Alumni Relations Office

Alumni means all graduates of an academic institution, be it a University, Polytechnic or College of Education. Alumni Association exists as an umbrella body for all the graduates of the institution with a common goal. This association meets to discuss ways of improving the institution, ours is,  Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, formally Anambra State University established in 2008.

All the individual graduates are known as Alumni of the University. It was the need for effective and efficient management of the Alumni that gave rise to the establishment of the body and executive duly elected by the members of the Alumni during its annual general meetings, supervised by the Alumni Relations Officer. The Executive arm of the Alumni Association manages the Affairs of the Association and liaises with the Administration of the University on matters affecting the Alumni.

Alumni associations are the Ambassadors of the Universities and therefore all their activities or operations should be in line with the Alumni Policies and regulations and supervised by the University Alumni Relations Officer.

Rev. Ora Okechukwu (Alumni Head)
Ven. Dr. Rowland Obi
Mrs. Margaret Ezenwaka

Alumni Relations Office is a unit in the Vice-Chancellor’s Office charged with the responsibilities of coordinating the activities of the University Alumni. The office is headed by a Registrar’s staff appointed by the Vice- Chancellor on the recommendation of the Registrar for the day-to-day running of the Alumni.

Alumni Relations Office in the University also handles all the administrative matters of the University as it relates to Alumni. The Alumni Relations Officer is assigned with various cadres of support staff for effective and efficient operations. The office is lofty office in the University with much respect and honour.

Establishment

The Alumni Relations Unit was created in the 2006/2007 Session.

The Unit was created three years after the production of the first set of Graduands from the then Anambra State University.

The Unit had an Office in Uli Campus but the Annex Office was created in Igbariam Campus in the 2007/2008 Session.

The purpose of the new Unit in Igbariam Campus was to ease Alumni Registration formalities for graduating Students  who used to travel to Uli Campus to manually sign their  Clearance Forms  on Alumni matters.

The Unit in Uli Campus is currently in the Building that housed the Admissions Unit and the Unit in Igbariam Campus is currently in the Post Graduating School  Building.

The Alumni Unit operates under the Vice Chancellor s Office.

The Unit used to receive Financial Grants for their sensitisation and mobilization meetings.

The Funds were sourced from the Alumni Relations Registration Fees paid by Graduating Students during procedural clearance upon graduation.

With such funds, they organised periodic meetings and organised biennial elections to pick Officers who organised the Activities of the Association.

Important Milestones

The Alumni Unit had a proclamation of the Alumni Constitution in 2008.

That Constitution is undergoing amendments currently as it was approved when the University was Anambra State University with about Eight Faculties.

The CHUKWUEMEKA ODUMEGWU OJUKWU UNIVERSITY which inherited the assets and liabilities of the defunct Anambra State University in 2014 , when the Name was officially changed now,  has Fifteen Faculties, a full fledged Post Graduate School and three Campuses.

With these developments, the 2008 ALUMNI Constitution can no longer serve the needs of running a robust Alumni Association which now boasts of a population of more than Fifty Thousand Graduates across academic disciplines and programmes.

ACHIEVEMENTS

Peace in the Association:

The last Alumni Association Elections were held in 2015 and the 2017 Elections could not hold owing to internal contradictions resulting from the Tenure  Interpretation of the sitting then  Vice Chancellor.

The 2015 elected Alumni Leaders continued in Office throughout the Tenure of a succeeding Vice Chancellor from 2018 up and till November 2023 when another Alumni Elections were held at the twilight of that Vice Chancellor s Tenure.

The Elections witnessed several lapses and some vexed Alumni Members went to an Anambra State High Court in Otuocha to contest the outcome of the Elections.

The High Court gave a Judicial Order nullifying the Elections and ordered a ” Status Quo Ante ” pending the determination if the substantive case.

Before the Judicial Order, a  peace process was initiated by the Alumni Relations Officer who had  invited the principal protagonists for Peace and Reconciliation Meetings in his Office at Igbariam Campus and Residence in Awka.

After protracted negotiations, a peaceful resolution was achieved and a “Notice of Discontinuance” was applied for and subsequently issued by the High Court and the Alumni Association of CHUKWUEMEKA ODUMEGWU OJUKWU UNIVERSITY became One Body again.

Sequel to the reconciliation of the contending forces in the Alumni Association, more achievements had been recorded.

Social Media Outing:

The Alumni Association opened a Social Media Telegram Group to accommodate teeming Members , raise more awareness, collate diverse opinions and pool financial resources for the attainment of their objectives, achievement of their programmes and effectuation of their projects.

Visibility On Campus:

The Alumni Association organised the first ever Gathering and Return of the Eagles on Campus in July  2024.

The Alumni Association organised a Campus wide Seminar on Job Creation and Employment Readiness for all final year Students across the Campuses of the University.

In the Seminar, prizes and scholarships were awarded to Students up to the tune of about Ten Million Naira by some of the Alumni Guests.

FUTURE TARGETS

Alumni Association Secretariat.

In a Courtesy call to the sitting Vice Chancellor, an amiable Academic with unquestionable propensities of integrity and diligence, Prof Kate  Azuka Omengha, the Alumni Association Executive Committee led by their President, Engr Dubem Onyia and the Alumni Relations Officer, Rev ORA Okechukwu, presented inter alia, a request for land for the Alumni Association to erect their Secretariat on Campus.

The request was promptly granted and a large expanse of land was given by the University Management to the Alumni Association besides the University Medical Centre in Igbariam Campus.

Alumni Constitution.

A new Alumni Association Constitution is due for Congress Ratification during the November 2024  Alumni Week and Award Ceremonies.

The new Constitution reflects the pulse of the new Alumni Association with their current mega  Membership, Mission and Vision.

Convocation Representation in the University Governing Council.

The new Alumni Association is poised towards the full democratisation of the Convocation Representative Elections to the University Governing Council.

Toward that end , the new Alumni Association shall fully be part of the next Convocation Representative Elections to the University Governing Council as Statutorily provided for in the University Law 2014,  as amended.

Massive Mobilizations.

The new CHUKWUEMEKA ODUMEGWU OJUKWU UNIVERSITY ALUMNI ASSOCIATION is currently mobilising its members across the States of Nigeria and abroad to be part of the Big Projects of the Alumni Body.

Hopefully, with the ineffable Grace of GOD, the November 2024 Alumni Association Convention and Award Ceremonies shall be the greatest Ventilation of the Alumni Association in the past decades.

PAST, CURRENT HEADS OF THE ASSOCIATION AND STAFF IN THE ALUMNI UNITS IN THE IGBARIAM AND ULI CAMPUSES.

The following University Administrators had headed the Alumni Unit from inception:

  • Mr Ben C Uchendu – Pioneer Head.

Former Registrar,  Nwafor Orizu College of Education and Retired Deputy Registrar at the University of Nigeria.

  • Mr Festus Ntomchukwu.

Former Ag Head. Currently, a Deputy Registrar at Uli Campus.

  • Mr Emma Nnubia.

Former Ag Head and  Currently a Deputy Registrar at Igbariam Campus.

  • Mr Cyril Ezeanya 

Former Head and Now a Retired Deputy Registrar

  • Mrs Joe O Obika

Former Ag Head and Currently a Deputy Registrar at Igbariam Campus.

  • Rev (Dr) ORA Okechukwu,

Current Head and Former ANSU Registrar in Igbariam Campus.

 

The Current Officers in the Unit in Igbariam and Uli Campuses include:

Ven Dr Rowland Obi – Senior Assistant Registrar.

Mrs Magaret Ezenwaka – Asst Chief Executive Officer

Mr John Anuna – Senior Assistant Registrar

Mr Charles Agbasiere – Clerical Officer.

Officers of Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University (COOU) Alumni Association

  1. Dr Dubem Oguegbu (President)
  2. Engr. Health Izokpo (VP South West)
  3. Engr. Cheta Joakin Nwegwu( VP East)
  4. Engr. Stanley Obijekwu (VP North)
  5. Engr. Emeka Obi (National secretary)
  6. Mr. Madueke Benedict Adizue (Ex. Officio)
  7. Mr. Ikenna Innocent Chukwuma (Treasurer)
  8. Barrister Ezekwesiri Nwauwa (Legal Adviser)
  9. Ms. Chizoba Mariagorretti Odidika (Financial secretary)
  10. Mr. Ifenna Onyenweze (Provost)
  11. Mr.Emmanuel-Miller Uzochukwu Ikezu (Director Of Socials)
  12. Ms. Goodluck Nwankpa. (Public Relations Officer)