[dropcap]D[/dropcap]elta State is blessed with role models in the education sector, some of whom are presently directing the affairs of the various public and private universities in the country with outstanding results to show for their ingenuity. These are men and women of purpose whose inspirational character and exemplary deeds have built enviable reputation for their respective institutions.
When William Shakespeare pontificated many years ago that some people are born great, others achieve greatness, while others have greatness thrust upon them, he had the likes of the Prof. Andy Egwunyenga, the seventh Vice-Chancellor of the Delta State University (DELSU), Abraka, in mind.

Our Eminent Professor Andy Ogochukwu Egwunyenga is a Star,“There are born stars and there are stars that are made. Whatever means through which one becomes a star is predicated upon the influence he has and the contribution he has made within and outside his environment”. Prof Egwunyenga is Admired by his contemporaries for his visionary and innovative approach to tertiary education management, respected by the staff for his exemplary leadership style and loved by students, who have been the beneficiaries of his proven competence.

Professor Andy Ogochukwu Egwunyenga, Vice Chancellor, Delta State University, Abraka, through his competence, integrity, determination and experience, has put his name on the lips of those who still value qualitative education in Nigeria. But those who know about the Vice Chancellor’s academic pedigree, his professional experience, exposure and desire to always be an agent of positive change have never been surprised by his promises of yesterday which have become the reality of today.

when he was admitted to study Zoology in University of Lagos (UNILAG), he was just one of the ambitious youths many of whom were yet to give proper definition to their dreams. But, today, he is one of the few who has turned their dreams into reality. Egwunyenga is one of the outstanding Vice-Chancellors in Nigeria whose exemplary character serves as a compass for undergraduates seeking the route to success.

His contemporaries believe his success story is a product of the solid training he received at UNILAG, his willingness to learn from others and diligence, while his kinsmen say his respect for tradition, culture and values is what has taken him this far in life. But those who are close to him know that all these and his desire to always use his wealth of experience and exposure for nation-building are those things that made him a fulfilled man. A native of Atuma- Iga ,Oshimili North Local Government Area of Delta State, He was born on the 4th of April, 1960 in Issele- Uku, Delta State, Nigeria to the family of Mr and Mrs Godwin Egwunyenga of Ogbe-Ute Quarters Atuma- Iga, Oshimili North Local Government Area of Delta State. Andy Egwunyenga educational career started with Local Authority Primary School, Onicha Olona (1965–1967) and St. Monica Primary School, Illah (1967–1969) all in Delta State, where he obtained his First School Leaving Certificate in 1969. He thereafter had his secondary education in St. Paul Grammar School, Ebu, Delta State (1971–1973), Rimi College, Kaduna (1974-1977) and finished up at Federal Government College, Kaduna, Kaduna State (1977–1979)where he obtained his West African Secondary School Certificate in 1979 in flying colours. He immediately, got admitted into the University of Lagos where he obtained his B.Sc. (Hons.) degree in Zoology with 2nd Class Upper Division in 1982.

Andy Ogochukwu Egwunyenga started his teaching career immediately after his National Youth Service Programme under the employment of the Federal Polytechnic, Bauchi in 1983 as Lecturer III. He steadily grew without losing any promotion to become a Senior Lecturer at the Polytechnic in 1992. During this period, he furthered his studies at the University of Jos and obtained a Master of Science (M.Sc.) in Zoology with specialization in Applied Entomology and Parasitology in 1990. He graduated with a Distinction on an enviable average score 74.5%.As a Scholar who desired to contribute hugely to mankind, he immediately registered for a Ph.D. programme at the same University of Jos in 1991.However, shortly after the creation of Delta State and the Delta State University, Abraka he got appointed into the University’s Department of Zoology and thereafter bagged a Doctorate degree in Parasitology and Entomology. Andy Ogochukwu Egwunyenga became a Professor of Zoology at the Delta State University in 2005 at a young age and has been serving as external examiner and assessor to many Nigerian Universities for the examination of Ph.D. and MSc Theses and assessment of Senior Academic Staff to Professorial Cadre. Prof. Egwunyenga to this day is one of the highly celebrated past Chairmen of ASUU at the Delta State University Abraka as under his leadership, the University Staff became the highest paid University employees in Nigeria with 70% of Basic Salary as Housing Allowance and 44% Excess Work Load. Professor Egwunyenga has devoted much of his time to the service of God and humanity as a devout Catholic. He is married to Prof. Mrs. Ebele Egwuyenga of the Department of Educational Administration, Delta State University, Abraka. They are blessed with a daughter, Abigail Ogechukwu Egwunyenga.

Prof. Egwunyenga is a very active researcher. His interest in Parasitology and Entomology issues was kindled during his National Youths Service (NYSC). His enthusiasm in this field of endeavour propelled him into research in toxicity of Capsicum spp and Aframemum melagueta bioremediation, Distribution of Cicadulina, Epidemiology aspects of onchocerciasis, Malaria infection of the cord birth weights in Nigerians etc., where he published extensively. It is worthy to mention at this juncture that what brought this erudite scientist/researcher to be acclaimed internationally are his several contributions to knowledge and proffered tangible solutions to parasitological problems. He has published over 50 high quality scientific articles spread in different peer-reviewed reputable scientific journals, nationally and internationally and has also presented many scientific papers at revered professional local and foreign conferences. He has also successfully supervised twenty one (21) PhD and MSc students in Parasitology and Entomology. At the moment, he has three (3) other PhD students working under him. Even as the Rector of the Delta State Polytechnic, Ogwashi-Uku, he continued to teach his Postgraduate courses at Delta State University Abraka while on Leave of Absence. Some of the students that passed through him are now distinguished professors, administrators, politicians, businessmen and women etc.
Prof. Egwunyenga is a member of several professional associations: Fellow, Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, London; Member, Nigeria Society for Parasitology; Member, Entomological Society of Nigeria; Member, Science Association of Nigeria and Member, Nigeria Institute of Management (NIM).

In May 2014, Prof. Egwunyenga delivered the ever green 35th in the Series of Inaugural Lectures of the Delta State University, Abraka titled “Monsters inside Us: Killing and Eating us Alive. It was a well- attended and highly commended inaugural lecture. Prof. Egwunyenga has over thirty-seven (37) years of teaching (Polytechnic and University) and Administrative experience in Nigeria. Furthermore, he was part of the pioneer team that fostered academic excellence at the Department of Zoology, Delta State University, Abraka and nurtured to fruition four Postgraduate programmes in the Department namely; Hydrobiology and Fisheries, Applied Entomology, Parasitology, Pests and Disease Management from where over 500 Scientists from within and outside Nigeria have been produced.
Delta State University Vice Chancellor has the unique experience of combining academics and administration with trade unionism and distinguished services to government and community. He has served Delta State Government in various capacities. These include: Member, Delta State Vision 20:2020 Technical Committee, 2009-2010; Member, Transition Committee, 2015; Secretary, Human Development Committee, Transition Committee, 2015; Member, Delta State Advisory and Peace Building Council, 2015-2019. He is also an active member of Amnesty International and Chairman, Research and Publications Committee of Forum of Delta State Intellectuals for Good Governance (FIDAGG).

Prof. Egwunyenga has won numerous meritorious awards, among which are; Award of Excellence for Administration by the Students Union Government, Delta State Polytechnic, Ogwashi– Uku (2007/2008), Golden Award for Excellence for Hardwork, Transparency and Accountability, and Contribution to Development to Education in Nigeria by Nigerian Print Journalism Development Organization (2010), NAPS Platinum Service Award by National Association of Polytechnic Students (NAPS) [2010], Nigeria Library Association, [NLA] Award of Excellence as The Most Outstanding Library Development Administrator (2010), Honorary Fellowship Award by Nigeria Institute of Landscape Horticulturists For Great Contribution to Landscape Development, Award by National Association of Science Technology Student (NASTES), Nigerian Institute of Science Laboratory Technology, Delta State University, Abraka, for Immense Contribution Towards Advancement of Science and Technology Globally (2010), Excellence Award Certificate, as Anioma Professor of the Year, 2015 by Anioma Media Network, March (2016), just last month he was nominated as the Grassroots’ Man of the Year 2019 by Grassroots Newspaper Publishers Network(Anioma Publishers).
Prof. Egwunyenga is a proud son of Atuma -Iga , Anioma Nation , Delta State and Nigeria in general, we the the Grassroots Publishers will continue to celebrate our own enigma and a visionary leader of our time.

By: Ike Abiagom  

Publishers, Newsbreeze 

[dropcap]F[/dropcap]or the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the pursuit of its lost crown in 2015 to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has made it susceptible to all kinds of rebranding options, one of which is the call for a name change. When the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was formed some 22 years ago, the founding fathers may not have anticipated the current cacophony of voices calling for a name change of the party that berthed with much hope and fanfare.

Although one of the former chairmen of the party, Chief Vincent Ogbulafor, once boasted that the party will rule Nigeria for 60 years, interestingly, the party could only muster a paltry 16 years from the predicted 60 years at the helms of affairs.

For the PDP, a synopsis of its existence so far has been from grace to grass story. The party, which was highly rated when it landed on the political scene, has been a shadow of itself since the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) sacked it from Aso Rock.

When a group of nine prominent Nigerians from opposite political divides decided to sit together and form a political party in the face of the despotic rule of late Gen. Sani Abacha, they knew they were daring the lion in his den and as such, they must get their equations right. The PDP was eventually formed during the transitional administration of General Abdulsalami Abubakar on August 31, 1998.

Although the formation of the party was championed by the G9 as it was called then, the group later gave birth to the G18, which eventually produced the G34 that eventually transformed into the PDP. The G9 members are late Chief Bola Ige, Prof. Jerry Gana, Mallam Adamu Ciroma, Alhaji Sule Lamido, late Dr. Alex Ekwueme, Senator Francis Ellah, late Chief Solomon Lar, Prof. Iyorcha Ayu and late Abubakar Rimi.

Since its formation, it has been both sweet and bitter experiences for the party. Ekwueme, a former vice-president, was the first chairman of the party and he held the position for three months before he stepped down to pursue his presidential ambition. At the last count, the party, which some political analysts believe has a tradition of dumping its chairpersons before the end of their tenure, has had 13 chairmen, both in substantive and acting capacities.

The back-to-back defeat of the party in 2015 and 2019 obviously raised the desperation level of the party to get its acts together, hence, the agitation in some quarters for a probable change of name to revive its fortunes and presenting it with a new image.

Of course, the conversation about name change and rebranding is as old as the crisis in the party. But those who supported and opposed the renaming of the party are in equal proportion.

While some averred that change of name or logo of the party will amount to nothing without deconstructing the mindset and perception of members of the party to governance, especially those who have benefited in its days of milk and honey, others believed that the current PDP name and logo have been tainted with corruption, and that Nigerians can only identify with the party, when they see fresh distinctiveness from what they used to know.

For the party, the pressure for it to rebrand its image and change its name is not new. Just after its defeat at the 2015 general election and prior to the recently held 2019 election, the party got suggestions to change its nomenclature.

When the calls became ubiquitous before the 2019 polls, the party set up a committee to consider changing its name. The party apparently based the composition of the committee on demands of a memorandum it signed with 37 other political parties formed for a coalition.

Although the recommendations of the committee didn’t see the light of the day, the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Kola Ologbondiyan, said at the time that “on the issue of change of name, the party has immediately instituted a committee on harmonization and the responsibility of the committee is to commence the process of the possibility of a change of name as part of our efforts to rebrand our party and to reposition it for the 2019 election, so we await the outcome or the returns of the committee.”

Again, just after the recently held election, fresh pressure began to mount for the reconsideration of a name change for the party as a panacea for acceptance by Nigerians in lieu of the ruling APC.

Leading the line this time to call for the phasing out of the name “PDP” and its slogan “power to the people” is a former presidential spokesman, Dr. Doyin Okupe. The PDP chieftain even went a notch higher by suggesting a new name, logo, symbol, slogan and creed of the party.

Okupe in a series of reflections on his social media platforms about the status of the party, urged the PDP to take stock and plan far ahead of the 2023 race just as the ruling APC did in 2014.

His words: “To defeat the APC in 2023, I want the PDP leaders to think of changing the name of the party. They must also make the party itself the arrow head of a national movement to oust the present administration. We should not forget that this is exactly what the component factions of the APC did in 2014.”

Corroborating Okupe’s stance, the 2019 presidential candidate of KOWA Party, Dr. Sina Fagbenro-Byron said: “I largely agree with the moral and message. However, just to mention that there will not be an incumbent in 2023. I also think that the basis for the union has to be re-examined. I think the issues that should define the name and identity of whatever parties are available must include. … position on secularism (separation of state from religion), true federalism and socially inclusive democracy. Apart from the change in mind set of leaders in PDP (and others) a new party, the Federalist party must emerge.”

But, expressing a contrary view, a former presidential aspirant of the party and former governor of Jigawa State, Alhaji Sule Lamido, said the crisis the party is going through originated from members and has nothing to do with the nomenclature of the party.

Lamido, who is a founding member of the PDP in 1998, said: “Whatever name the party has is because it has been vandalized by those who benefitted from the party, and so to me, there is nothing about my history. We have gone through a lot of crises in Nigeria. Are we not the same Nigeria? Why can’t we change the name of Nigeria then?

“If the party is going through some difficulties, they are caused by the members of the party and not by nomenclature. I will remain in PDP; I am PDP, and it is my place, my heritage. I am not going  

anywhere.”

But Okupe, who insisted that the underlying path for a PDP victory over APC in 2023 is in charge of nomenclature for the party, said the moral burden the PDP carried over in its 16 years of rule can only be dispelled, if the party changes its name.

He said he had started mobilising members of the party by collecting names, phone numbers and details of those who agree with what he considered as the way for PDP resurgence.

A section of his post entitled: “Why PDP must change its name,” read: “As far as I’m concerned, the PDP with its socio-political baggage and insurmountable moral burden cannot muster the moral rectitude, political strength and integrity to lead such a mass movement.

“To defeat the APC in 2023, I want the PDP leaders to think of changing the name of the party. They must also make the party itself the arrow head of a national movement to oust the present administration. We should not forget that this is exactly what the component factions of the APC did in 2014.”

Okupe went on to suggest the party’s rebrand name as Nigerian Peoples Democratic Party (NPDP), symbol as Phone Handset and slogan as People Power.

He further argued that public perception of PDP was appalling and “if this perception continues till the election in 2023, we can easily be muscled out of victory by the power of incumbency and Nigerians will not care a hoot.”

According to him, “it will be a case of dog-eat-dog. Secondly, and as a consequence of the above, the PDP has a heavy credibility burden, which will weigh it down during the campaigns. A brand new party with new orientation and ideology cannot have a past that anyone can use against it effectively.”

Okupe who joined Accord Party after the 2015 general election, but claimed to be back to the PDP, further said: “Therefore, a new party, birthed by former ruling party, with new people, younger elements in society and politicians of other tendencies from various existing political parties, including powerful but dissatisfied elements from the ruling party, is the only formation that will effectively neutralise and overrun the incumbent party.’’

The former presidential aide said he had started collecting names, phone numbers and details of those who agree with what he considered as noble idea.

‘‘The idea is to use the names and the phone numbers to lobby our members and the party’s leadership to give this a serious consideration ahead of the next party’s mid-year convention in May this year,’’ he said.

But turning down suggestions by Okupe and others to change its name, members of PDP’s national leadership, rising from its 88th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting in Abuja, few weeks ago, told those canvassing for change of the party’s name to forget the idea because the brand remains the best in Nigeria’s political firmament.

Reading the party’s communique after the meeting, Ologbodinyan said that “the party insists that the PDP brand is still the best in the political firmament of our nation and as such, those canvassing for change of name for our party should forget it because we remain the Peoples Democratic Party.”

Following the same thread, the national Chairman of the PDP, Prince Uche Secondus, said the party is not considering any name change ahead of the 2023 general elections.

Addressing newsmen in Abuja, the party chairman said the name change kite was the handiwork of PDP detractors. “It is a speculation. I will regard it as gossip. We have not considered name change. It is not part of our agenda for now,” he said.

Clearly, Okupe has flown a kite and whether managers of the party like it or not, it’s a subject-matter that will continue to stare the PDP in the face. Unless the party has other long-term means of disinfecting the image of PDP in the minds of Nigerians, the mulled change of name will continue to weigh on the minds of party members.