By Yabagi Mohammed.
The evening was meant to bid the immediate past Head of Mass Communication Department, Kogi State University, Anyigba, Sister (Dr) Chika Asogwa, a farewell and for one last time, but the atmosphere at the Professor Francis Idachaba hall turned out to be one flooded with emotions at the exit of the woman described to have brought revolution to the department.
Speaker after speaker took turns to eulogize her as dedicated, hardworking, disciplined and brilliant academic who abhor any form of malpractice and academic manipulation which has earned Mass Communication Department in the institution commendation from far and near.
Deputy Vice Chancellor of the university, Dr. Salihu Musa who stood in for other top university Management officers described Sr. Chika Asogwa as a woman of taintless character, dedication and academic brilliance and administrative grit.
He said even though he had only known the Reverend Sister upon her assumption of office as a member of staff in the institution, he had grown fond of her in view of track record as a woman determined to achieve rarity, hence the way she had headed Mass Communication Department with doggedness.
“Painful as it is to lose such a woman to another institution, we can’t help but let her go. She has shown us that where there is a will, there is always a way. She has come and touched our lives in different ways; so, all we can do right now is to wish her all the best in her new capacity in her new institution.”
Commencing the pouring of unfettered emotion from staff of the department, a lecturer at the department of Mass Communication in the university, Dr. Gabriel Ottah, who himself is a surrogate of the outgoing departmental head, said the exit of Dr. Asogwa has left a large vacuum that would be difficult fill.
Also speaking, the Examination Officer for the department, Mr. Success Ojih said the department has never remained the same since the academic and administrative revolution that it experienced immediately the former HOD took over.
Reacting to the views earlier expressed by the speakers, the visibly overwhelmed Sr. (Dr) Chika Asogwa expressed gratitude to the entire staff and students of the institution and the department in particular for the cooperation she enjoyed while in the saddle.
According to her, there was no way she could have succeeded in her role as head of Mass Communication Department if not with the cooperation of staff and students, saying that all that she did was for the benefit and growth of the department without any hard feelings.
Highlights of the evening was a drama sketch by students of the department who humorously portrayed the former HOD’s mannerisms and character traits to the admiration of the audience, presentation of gift by students of the department, choreography and cultural dance from the cultural troupe of the department.
