Cutting of cake -Obasanjo @85
The former Head of State retired General Olusegun Obasanjo has said that Nigeria is a country and yet to become a Nation.
students @ a Debate Competition in Abia
He made this remark at the 2021/2022 School Debate Price Presentation organized by the Vision Africa Radio Umuahia, Abia State.
He declared Nigeria would not make any headway as a country until she grew into nationhood.
In his words,’’ One of the things we need to achieve is nation-building. We have not built a nation yet.
‘’We have a country but we need to build it into a nation’’.
Obasanjo also declared that Nigeria would not progress until there is equality, justice and equal stake for everybody’’.
‘’We can’t make it unless we have equity and equality, and everybody has a stake in the project called Nigeria.’’
Any family, State, or country without equity and equality won’t have stability and can never have success,’’ Obasanjo echoed.
The former President commended the successful students and schools in the debate competition. He charged the students to give serious attention to the development of their communication skills, submitting that people who lack the skill to communicate their ideas hardly go far in life.
‘’You won’t go far in life if you can’t communicate very well. If you are a poor communicator, you will be a poor achiever’’.
In his address, the President of Vision Africa Radio, Bishop Sunday Onuoha, said that the essence of the school Debate was to broaden and sharpen the spoken English Language proficiency of our secondary school students and to empower the school with awards and as well educate and enlighten our teeming audience’’.
He added that ‘’beyond its entertainment value and the use of cogent argument, poise and timeliness as a measure of grading the competitors, it is our hope that the students who participated have achieved or honed their public speaking skills, improved their note-taking skills, increased their self-confidence, enhanced their teamwork/ collaboration skills, and have developed better ways to graciously state their point of view with gentleness even when standing up for the truth’’.
The former Special Assistant to the President on Privatisation said that 35 schools had so far participated in the competition since 11 years it commenced.
The immaculate International schools came 1st while Standard International School and Ndume Otsuka Secondary School came 2nd and 3rd respectively.
Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, in his remark, thanked Bishop Onuoha for his passion in promoting education in the State, as well as his numerous contributions towards the development of the State, urging him not to relent.
Ikpeazu who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government,(SSG) Mr. Chris Ezem, restated the readiness of his administration to promote education in the State.
Dignitaries at the colourful event included former Governor of Imo State, Dr. Ikedi Ohakim, former Nigeria Ambassador to South Africa, and the incumbent Secretary-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Dr. Eme Uche, former boss of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Chief Onyema Ugochukwu, the Chancellor of Gregory University Uturu, Professor Greg Ibe, and a host of others.
The highlight of the event was the cutting of a birthday cake in honour of the former head of State, Olusegun Obasanjo’s 85th birthday.
(Vanguard)