Federal Polytechnic Ukana: The Paradigms for Transformational Leadership in the 21st Century
Transformational leadership in the 21st century is a leadership style in which leaders inspire, motivate and encourage innovation and create changes that help grow and shape the future of an organization or institution. This implies that a leader works with teams to identify needed change, creating a vision to guide the change through inspiration and motivation, and consciously executing the change in tandem with committed stakeholders in an organization to achieve unexpected and remarkable results.
Over the last decade, researchers have focused and increasingly insisted on transformational leadership as being an effective leadership model and strategy to implement within organizations, especially public sector institutions. Instead of administrators who continue to move organizations along historical tracks (better referred to as transactional leadership), the transformational leader motivates and redirects the institution along new, perhaps novel, tracks.
Of the multitudinous characteristics of a transformational leader, the fostering of an ethical work environment with clear values, priorities and standards, and the encouragement and motivation of stakeholders to actively play their roles in the actualization of the selected priorities stand out most conspicuously. What is required of this kind of leader is an outstanding ability to help the institution develop a vision and strategy of what it takes to transform the institution, to accept and work toward achieving the new vision and then to consciously institutionalize the changes – which must last over a considerable period of time.
In the 21st century, there are paradigms that indicate the presence or absence of transformational leadership. These include individualized consideration (the leader pays attention to the particular needs of those concerned), inspirational motivation (the leader articulates an appealing vision that inspires and motivates stakeholders to perform beyond expectation), intellectual stimulation (the leader challenges assumptions, takes calculated risks, tries new approaches and develops innovative ways of dealing with institutional issues) and, finally, idealized influence (the leader acts as a role model and insists on high standards of work and behavior.
In this regard, the Federal Polytechnic, Ukana, Akwa Ibom State, established about 7 years ago, is replete with identifiable elements of transformational leadership in the 21st century, thanks to the outstanding brilliance, leadership and focus of Dr. Uduak Sunday Ukekpe, who has been at the helm of affairs at the polytechnic as Rector in the last 2 years.
To the first time visitor to the school, there is an imposing atmosphere of high motivation and a desire to stand out, as can be noticed on the faces and mien of the staff and students. To those in the Polytechnic system, especially staff and students, there are clear values, priorities and standards for everything. This has motivated this feature which seeks to focus the spotlight on this citadel of learning that had attracted widespread criticism, uncertainty and accusations of misplaced priority and mismanagement in the years before the arrival of Dr. Ukekpe on the saddle.
The appointment of Dr. Uduak Ukekpe as Rector of the Federal Polytechnic , Ukana, by President Muhammadu Buhari is, unarguably, both a timely and right choice. Dr. Ukekpe is a lecturer/researcher in the field of Natural Products and Environmental chemistry. He holds a Ph.D degree in Organic Chemistry, and has been involved in teaching and research for the past 27 years. He has a vast working experience that eminently stands him on good stead to assume the much coveted position of Rector of the Federal Polytechnic, Ukana.
What is more, the cerebral Ukekpe has earned a number of professional distinctions from various quarters. Some of which include: External Examiner, Yobe State Polytechnic, Geidam, Yobe State in 2005; External Examiner, Federal Polytechnic, Bauchi, from 2006 to 2009; Awardee, TETFund Research Grant, 2015 and Alternate External Examiner, Yobe State University, Damaturu from 2006 to 2018. He has equally held several administrative positions in the Federal Polytechnic Damaturu, Yobe State. These include: Department Examination Officer 1995 to 1999; Coordinator, Pre-ND Science and Technology Programme from 1999 to 2001; H.O.D. Science Laboratory Technology, 2001 to2004; Director, School of Science and Technology, 2002 to 2006; Director of Students Affairs, 2006 to 2011 and Manager, Science and Technology Education Post-Basic (STEP-B) Project, 2017 t0 2018. Ukekpe knows his onions and has zero tolerance for laxity and excuses. In the course of these years of focus and dogged pursuit of excellence, result and dedication to duty, Ukekpe, has demonstrated capacity, and has shown leadership prowess that adds to his unique manner of getting things done no matter the hiccups. As a man of many parts, he has been a Unit Coordinator/Member, Special Marshal, Unit 12.3.3, Federal Road Safety Corps; Patron, Akwa Ibom/Cross River States Students Association, Federal Polytechnic, Damaturu, Grand Patron, National Association of Computer Science Students, Federal Polytechnic, Damaturu, and very recently, Honorary Patron of National Association of Nigerian Students, (NANS) Joint Campus Committee (JCC) Akwa Ibom Axis. His academic credentials are not only intimidating but thought-provoking and inspiring. He is cerebral, upwardly mobile and sound in mind and intellect. A man with an avid taste for reading, Ukekpe loves photography, football, swimming and volleyball. He speaks Annang, English and Hausa languages fluently.
It is, therefore, not surprising to observe the rapid and massive infrastructural transformation taking place at the Federal Polytechnic, Ukana, since the arrival of Dr. Ukekpe as its Rector. Specifically, Ukekpe’s articulation of a grand vision for a new and functional Polytechnic in Ukana, which will elevate it to a landmark institution in the educational landscape of Nigeria, is worthy of note.
A casual visit to the Main Campus of the polytechnic, just a distance of about 2 kilomFederaleters from the Annex Campus will leave astonishing impressions in the mind of the visitor. From the construction of buiFederalldings including completed complexes to house the Civil, Electrical/Electronic and Computer Engineering courses, nearly completed administrative and library complexes, completed health center, completed lecture halls, completed Entrepreneurial Development Center (Donated by Sen. Godswill Akpabio) to the nearly completed 450 capacity auditorium, perimeter fencing, asphalted road network to mention but a few, the school is a construction site, activated and bubbling with activity in the last two years.
These outstanding and mesmerizing achievements, in the space of a paltry 2 years, is the reason the leadership of the Organized Students Movement in Akwa Ibom State, led by the Chairman of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) JCC-AKS Axis, Comrade Faith Paulinus, described Dr. Ukekpe as ‘Mr. Infrastructure’, during the Close-out Campus Assessment Tour of the Institution organized by the State NANS.
The Federal Polytechnic, Ukana, under the leadership of Dr. Ukekpe has challenged many long-held assumptions. These assumptions, now proven to be erroneous by the cerebral and transformational leadership of the Rector include the penchant for micromanaging and a satisfaction with mediocre achievements, institutional confusion about priorities and standards, and in-fighting as is evident in many tertiary institutions in the state. In fact, the ability of Dr. Ukekpe to take calculated risks is worthy of emulation. The reforms, both infrastructural and administrative, taking place in the polytechnic is happening simultaneously, in expectation of accreditation for about 8 new programmes for the school – this is risky. However, Dr. Ukekpe is known to always try new approaches and innovative ways of managing issues and doing things, and the infrastructural renaissance and staff motivation which culminates to staff commitment to duties is evidence that the calculated risk has paid off, thanks to Dr. Ukekpe’s bold vision.
Dr. Ukekpe is not only concerned about buildings and roads, he has a deep and concerted concern about the quality of education and welfare of his students, working condition of staff and the overall development of the host community, who have always averred their unalloyed and emphatic support for the Rector. Yes, Dr. Uduak Ukekpe himself is an ideal. His sense of vision, discipline, dedication, creativity and focus has greatly influenced the high standard and quality of work, both physical and attitudinal, which is evident in the Polytechnic.
The benefits of the transformational leadership style of Dr. Uduak Ukekpe are evident on the students, the staff and the host community of the polytechnic. Through the able direction of the polytechnic by Dr. Ukekpe, the students are confident of a conducive learning environment which guarantees the highest quality of education imaginable. Opportunities for the intellectual, moral and social development of the students, in a world of social, moral and ethical decline, are one of the benefits enjoyed by students of the polytechnic. The robust equipment sighted in the polytechnic requires students to play their roles in the task of collective national development which is an added advantage brought about by Dr. Ukekpe’s leadership of the Polytechnic. These have improved the ability and capacity of students to compete on an even keel with their peers worldwide.
Similarly, staff of the polytechnic are principal beneficiaries of the inclusive and democratic leadership style of Dr. Ukekpe. The Rector has ensured that the polytechnic fosters a highly motivating, inclusive and stimulating workplace and culture. This has contributed significantly to the increased efficiency and productivity witnessed in the polytechnic in the last 2 years. Respecting fairness and the highest ethical standards, Dr. Ukekpe’s leadership has provided opportunities for the polytechnic to grow professionally and achieve upward career mobility.
The host community is not left out. Before now, the community was literally very far from the polytechnic. But that is not the case today, thanks to the open door policy adopted by Dr. Uduak Ukekpe. Opportunities for physical growth and development with its attendant impact on expanding urbanization is one of the numerous benefits of the transformational leadership of Dr. Ukekpe which will stand to his credit for generations. Evidently, the sense of pride of the community has greatly been improved by Dr. Ukekpe’s administration of the polytechnic. This is so because the Polytechnic has created opportunity for the host community to regularly interface with Management of the institution to make inputs on the direction and impact of the needed change and, excitingly too, to assure him of their resolve not to truncate the huge changes brought on by the Rector.
There are many lessons in transformational leadership to be learnt from Dr. Uduak Sunday Ukekpe, the working question mark. The first is that outstanding performance in any position of responsibility is possible. The second is that focus, discipline, resilience, diligence, firmness and visionary planning are hallmarks of any positive result, either expected or attained anywhere. And finally, when square pegs are put in square holes, the quality and standard of education, especially tertiary education, can be made to be world-class as exemplified by the transformational leadership style of Dr. Uduak Sunday Ukekpe, Rector, Federal Polytechnic, Ukana.
