanju

The Chairman, Federal University of Technology, Owerri Alumni Association (FUTOAA), Lagos Chapter has disclosed his prospect for the University to gain global recognition as the Vice Chairman also assures commitment to ensuring an improvement in transcript processing of the University.

According to the Chairman, FUTOAA, Lagos Chapter, Chief (Dr) Obioma Anselm Chukwuka during a session with Newsdirect at the Alumni summit held on Friday in Lagos, these three months of his post inauguration as chairman of the association have been fruitful. He explained that the association has instituted an insurance program and established a cooperative society also for the FUTOAA Lagos Chapter members.

‘My core interest is to see to the welfare of members and to strategize on how FUTO can be pushed to the global community, gaining global recognition as well as projecting a system where the Alumni gets involved in the decision making and administration of the University to help in advancing a good condition of the institution.’ he said.

Dr. Ansalem enumerated more of his vision on projecting Futo as a pioneer University of technology in Nigeria and taking the association to the hearts of the University Authorities. He stressed, ‘I want to see synergy between the university and the alumni association, I am determined to achieve this.’ he determined.

However, the Vice Chairman, FUTOAA, Lagos Chapter Mr Moses Ihejieto examined the relevance of the association saying, ‘FUTOAA Lagos Chapter is on the top echelon of great FUTO alumni National, we have Entrepreneurs we are building and giving mentors who can hold them by the hand and set a pace for them.’

Mr Moses examined how FUTO sharpened his life beyond the character his parents inculcated in him. Noting that he built resilience, determination, patience, and goal-getting, through FUTO. Hence, his rise beyond the social status to the corridor of power as the vice chairman was birthed from his passion to give back to his Almamater considering how well the institution aided in his achievements today.

The vice chairman submitted that there are a lot the association aims to change in FUTO. He explained, ‘We want to make a change, harness our human resources and financial resources so that the new students being admitted into the institution can have a better experience than we did’

In pinpointing the major challenge the association deems to address, Mr Moses expressed his concern on the case of transcript processing. ‘Most of our graduates are finding it difficult to process their transcripts, the school management have tried their best, they can’t do it alone. They have trained us to a level where we can also help them.

‘As the alumni association for FUTO, we are doing a lot to support them in improving the transcript processing; we also want to improve the employability of our graduates; we are creating a forum for our graduates to make them top employees in diverse fields and to prepare them to be able to stand the rigors of employment.’ he added.

Meanwhile, the Ex chairman FUTOAA Collins Opara also examined the giveback of the Association to members and the society at large. He mentioned that it is dependent on the bonding and union they share. “We have an innovation hub, we used to have a physical site for the hub, however, that outfit exists as a virtual body now but we still support our members through technology, incubation of ideas and provision of necessary support for members if their ideas can go to the markets.

“The association also has a Cooperative, though it’s been inactive for a while, we expect the new Executives to bring that back up. The idea is to create the necessary crowd funding for members. We have also been working on an accident emergency medical insurance scheme, which we also expect the new Executives to continue in case any of our members need an emergency medical issue, he could easily get access to treatments.” he explained.

Mr Collins examined FUTOAA as a national body with ten chapters, nine in Nigeria and one in diaspora with a mandate to support the students, Alumni and the society in general. ‘The association provides two major programs for all chapters to work on. They are; The graduate internship program and the graduate Entrepreneurship Programme.

‘The graduate internship program is to allocate student members to companies owned by our members for them to be trained. Apart from that, FAA is looking at the tool to help mentors and mentees so everyone coming up gets mentorship.’ he said.

Looking back on the major challenges he faced being the chairman, Mr Collins said, ‘The challenges are general things in leadership. Coming up with a program and having to navigate the presentation to the Executives. Some ideas become successfully executed and fruitful while some ideas fail and you get the backlash.

‘Another challenge is thinking through ideas that would make members follow the leadership. Also to get everyone to understand the concept of the association, gathering them physically beyond the virtual space and presenting your ideas can also be challenging.’ he revealed.

While speaking to the Press, a member of the association for over twenty years, Engr Tony Okpara, also known as ‘90J’, a name he earned from being a jambite in the 90s, 1990 precisely, who graduated in the year 1996 from FUTO, lauded the association for the bond and love they share, how they stand up for each other, serve selflessly and render help to members when needed.

Chief Iyke Anyawu Ikukundu a floor member of the association also explained that his involvement in the association is from the hunger to reward his Almamater. He cited discipline, perseverance and ambitiousness amongst other values inculcated by the institution in him.

Chief Anyawu also mentioned several professors who sharpened his ways of thinking and pledged his commitments to giving back to FUTO.

Furthermore, a floor member of the association, Engr Kinsley Ijeh submitted that FUTO helped fine-tune his mental fitness and molded him for who he is now. He enumerated, ‘You will find out that in Aptitude tests generally, FUTOites are always the best.’ Complimenting FUTOAA, he said, ‘The association has helped me get some jobs, and developed ideas. The chairman, though recently inaugurated, is trying to introduce new strategies. We need to give him some time to realize the expected change.’ he advised.

SUG Speaker, 2010 academic session, FUTO, and member of the Alumni Association, Mr Emeka Chima, disclosed that FUTO is a free school without cultism and being a part of the FUTOAA is a great privilege for him. He stressed that he could get connections and mingle with people of like minds and advance better. Mr Emeka lauded the chairman of the Lagos chapter for his attentive leadership, saying the administration so far is commendable.

Also, Mr Okeh Ochulo, a chartered chemist drug designer and an Alumnus of FUTO, stated that FUTO has networks of graduates across industries and this has been very helpful in creating a network of business, career advancement and other opportunities.

‘As a member of the constitutional review committee for the Association, he said, ‘We have an IT impactation program open to everyone, not only members and this is a means of building the national economy. The chairman is a Kickstarter, well positioned, connected, humane and down to earth person despite being a fellow of several professional bodies.’ Mr Ochulo appraised.

Additionally, a non-Alumnus of FUTO, and well wisher of the association, Engr Ozoemena Kelechi noted that there is a lot to learn from the chairman and he has a lot of talents to offer. He said, ‘In the company I work, Chief Obioma has been able to offer a whole lot of ideas.

‘His kind are those we look up to, to bring up the new generation. He is grounded academically, with great ideologies, he is one of those we can count on in terms of generating the right solutions, ideas and innovations.’ Mr Kelechi commended