Over a decade after it was founded, the Umudibia community in Imo State is urging the government to rename the Federal Polytechnic, Nekede after the community.

They may get their wish. The Governing Council of the Federal Polytechnic, Nekede, Imo State, has assured the community that it will facilitate the name change to Federal Polytechnic, Umudibia in accordance with their demands.

The community in a letter through the Head of the Community Government Council (CGC), Chief Ngozi Oparacho, had requested that the name of the polytechnic be changed to reflect the name of the community where it is situated.

The people had demanded that one of them be made a member of the institution’s Governing Council to represent the interest of the host community in line with the Federal Polytechnic Act of 1979, no 33, Cap F17-3(e), which states that the Council shall consist of a Chairman and other members which will include one outstanding member of the community where the polytechnic is situated.

Chairman of the Governing Council, Dr Ado Yusuf, who gave the assurance when he led other members of the 12th Council of the institution on a courtesy visit to the palace of the traditional ruler of the community, Eze Godwin Merenini, promised to channel the request for the name change to the appropriate authorities.

He said that the demand is justifiable, given the level of cooperation the polytechnic has received from the community since its establishment,

Yusuf commended the community for its peaceful disposition, noting that other communities where Federal institutions were located have engaged in fights with the institution, resulting in loss of lives and property, “but such has not been the case with Umudibia community hence our visit to the traditional ruler to say thank you and solicit for more cooperation and understanding”.

In his response, the monarch, who traced the history of the polytechnic said the need to change the name of the polytechnic became imperative because Umudibia community became autonomous since 12 years ago and no more under Nekede as it was the time the institution was sited. He noted that the change of name will compensate the people who donated land on which the institution is sited.