In a groundbreaking celebration of environmental stewardship, the Institute of Management and Technology (IMT) Enugu marked World Environmental Day with a transformative initiative titled “Go-Green: A Tree Planting Campaign”.
Championed by the Deputy Rector of IMT, Dr. Patrick Ejim JP, this visionary program, centered on Land Restoration, Desertification, and Drought Resilience in collaboration with the 7-Up Company, seamlessly aligns with Governor Peter Mbah’s vision for a sustainable green environment.
Governor Mbah’s administration, passionately committed to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 13 (SDG13), has found an invaluable partner in IMT, a citadel of research and higher learning. This venerable institution has taken up the mantle to inspire a statewide ethos of environmental preservation. The event drew a constellation of environmental stakeholders, representatives from 7Up Company, and prominent figures within the institution, including the Rector, Professor Austin Nweze, school directors, department heads, staff, clergy, and a dynamic body of students.
The Go-green project was launched with an opening speech from Dr. Patrick Ejim, the coordinator of the Go–green team who is also the Deputy Rector of the Institution and Mr. Joseph Noah Ekwerre, the Sales Manager of 7up company on behalf of the management of 7up. Dr. Ejim in his opening speech x-rayed the objectives of the Go–green project, emphasizing it’s alignment with the vision of the state Government on Environmental sustainability.
According to Dr. Ejim, IMT being a foremost institution of Research and higher learning in the state is poised to lead the promulgation of a statewide culture of environmental preservation and renewal. Mr.Joseph Noah Ekwerre also speaking on behalf of 7up, emphasized the cultural commitment of the company to environmental stewardship. According to him such long held cultural devotion to environmental stewardship is what has inspired a timely collaboration with the foremost institution of higher learning in the. While emphasizing the role of trees in the health of our environment, he urged all stakeholders present to each become environmental stewards by joining the tree planting campaign.
The tree planting campaign resonated with palpable enthusiasm, as dignitaries, principal officers, directors, and department heads ceremoniously took turns planting economic and ornamental trees. This collective act of planting, coordinated by the Go-Green team under the leadership of Deputy Rector Prof. Ejim, culminated in the impressive donation of 523 trees. The event transitioned seamlessly as the Go-Green team led the dignitaries to designated sites within the campus, where principal officers and Seven-Up team members engaged in the symbolic and practical act of planting trees.
The great event ushered in a valedictory session for the outgoing Rector, Prof. Austin Nweze, and his dedicated management team, who have stewarded the institution with distinction over the past eight years. The session was marked by heartfelt presentations of gifts and eloquent valedictory speeches, celebrating the transformative tenure of Prof. Nweze. Speakers extolled his visionary leadership, which has ushered in an era of unparalleled infrastructural and academic advancements at IMT.
Dr. Mrs. Ogo Okanya, Director of Degree Programs, praised the Rector for pioneering IMT’s historic transition to offering degree programs in partnership with the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN). She highlighted the successful accreditation by the Nigerian Universities Commission (NUC), enabling the polytechnic to confer degrees, with the second batch of graduates already making their mark. Dr. Tim Adibe, the institute’s orator, lauded Prof. Nweze’s unwavering commitment to academic excellence, spanning both undergraduate and postgraduate domains.
The encomiums continued, with various speakers acknowledging other landmark achievements under Prof. Nweze’s administration. These include significant Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) intervention projects and the steadfast commitment to timely staff remuneration. Prof. Nweze’s leadership qualities—his humility, patience, and resilience—were celebrated by numerous speakers, among them Dr. Mrs. Ojel Clara, the outgoing Director of Research and Development; Dr. Ifeanyi Ojobor, Director of Academic Planning; Barrister Celestine Ogbu, NASU Chairman, IMT Chapter; and Surveyor Oliver Odenigbo, Barr Mark Akunna Eze, the PRO, IMT, Students Union President IMT, Amb Mrs Amaka Nweke, Founder WOSCONET, and a host of others.
In his valedictory address, Prof. Nweze expressed profound gratitude to former Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi for entrusting him with the helm of such a prestigious institution, and to the current Governor, Peter Mbah, for ensuring a seamless transition amidst a backdrop of challenges. His speech was a testament to his reflective and gracious nature, underscoring a legacy of transformative leadership and dedication to the institution’s growth.
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