Owan Tonica’s impact on Federal Cooperative College in Oji-River, Enugu, Transformed the Institution Significantly.

The Federal Cooperative College in Oji-River, Enugu was forever transformed by the impactful contributions of Dr. Owan Obodoagu Tonica. His tireless dedication and hard work resulted in a significant improvement of the institution, leaving an indelible mark on its history.

There is a popular inspirational quote that says successful people are not born with special talents; instead, they work hard to achieve their goals and succeed intentionally. This quote perfectly depicts the story of Dr. Owan Obodoagu Tonica, the Provost of Federal Cooperative College in Oji River, Enugu State. Dr. Tonica’s leadership qualities have brought significant changes to the college and made it a more desirable option for prospective students looking for a reputable tertiary institution.

No doubt, the ongoing reforms driven by Dr. Tonica have increased and given the College a comparative advantage over contemporaries over others in the country.

The Dean of Student Affairs of the Federal Cooperative College Oji River Enugu State, Mr. Monday Negbe, said the college has become the toast of many young girls and boys seeking admission into tertiary institutions across the country.

Negbe emphasized that the Federal Cooperative College Oji River has undergone significant infrastructural upgrades in recent years, transforming it from a school lacking basic facilities for learning, training, and development to an institution that provides the right atmosphere for academic excellence and capacity building.

Negbe, however, informed our reporters that the coming of Dr. Owan Obodoagu Tonica as Provost of the institution changed the narratives of the college; hence the transformational leadership of the provost catapulted the Federal Cooperative College Oji River into an institution with a comparative advantage over others in the country.

During the interview in his office, the Dean of Student Affairs reflected on the early days of the college and how some of the initial staff members almost quit because the college was not yet developed enough to resemble a tertiary institution. He mentioned that there were no access roads leading to the college campus and that the current Provost had constructed the first access road in record time upon assuming office.

Buoyed by the success of the first project, the Provost embarked on the building of lecture halls, the ICT Centre Project with over 200 laptop computers that now serve as the Joint Admissions and Matriculations Board (JAMB) Computer Based Test Examinations (CBT) Centre.

“Provost moved on to construct a magnificent administrative block now known as the White House where principal officers of the college have their offices. Also, he embarked on the construction of more classroom blocks, and hostel blocks as well as invited the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) for accreditation of all the academic programmes in the college,” the Dean added.

The Dean of Student Affairs revealed that under the administration of Dr. Tonica, two more administrative blocks were built near the White House to accommodate the growing number of staff at the Federal Cooperative College Oji River. Additionally, the Provost constructed new internal roads within the college premises to enhance movement around the campus.

To further improve the college’s infrastructure, the Provost embarked on a capital-intensive project to renovate the College Auditorium. The previous state of the auditorium was deplorable, with leaking roofs and cracks in the walls. However, the Provost transformed it into a modern facility with air-conditioning systems in place, making it a state-of-the-art edifice.

Describing the Provost as God-sent to rewrite the history of the Federal Cooperative College Oji River Enugu State, the Dean said since the coming of Dr. Tonica, there has not been any crisis of misunderstanding amongst his management team, especially the robust partnership and collaborations with the College Internal Auditor, Mr. Daniel Okeze, whom he said was equally instrumental to the infrastructural developments in the college.

Expressing the optimism that the turnaround being witnessed at the College may swell the student population for the 2023/2024 academic session, the Dean of Students Affairs said the College’s Business Administration and Computer Science Departments have become the toast of aspiring students, saying graduates of the college are worthy ambassadors in the corporate world.

He said, “The First City Monument Bank (FCMB) and others have continued to demand products of the Federal Cooperative College Oji River because of their performance standard in the organization during industrial training. Graduates of the college are also employees of Access Bank PLC, to mention just a few.”

Negbe encouraged prospective young Nigerians seeking admission for quality education to subscribe and pursue their educational careers at the Federal Cooperative College, Oji River, saying that the academic calendar is sacrosanct, with no industrial action.