Esteemed guests and dignitaries gather to honor the legacy of Ojukwu at the 3rd Annual Memorial lLecture
The 3rd Ojukwu Memorial Lecture was held on Friday, at the auditorium of Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu University, Igbariam, amidst an intellectually charged up environment, as various speakers project different levels of excellence that is possible to achieve with the Anambra state-owned university. Ojukwu lecture series, instituted by the former Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof. Greg Nwakoby, offers an opportunity to celebrate the life and times of Eze Igbo, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, as a brave man, scholar, and leader, and to reemphasize the values of hard work, discipline and commitment to service for the university community.
This year, the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu memorial lecture was chaired by Prof. Greg Nwakoby. Former Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps – FRSC, a former Minister of Aviation, Chief Osita Chidoka, was the guest speaker, while Labaran Maku, Nigeria’s former Minister of Information, was the guest of honour for the event. The well-attended event climaxed with Chief Osita Chidoka’s guest lecture on the topic; “Harnessing Education for National Development: Lessons from the Life, and Vision of Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu.” The Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, was represented by Dr. Onyekachukwu Ibezim, the Deputy Governor, who also commissioned the university’s main gate that the Vice Chancellor rebuilt.
Earlier, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Kate Azuka Omenugha in her opening remarks, thanked the governor of Anambra State, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, who according to the VC, is the bearer of the bigger vision, a part of which she is implementing at the University. She also thanked the former Vice Chancellor, Prof. Nwakoby, while recognizing the support of Comrade Peter Nwosu, among other university friends, for their continued support. According to Prof. Omenugha, it is time for everyone to join hands and make Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu University a true reflection of the quality of man it was named after. She also took some time to outline some of the things she has been doing as the VC of the university since her appointment eleven months ago, which are based on her three Vs of Vision, Viability, and Visibility. In eleven months, Omenugha has significantly reshaped the university, while instilling a new and robust culture of environmental friendliness, student-centered teaching, research, and learning, among many others.
According to Prof. Omenugha, “This Ojukwu lecture is an opportunity for us to think and know what we are going to give back to this university. It is possible to make Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu University a top citadel of learning.” Speaking further, Omenugha said that it is a collective responsibility to make the university reflect the name it bears. “If we don’t help ourselves to grow, then, we don’t know what we are doing. We have to begin to rebrand our university to look like the man it was named after. I call on Ndi Anambra to rally around,” she said. Some of the critical needs of the university identified by Omenugha include staff quarters and student hostels within the university.
The guest lecturer, Chief Osita Chidoka, took a trip into history, recollecting Ojukwu’s elite background, upbringing, and education. He then merged Ojukwu’s story with the story of Ndi Igbo, spotlighting how education made a difference for Ndi Igbo; both transforming and elevating their fortunes. “The story of Ndi Igbo is that education has been transformative. Nothing has helped us like education. What transformed Igbo land was the power of education,” Chief Chidoka said. However, he regretted that these individual successes have not translated to community progress and environmental transformation just like in countries such as Singapore, Taiwan, and South Korea, where education also played a key role in the complete transformation of those societies. To this end, Chidoka argued that in our experience, education can make individuals work, but it has not made our society better, this, he said is because collective progress is something different. Drawing from the success of the National University of Singapore, and the India Institutes of Technology, Chidoka said that the solution lies in the “elitism of ability.” According to Chidoka, “We have not invested in elite organization,” this, he said, created the “problem of capacity.”
Nevertheless, he expressed optimism that Anambra can change this narrative in Nigeria. “I think that Anambra can set an example. We must train our best and brightest to live and work in Anambra State. We must build this university to reflect the quality of people from Anambra State. When we talk of Anambra, our goals and ambitions should be higher than that of Nigeria,” Chidoka said. He then discouraged further establishment of private universities in Anambra State and called for a N100 billion endowment fund for Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, insisting that this is the way to build an institution that reflects excellence, which in turn shapes the larger society.
On his part, Labaran Maku cautioned that the Southeast should not throw itself into violence, noting that what is needed is dialogue. “Don’t throw your community into violence. What we need is dialogue,” he said. Also, he is persuaded that “It is not impossible for Igbo man to become president of Nigeria if you build bridges and keep your home base. Igbo people are central to the future of Nigeria,” Mr. Maku said, as he called on President Tinubu to release Nnamdi Kanu.
Ebuka graduated with a second-class upper-division degree in Political Science from the University of Calabar in Nigeria. He furthered his education by obtaining a Master's Degree in Political Science with a specialization in Government and Development Studies from Nnamdi Azikiwe University in Awka, Nigeria. His academic background and professional experience have equipped him with a deep understanding of political dynamics and governance issues.
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