How Prof Okunna , HOD Mass Comm Unizik Stood Igbakwu Community still for their Monarch , Igwe Prof Nwuneli

                       Dr Okafor , Igwe Prof Nwunelin and Prof Okunna

Personalities in Mass Communication Department, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka led by an erudite scholar and maverick politician , Prof Chinyere Stella Okunna , paid a solidarity visit to the Traditional ruler of Igbakwu, Ayamelum local government area, Prof Onuorah Nwuneli, a man with Midas touch.

www.odogwublog.com informs that Prof Okunna was in Igbakwu , one of the poorest communities in Anambra state to pay homage to his teacher and a family member in Mass Communication , Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka on one hand and to expose Post Graduate students of Mass Communication studying Development Communication on what it takes to champion development for a society.

But it turned out to be a carnival of sorts as almost the entire Mass Communication students and staff indicated interest to join Prof Okunna on the visit. But they were shocked by what they met as the entire Igbakwu people came out to welcome them including the President General and the woman counterpart.

The Vice Chancellor of Unizik , Prof Joseph Ahaneku and others would have loved to join but demanding official engagements. The people were so happy to be recognized and the Okunna led team was happy to be so received, observed www.odogwublog.com .

Okunna said since he was appointed the traditional ruler , they have not gone on solidarity and that she wanted to use the opportunity of Development communication students study outing to inform the community that no traditional ruler in the state has such pedigree as their own monarch and therefore should rally round and support him to enable him attract development to the community.

She prayed that resources would be available to really partner with the community in championing development like establishing a modern market for the women who are in dire need or that as their old market place is no longer conducive. Some other basic amenities are paramount for the people but regrettably Prof Okunna is no longer the Anambra state Commissioner for Budget, and Economic Planning as well as Coordinating Commissioner for development through which a lot was attracted to the state from development partners.

But all hopes are not lost as her Boss , Chief Peter Obi knows how to mobilize resources and unless Okunna did not mention it to him, that is an already done deal either sooner or later but for sure one day, Okunna will answer the people of Igbakwu community on two things for sure , Internet facility center and modern market for women. Other basic amenities may follow to the glory of God.  

Prof Nwuneli was overwhelmed to say the least and he indeed appreciated the visit but prayed he would be able to establish an internet center in the community to enable him communicate better with outside world as well as his subjects.  That is a digital monarch for you. The community’s leadership were amazed at the pouring of encomiums on their monarch by all and sundry.

 He commended Okunna who he said brought him to Unizik when she was the HOD before her sojourn to the political circle where she equally proved her mettle as commissioner for information, culture and tourism and later as Commissioner for Economic planning and Budget under Governor Peter Obi.

The president General of the community and the woman PG both spoke at the event and hammered on the need to uplift their poverty situation.

Brief Profile of Prof Nwuneli

Professor Onuora Nwuneli, an erudite professor of mass communication and one of the brightest minds the discipline of mass communication ever produced, has joined the Department of Mass Communication, Covenant University as a Full Time Professor.
Professor Nwuneli taught at the Department of Mass Communication, University of Lagos before his foray into the United Nations as a staff and consultant. He also served his state as a Commissioner before returning to academics. Professor Nwuneli recently helped the Department of Mass Communication, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, to focus its postgraduate programme before returning to the US. He was approached by Covenant University to help boost its doctoral programme in mass communication and he joined the faculty base since September 2013. Professor Nwuneli has had a distinguished career in academics, politics and international diplomacy. He is married with children.
With the arrival of Professor Onuora Nwuneli, the Department of Mass Communication, Covenant University now has a full complement of three astute and well-known Professors in the discipline. Recall that the Emeritus Professor of Development Communication of Central Connecticut University, USA, Professor Andrew Moemeka has been with the Department since 2011 while the incumbent Head of Department, Professor Idowu Sobowale, a reputable professor of political communication and former Commissioner in Lagos State, has been with the Department since 2009.

Brief talk on Prof Okunna

Professor Chinyere Okunna is down to earth, straightforward and hardworking. A professor of mass communication, now serving as commissioner, is not someone to be daunted by challenges.
With her position in the core Ministry of Economic Planning and Budget in Anambra State, she takes up challenges by giving them her best shot and putting in her best to achieve positive results. She told Daily Sun recently why her husband is not threatened by her career, and its fulfillment. She was in fact attracted to her husband by his supportive nature. Excerpts:
Journey into the Ministry of Economic Planning and Budget
I was initially the Commissioner for Information and Culture in Anambra State before Governor Peter Obi appointed me in July, 2006. Being a commissioner was not my life ambition. I just stumbled on it. My life ambition was to impart knowledge and to do research at the university level. I was doing this as a professor at Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka; at the time I was appointed a commissioner.
Adequate preparation for the post
I was neither a politician nor nursed the ambition to be a commissioner. I did not lobby for the position either, so it is understandable that I did not do any advance preparation for the post.
Challenges
Being the Commissioner for Economic Planning & Budget means being at the helm of affairs of a very core ministry, right at the heart of the Obi administration. One, which is widely acclaimed for its data-based planning. In addition to overseeing the planning and budgeting matters of the State Government, my ministry also co-ordinates all the activities of our development partners (donor agencies), including the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). A good number of development partnership activities are now going on in Anambra State, and effective co-ordination of these activities is becoming more crucial. My position is a very challenging one.
How do you surmount them?
Hardwork is my first major strategy. Luckily for me, I came into governance with a culture of hardwork, cultivated right from my days as a University lecturer, heading a popular deparment. But more importantly, I am working with a Governor, who is a workaholic himself, working literally round the clock to make things better in all sectors of the State. So, working hard is something that has become second nature to me. Indeed, hardwork pays. I also have very supportive staff in my ministry. Mine is the only ministry with two permanent secretaries (permanent secretary for planning and permanent secretary for budget). Both permanent secretaries and the staff working with them understand the core nature of our ministry and appreciate the need to put in their best to enable our state maintain its premier position in the country in terms of internally-engineered economic development and donor-supported development activities.
Achievements
The execution of landmark development projects in all sectors through the Anambra Integrated Development Strategy (ANIDS). In fact, ANIDS is purely a planning and budgeting strategy and its resounding success arises from the meticulous planning and budgeting on which it is based. ANIDS allows the government to plan carefully, allocate scarce resources through effective budgeting, implementing the plan, monitoring the implementation and receiving feedback from the people for whom the various ANIDS projects are being executed.
Any lessons?
I have learnt that one should always take up challenges in life and give them your best shot by not holding back anything. You may not achieve 100 per cent success, but you would have done your best by making efforts, and your best is sure to be good enough. I say this because when I was posted to the Ministry of Economic Planning, I wasn’t quite sure what awaited me there, but when I found out my employer’s expectations of me in what he himself considered a core ministry, I took up the challenge and made up my mind to put in my best there. I am working very hard and I hope and pray that my hard work is making things better in the ministry.
Structures to ensure success of the ministry
As the clearing house of state data, my ministry should house the expertise for data collection and storage, as well as for monitoring and evaluation of our numerous development projects. In collaboration with our development partners, we have acquired a lot of equipment to make data-gathering and storage more effective. We are also establishing our state Bureau of Statistics, which would soon take off. In fact, Anambra was the first state in Nigeria to pass and sign the law for the domestication of the statistical master- plan. We have also firmly established the structures for participatory budgeting, which Anambra is pioneering in Nigeria. We have equally gained access to the necessary equipment for effective project monitoring, such as the borehole camera procured through the Ministry of Public Utilities & Water Resources, which enables my ministry to oversee the numerous boreholes by the state Government, the Millennuim Development Goals (MDGs) programme and our development partners.
Combining responsibilities as a commissioner, wife, and mother
In all honesty, my duties nowadays revolve more around my position as commissioner. This means I am not doing very much as a mother right now! Luckily, my children are grown up (my last child is in the university) and this makes parenting easier. Luckily also, my husband is a professional and appreciates what it means to be professional by doing one’s work well. This puts little or no pressure on me at home because he understands that I am doing my best to be a good wife to him in the circumstances I find myself now. He is taking my busy schedule in his stride and very well too.
How I met my husband
We met many years ago during my youth service and got married immediately after I completed my service. What I love most about my husband is that he is a peace-loving man. He is also very supportive and has never stood in my way all through the years as I rose in my career. He is unlike many Nigerian men, who feel threatened when their wives make progress in their careers and chauvinistically oppose or try to retard this progress. With such opposition, the wives’ careers are sometimes put on hold to allow peace reign in the family. At times, the marriages either break up or marred by constant friction when the women insist on progressing in their careers. I remember some of my colleagues whose husbands would not allow them to attend conferences or work the long hours sometimes away from home, required to rise to the top in academics or other careers. For me, my husband was very supportive and I thank God for this.
My position as chair, state vision 2020 and chair, state committee on good governance
Vision 2020 is a national programme and my duty as state chair is to co-ordinate Anambra State input into it. This entails sifting through our state policies and plans and scaling them up to reflect where our government is taking the state to, vis-a-vis Nigeria’s vision to be one of the 20 most developed nations in the world by the year 2020. For the Good Governance Committee, Anambra is probably the only state that has such a committee. It is a high profile committee made up of commissioners and permanent secretaries as well as serve as a watchdog on governance to call the governor/government to order if we notice any deviation from the narrow path of good governance. My role as chair of the committee is to oversee its activities to ensure that it is living up to expectation.
Are you fulfilled?
Yes, I am a fulfilled woman. I thank God for everything. I also thank Governor Peter Obi for giving me the opportunity to reach one of the highpoints of my life by being part of his team in the revolution that is making our state regain its lost glory in Nigeria. I want to be remembered as a woman who had the opportunity to serve the society in various capacities, such as in academics and governance, and did her best to make a difference.
Future plans
I have future plans. I plan to go back to academics whenever I am done working in government. Now that the retirement age of university teachers is to be extended, whenever I am done, there is time for me to contribute again to the nurturing of young undergraduates.