A political stalwart, chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu has joined his other counterparts in the South East to extol the legacies of the late Premier of Eastern region, chief M.I Okpara.
Speaking to journalists during the Inaugural lecture organised by the Eastern Peoples Consultative Forum (EPCOF), Michael Okpara Centre for Effective Leadership and Good Governance (MOCELAGG) and World Igbo Leadership, Education and Cultural Council (WILECC) in Umuahia, chief Iwuanyanwu said that Dr M.I Okpara would be celebrated any time, any day, going by his contribution in the development of the Eastern Nigeria which he described as human centred.
He said today people still benefit from Okpara’s legacies in education, Agriculture, Politics among others.
Sir A.A Onukaogu, Rector, Uma Ukpai Polytechnic, Ohafia, in his lecture, said Chief Okpara left lessons for our today leaders.
According to him, Dr Okpara blazed the trail in the development of the South East region as today, no leader could be compared to him,
In Agriculture, he said Chief Okpara introduced modern agricultural practices where farm settlements and plantation agriculture thrived.
He said involvement in agricultural businesses became dignifying and the tedium of old agricultural practices were sufficiently reduced.
Under chief Okpara, the Eastern Nigeria Development Corporation (ENDC) thrived, with the responsibility of growing the economy of the region. The ENDC under the leadership of Bob Ogbuagu and others made the Eastern Nigerian Economy one of the ten fastest growing economy in the world.
On the area of education, Sir Onukaogu stated that any legacy that is not human centred, is not worth the pains, adding that Okpara in his interest of improving the quality of human through education which in turn would make the people better informed to make useful choices as well as help them possess skills and competencies that would make them employable and therefore productive, built schools across the region and made them affordable and accessible.
Sir Onukaogu further called on our leaders to look beyond personal aggrandizement and render selfless service to the people just like Chief Okpara.
Also the President of Igbo World Assembly, Dr Nwachukwu Anakwenze, described Dr Okpara as a great man that built industries which the Igbo are enjoying till today and developed the different sectors of the region, calling on our leaders to imbibe the Okpara spirit of building to last.
However, Prince Erondu Uche, Spokesman Ohaneze Ndigbo South East, said the late Okpara is being celebrated today because of the distinctive role he played towards the development of the Eastern region, calling on our current leaders to emulate Okpara’s selfless leadership style and relinquish godfatherism, selfishness as well as strive to write their names in gold.
Meanwhile, the Spokesman of Ohaneze Ndigbo world wide and Executive secretary MOCELAGG, Mr Chuks Ibegbu, said the program was organized in commemoration of the 2019 Igbo day.
Mr Ibegbu stated that the occasion afford them the opportunity to celebrate Igbo leaders who have distinguished themselvess as well as contributed immensely to the development of Igbo land, saying that Dr M.I Okpara was picked for the 2019 occasion.
According to him, Okpara’s tenacity of purpose laid the present nine states of Eastern region namely; Abia,Akwa ibom,Anambra,Bayelsa,Cross river,Ebonyi,Enugu,Imo and Rivers states, touching the lives of everyone.
“His agrarian and industrial revolution was superb.We commend him for this. Our leaders must do a rethink”,he said.
While appreciating those that contributed to the success of the Inaugural lecture, Mr Ibegbu said our leaders should think less of wealth but build legacies and institutions that would outlived them.
