By Emeka Chiaghanam
Dr. Paul Ifeanyi is a poet, author, academic, administrator, security expert, certified guidance counselor, and skilled administrator.
The consummate writer, and former Senior
Special Assistant on Secondary Education to Governor, Willie Obiano, wrote his
first novel ‘The Pregnant Virgin’ as an undergraduate at the defunct Anambra
State College of Education, Awka.
Besides the spur of literary muse, when it
became obvious that his beloved father had wanted young Paul, his fourth
child, the first among his ten children to go beyond primary education to be a
medical doctor hope was dashed.
Academically sound Paul, who loves challenges
decided to invent a true-life story into a novel. The novel earned him a
scholarship for his master's and doctorate degrees in the United States.
Meeting Dr. Ifeanyi you see a man so friendly
to a fault, yet down to earth. He speaks plainly, sold out to frankness, is straightforward in his approach with people, and bothers not when a person
feels hurt when the right thing is done.
The Ihiala-born polymath came to Anambra
State as the Senior Special Assistant to Governor on Secondary Education with
the vision to better the state education sector and make her educational
consultants to other states. Education to him lays the foundation of a progressive society, the transformation it brings so hugely to ignore.
Dr. Ifeanyi loves education and had always
wanted to be an academic, but one defining moment that spurred his drive to
become a university don was during his matriculation at the Anambra College of Education, Awka, the first time he saw an academic procession. The scene was
so touching that he swore that he must wear the hood. Another inspiring moment
was when Chinua Achebe visited the school, as the Vice President of the
school’s student union body, he had the opportunity to have a handshake with
Achebe and vowed to be an author.
The educational pursuit of Dr. Ifeanyi started at St Theresa Primary School, Uzoakua, Ihiala, with his secondary education at St. Joseph’s Boys Secondary School, Kaduna-Vom, Plateau State. He attributes the school, which was more like a missionary school to exposing him to some basic principles of life. It made him appreciate the concept of time.
He had his eyes set on studying in the United
States after passing out with flying colours, but when it wasn’t forthcoming, a
friend persuaded him to give the College of Education a thought. He gained a place
in the Anambra State College of Education, Awka where he graduated with a Nigeria Certificate in Education in English and Library Science.
He proceeded to Abia State University Uturu,
Abia State for a Bachelor of Education in Management, Planning English. On
scholarship, he travelled to the United States for his Master of Public
Administration/Health and Human Resources Administration, at Grambling
State University, U.S.A, and obtained a Doctor of Education/Personnel Services
Administration from the same university. After his doctorate, he lectured
as an adjunct lecturer.
After seven years of sojourn in the United States, he
came back to join the Open University of Nigeria in 2007 as both academic and
administrative staff. I joined the Open University with its pioneer Vice Chancellor Prof. Orubeme Jegede. I worked there for seven years before, where he held
important positions. He taught, and supervised master's degree students' theses,
combining them with administrative duties.
“At a point, I had to give up teaching. I
wrote the VC's papers and sometimes I had to present them. It was so demanding, but thank God, I was able to weather the storm. It was a privilege for me
because the VC called me one day and said Dr. Ifeanyi you write outside your
discipline. The VC so much believes in me and I did disappoint him. He is a
professor of agronomy, I read as widely as you can think to write papers that he
will present. “
“It was challenging those seven years my
family suffered, I just got newly married, because I read up to Ph.D., there was
no leave. I must leave my house before 6:30am and sometimes come back by
midnight. I recall a particular incident, I came back from the office after 12
am and a minute before 1 am the VC called, I thought something terrible happened, and he said, “Dr. Ifeanyi meet me at the airport in the morning and we will be
travelling to Abuja.” And the answer will always be yes sir.”
“I enjoyed the experience, the VC appreciated
my sacrifices. In 2014, l accepted the appointment of SSA to Gov Obiano on
Secondary Education, charged with advising the Governor on better ways to
improve the Secondary Education Sector of the State’s Educational System. Until
my appointment, I was Principal Assistant Registrar, Office of the Vice
Chancellor. ”’
“When I assumed office, I told the
commissioner for Education and Mrs. Joy Ulasi, Chairman of Post Primary School
Commission of my mission to better education in the state and be consultants to
other states. The only regret is that I don’t have a budget. I have ideas the
commissioner goes to the Exco meetings and shines with it. We don’t have a
budget to implement our ideas.
SSAs should be given room to implement their
ideas. My only regret is that as an SSA, I send a lot of proposals to the Governor with approval and often it doesn’t get to see the light of the day. Some are
even implemented without my knowledge. The SSAs should be allowed to implement
some of the ideas they suggest to the government. Sometimes when my ideas
or suggestions get to the commissioner, they don’t see the light of the day. My
salary comes at the expected time, but my driving force is not to earn a salary.
I’m here to work because when I leave I would ask myself what changes I brought
here. I’m here to better my state.”
Dr Ifeanyi imbibed such quality early in life
from his father to work to make a good name than any other thing. Growing up
his father, Alfred Obi Ifeanyi, lost his father quite early in life and strived
to make a name until he died, he lamented that he never went to school and
swore that children be educated and add value to other people's lives. Alfred
Ifeanyi was well-respected in society. People called him, ‘Obi Weluego’ but to
him, money wasn’t everything he wanted but education. “My father really influenced
me to see the burner of education.
“I learnt from my father that integrity
cannot be purchased. A good name is better than all the riches. I learnt from my
father that integrity supersedes every other thing. My mother often said she
cannot buy gold when there is a need to train her children the same way I
cannot buy new shoes when my children's school fees are outstanding. My parents
were a great influence on me.”
Hypocrisy, sycophancy, and arrogance put Dr. Ifeanyi off. He sees every learner as a potential achiever given enough
time and opportunity; everyone is intelligent. “We have slow and fast learners
and there are some in-between, but as long as you are willing to learn, I will
accommodate you. I will never accommodate you when you don’t know something,
and don’t acknowledge you don’t know and don’t want to learn.”
If Dr. Ifeanyi has the power to change one
thing, he would reprogrammed people’s mindset on the term success. “I will
change the whole concept of success. Most people in society now believe
that people with money and buildings are successful. We need to change our
ideology about this system. We need to have a better value system that will
help us become a progressive society.”
Success to him is subjective. “What success
means to me is when you are able to achieve your dream, which becomes the
beginning of other gains. Success to me is contentment and gratefulness to God.
When I see the less privileged or those not my social or academic status I
thank God for my life if not for the grace of God I could have been one of
them. Whatever any man thinks of his admired status it is by the grace of God.
I went somewhere to give a talk in my
village and I saw a classmate who pushes wheelbarrows and sometimes cuts grass
for others for a living. That could have been me. Success to me is contentment
and being grateful to God.”
Dr. Ifeanyi has hobbies such as reading,
writing, travelling, and photography, and he lives a simple life. To him life is
already complicated, so why complicate it further, “take things as they come,
nobody is perfect. Change yourself and don’t force it on people. Common sense
is common, but we still have fools.”
A voracious reader and prolific writer Dr.
Ifeanyi has two other novels to his credit, The Crucified Water Maid and The
Price. One of his poems won an International Poetry Award in the United States.
A man who believes in God’s benevolence, he does charity and philanthropic
works without blowing it on the rooftop.
A Knight of St. John International (KSJI), he
is a member of the Holy Family, St. Lucy Catholic Church, Awka, Catholic Men
Organization, St. Theresa’s Catholic Church, Ihiala. Professionally, he belongs
to many professional organisations and is the recipient of many awards, such as the Award
of recognition by the Post Primary Schools Service Commission for his contribution
to the state educational sector, and the distinguished International Merit Award for
Excellence Performance by Baseline Global.
He is a member of the Nigerian Institute of Management, Member, Chartered Institute of Human Capital Development of
Nigeria, Member, British Educational Leadership Management and Administration
Society, Member, African Council for Distance Education (ACDE), Member, and
Certified Board of Administrators of Nigeria, among others.
Dr. Ifeanyi describes his wife as his
greatest critic, ‘that’s the woman who tells me the truth without flattering
me. When I say critic, I mean a positive one. She doesn’t sing my praises. She
tells me, ‘I love you;’ I and she means it and I love her for that. She puts me
where I belong. Three are married with three beautiful
children.
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