LEEX 2026: Organizer Presents Award Notification To OOPOLY Rector

The Founder and Executive Director of Igbere TV and organiser of the Leadership Excellence Awards (LEEX), Mr. Emeh James Anyalekwa, has formally presented an award notification to the Rector of Ogbonnaya Onu Polytechnic, Aba, Engr. Dr. Christopher Okoro Kalu, following his emergence as the 2026 Education Administrator of the Year.

The visit took place on Tuesday, October 12, 2026, after Dr. Kalu was declared overall winner of the award category through a nationwide public voting exercise concluded in August.

Dr. Kalu polled 148,267 votes to beat former Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO), Prof. Nnenna Oti, who emerged first runner-up, and the former Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, who placed second runner-up.

The award presentation ceremony is scheduled for November 12, 2026, at the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Banquet Hall, Abuja.

Speaking during the visit, Anyalekwa outlined the vision of the Leadership Excellence Awards, which recognises individuals for outstanding contributions to public service, education, politics, business and other fields, noting that Igbere TV has sustained the awards annually since 2019.

In his response, Dr. Kalu expressed gratitude for the recognition, attributing his emergence to divine grace and describing the honour as a call to greater responsibility.

“Grace brought me this far, and I feel great about it. I see it as a call to duty,” the Rector said, adding that grace must be accompanied by diligence, consistency and a deliberate commitment to doing what is right to produce meaningful results.

Speaking on his motivation for public service, the Rector cited his passion for teaching and desire to impact society, particularly by creating opportunities for young people beyond the classroom.

“I want to impact not just the lives of young people, but the public as a whole, and that is what I am doing,” he said.

Dr. Kalu reiterated his ambition to position Ogbonnaya Onu Polytechnic as one of Africa’s leading institutions of technical education capable of competing globally, acknowledging the role of Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Chioma Otti, in giving him the opportunity to serve.

On challenges inherited when he assumed office in March 2024, the Rector identified outstanding salary arrears, delayed promotions and strained institutional relationships, disclosing that staff promotions had not been conducted since 2012 before his appointment. He added that the Polytechnic is now preparing appraisal exercises for the 2025 and 2026 promotion cycles.

He also cited improved staff-student relations, pointing to the emergence of an Akwa Ibom indigene as President of the Students’ Union Government (SUG) as evidence of an inclusive institutional environment that transcends ethnic boundaries.

On enrolment, Dr. Kalu recalled that the Polytechnic previously suffered low intake but now records over 6,000 new intakes, with admission still ongoing.

He credited Governor Otti’s support for helping the Polytechnic pursue its development agenda and commended Igbere TV for sustaining the LEEX awards.

“Any man who tries to identify excellence must be excellent. I want to tell everyone that Igbere TV is excellent,” he said.