Rivers-born politician, philanthropist and entrepreneur, Engr Dr Chukwudi Dimkpa has bagged a “Shining Star Award” from the Kenule Beeson Polytechnic, Bori, Rivers State, Nigeria.
The award was presented in an elaborate ceremony organized by the Ken Poly Chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, ASUP, in an occasion to flag-off the the union’s research centre and secretariat building projects.
According to ASUP, the award is in recognition of Engr Dimkpa’s mountainous contributions to the growth of the body of knowledge, particularly in the areas of socio-economic development and enhancement of academic research and innovation in Rivers State.
Dr Dimkpa, who was special guest of honour at the event, in his remarks, thanked ASUP, the Rector and the Polytechnic community for finding him worthy of the prestigious honor, pledged his continued support to every effort at academic development and research.
He noted that tertiary institutions world-over are known to be citadel of knowledge development and research, challenging the Polytechnic to develop home-grown solutions to our challenges.
“The Industrial Revolution which placed the European Continent as the dominant world power for centuries until the outbreak of World War 1 and World War 2 was achieved on the basis of research and the subsequent implementation of the results”.
“Tertiary institutions are seen quite rightly as citadels of learning and
advancement of knowledge. While knowledge in itself is power, effective use of that power can only be achieved where the said knowledge is implemented for the greater good and benefit of majority of the people”.
“The world over, tertiary institutions which are hailed as the best have one thing in common, decades of research activities, in some cases this experience stretches into centuries. They have been able to deploy the benefits of this culture into solving the various problems that have bedeviled their respective societies and environments at every turn”.
“The goal of every research center is to enable interaction between faculty, scholars, students and industry to enhance research opportunities, academic excellence, real world problem solving and knowledge creation and dissemination”.
Dr Chukwudi Dimkpa lamented our over dependent on external solutions to solving our problems, regardless our potentials, regretting the inability of our scholars in our tertiary institutions to harness our enormous potential towards solving our problems.
“We are a country blessed with immense human and material resources. However, our inability to believe in our own abilities to solve the myriad of problems we face, our lack of investment in and proper coordination of our educational assets have seen us constantly rely on foreigners for the
provision of the solution to our problems. We fail to understand that a home grown solution is the best way to go”.
“The Covid -19 pandemic is a clear example of this. While the developed world was able to marshal their considerable resources into the study of the virus and the production of vaccines to combat it, we waited with bated breath and prayers on our lips. The result of this neglect stares us in the face”.
He commended the Polytechnic for their efforts towards establishing the research centre, outlining some of benefits the center will provide when completed and advice on it’s continued functionality.
“Let me end by once more congratulating and commending the Association and the Polytechnic management for this wonderful step in the right direction”
