By; MATTHEW UKACHUNWA, Lagos
A don at the Lagos Business School (LBS)/Pan Atlantic University (PAU) has expressed hope that a better and greater Nigeria is possible if young citizens should show more interest in the process of choosing the leaders of the country.
Professor Chris Ogbechie, Dean, Lagos Business School/Pan Atlantic University (formerly Pan African University), Lagos made the remark at the in-person and online inauguration of the Innocent Chukwuma Social Impact Chair and Fellowship which took place in Lagos on Friday, 13th May 2022.
Ogbechie pointed out that for youths to be able to achieve a better Nigeria they have to exhibit wisdom, vision, service and have faith in the country.
He therefore called on youths to come out and vote, because they can decide who the President of the country can be as they constitute a major size of the voting population.
“They can start the process of fixing the nation by making sure they elect the next President,” the professor declared.
He stressed that the Fellowship will focus on Nigerian youths.
The dean described the event as a celebration of life. He said, “To me it’s a celebration of life, because we’re celebrating legacy, wisdom, vision and service. We’re celebrating somebody who believed in all this; who believed in a better Nigeria, and a better Nigeria can be produced by young people who have vision, faith” in this nation.
The Innocent Chukwuma Social Impact Chair and Fellowship (ICSICF) aims to facilitate the emergence and development of the next generations of social impact pioneers and social justice leaders.
The inauguration marked the beginning of the Fellowship which is funded by the Ford Foundation and hosted by the Lagos Business School Sustainability Centre.
The Regional Director of Ford Foundation, Dr. Chichi Okoye, in her speech on the occasion described Innocent as a gem, stressing that he lived for change and impact.
According to her, Innocent brought depth of knowledge and indigenized the Foundation in Africa.
She regretted that Africa has many unsong heroes.
“Let our little light shine. The essence of a man’s life is what he did with his time,” Okoye emphasized as she highlighted the contributions of Innocent in improving the well-being of vulnerable and poor people.
The Chair is a programme one that is governed by a steering committee in order to ensure that the Chair keeps to its mission.
High points of the inauguration included the unveilling of the cover of “Possibilities Unlimited – The Biography of Innocent Chukwuma”.
The book which is yet to be completed is being written by Professor Nduka.
“Possibilities can be unlimited no matter the challenges we face. Understand the importance of documentation,” Nduka said while reading the excerpts from the book.
Mrs. Josephine Chukwuma, the widow of Innocent, reported that her husband died three days before he was to leave for UK to work on his autobiography.
She said that her two demands for the memory of her husband have been fulfilled, namely: that his biography be written and a Fellowship be instituted in his name.
Deputy Vice Chancellor, University of Lagos (UNILAG), Professor Ayodele Atsenuwa, was one of the dignitaries who were present on the occasion.
