Abia state Governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu has unveiled the Ishmael Ikpeazu Memorial Library,expressing optimism that the proposed project would
serve as a resource center for academic excellence among the youths.
The library which aims at immortalizing Governor Ikpeazu’s father, is expected to house about 30 thousand volumes of various books and would be
a complete complex of many segments including a science laboratory, play ground for children, amphi theatre and accommodation for visitors among others.
Speaking at the unveiling ceremony and public presentation of the book: “Thoughts Of A Scholar In Governance ; A Compilation Of The Speeches, Lectures & Broadcast Of The Governor Of Abia State May 29,2015 – May 28, 2019′ held at Aba, Sunday, Ikpeazu said the library will also serve as an avenue to redirect the younger generation who hitherto have been eroded of mentorship.
While noting that the proposed library is a way of bequeathing a lasting legacy, the Governor recalled that the dream of his late father was to build a library for the younger generation, adding that he was touched to realize the dream.
He said his family would support the project with the sum of 25 million naira.
In their separate speeches,the Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma and the Minister of State for Mines & Steel Development, Dr. Uche Ogah assured that they would support the process of making the project a reality and commended Governor Ikpeazu for immortalizing his late father.
The book reviewer and Vice Chancellor of Abia State University Uturu, Prof. Uche Ikonne said the book which is a 350 page book of two sections; covering the Governor’s personal history and his speeches is a legacy of the late father, who modelled his son to become successful in education and resilient in life.
Chairman of the occasion, Chief Theo Nkire in his remarks noted that a library is a befitting monument, especially in a time when libraries are going into extinction and attributed exam malpractices to
lack of reading culture and libraries in Nigeria.
Also speaking,the Governor’s brother, Barr. Iheanyi Ikpeazu eulogized their late father, describing him as intelligent and an ardent collector of books and scholarly materials adding that the best legacy to be bequeathed to mankind in memory of Pa Ismael Ikpeazu is the establishment of library to sustain his dreams.
