By VALENTINE OBIENYEM
In honour of her enduring contributions to academia and humanity, the Faculty of Mass Communication, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, recently an international conference in celebration of Prof. Chinyere Stella Okunna.
The conference was charged with emotion, as all the speeches focused on Prof. Chinyere Stella Okunna. Prof. Okunna is a remarkable figure—she is beyond conventional classification, defying easy definition. As Prof. Ngozi Udeh, the Anambra State Commissioner for Education, put it, “Prof. Okunna is a transitional being; you cannot plot her on a graph.”
Prof. Udeh mentioned how Prof. Okunna handled three major roles while in government, a feat she herself is emulating. For those who may not know, Prof. Okunna served as the Chief of Staff to the then Governor Peter Obi, Commissioner for Economic Planning, and head of the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) office. Under her leadership, Anambra State achieved first place in the MDG rankings, with evidence of the programme’s success scattered across the state.
One highlight of the conference was what could be called a “confession” by Igwe Prof. Onuorah Nwuneli, the traditional ruler of Igbakwu, about Prof. Okunna. While most confessions may be superficial, his was filled with honesty, reminiscent of St. Augustine’s Confessions. Prof. Nwuneli recalled even some obscure events in his life that any objective observer might interpret as a deconstruction of Okunna’s character.
Prof. Nwuneli described her as the first female Professor of Mass Communication in the Anglophone and Francophone regions of Sub-Saharan Africa. At this event, he revealed that he was part of the team that assessed her for professorship. He recalled how she was evaluated under the auspices of UNESCO and how he recognised Prof. Okunna’s brilliance early on. He described her as the “sister his mother never had” and shared how his wife and Prof. Okunna’s sister, Prof. Akachi Ezigbo, cautioned him to protect Okunna from the toxic academic environment at UNILAG at that time when she was there for her PhD.
As her mentor, Prof. Nwuneli rated her highly, saying, “She was my student and an exceptional scholar.” Recognising her potential, he carried her along in many of his intellectual pursuits. Reflecting on why he preferred her, he said, “I needed someone who could think like me, work like me, and go places with me.”
Prof. Okunna has numerous mentees who hold her in high esteem, just as I do my own mentor, Prof. Okey Ikechukwu. I suspect that her commitment to mentorship was influenced by the dedication her mentor, Prof. Nwuneli, showed her.
As Prof. Nwuneli spoke, I observed Prof. Okunna’s expression – she seemed to be hearing many of these reflections for the first time, her face lighting up, her cheeks bursting with pride. Yes, I overhead Prof. Okunna said it was today he just learnt that Prof. Nwuneli was her professorial assessor.
The Igwe of Igbakwu captivated the audience with stories of how Prof. Okunna involved him in the activities of UNIZIK’s Faculty of Mass Communication, especially when they started the PhD programme in mass communication. He also gratefully recalled how Okunna encouraged Mr. Peter Obi to take an interest in his affairs.
In Nigeria, Prof. Okunna has inspired many mentees, leaving a lasting legacy of mentorship. Prof. Allen Adum, the Head of the Department, remarked, “I am here today as a professor because Prof. Okunna lifted me up. At Modotel Hotel, Enugu she practically signed me up and predicted that she would be alive to celebrate my professorship, which came 25 years after Okunna herself became a professor.” He added, “We are in the presence of a truly remarkable scholar—a woman well known to her students and mentees for the nurturing, guidance, and insight she has provided to over 2,000 communication scholars. I, too, have benefited from her mentorship.” When professors speak this way about their senior colleagues, it unveils the true identity of the person being honoured.
The representative of the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Philomena Igbokwe, spoke about how she once chaired an event for Prof. Akachi Ezigbo. She marvelled at how one family could produce two outstanding personalities. She described how, as far back as 1998, Prof. Okunna, as Head of Department, was a source of inspiration and encouragement to young female lecturers.
Many of the female speakers at the event felt compelled to draw parallels between themselves and Prof. Okunna. They spoke about the grace with which she carries herself, her humility, and the integrity that mark her every move.
The keynote address was delivered by Prof. Umar Pate. Prof. Okunna’s glowing description of him speaks volumes, as she credited him with almost single-handedly overseeing the unbundling of mass communication in Nigeria. Prof. Pate said, “I have served UNIZIK many times, and even when it was challenging, I did it because of Prof. Okunna. She represents the scholarship of mass communication.” He emphasised that Prof. Okunna needs worthy successors in the south-east, which he has yet to see. He praised her as “gifted with humility and a generous measure of both aptitude and attitude. She is an institution who has built other institutions across Nigeria. She has remained a symbol of womanhood in Nigeria.”
Prof. Pate noted, “Okunna simplifies what is complex, while others make complex what is simple.” He recalled how she worked with him when she returned to UNIZIK as Head of the Mass Communication Department to clear all outstanding MSc and PhD programmes. What is so magnetic about Okunna is that she rejoices in the success of others and encourages everyone to reach the pinnacle of success.
As the conference continues, I join all people of goodwill (for Okunna, a feminist, would not approve of “men” of goodwill) in wishing her a happy birthday, a happy wedding anniversary, and joy for the conference being organised in her honour. Such honours are often posthumous, so one wonders why society is already so eager to start honouring her now – food for thought.
