Governors of the Old Eastern Region would see to the realization of the Michael Okpara Leadership Institute project to immortalize the life and legacies of the eponymous premier. Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State announced this while unveiling the design of the Institute at the Musa Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja on Thursday, August 22, 2024.
Also at the occasion, Delta State Senator Ned Nwoko preached the need for all Igbos to join hands towards the creation of the sixth Igbo State in the present Anioma region of Delta State. He stressed that this is a potent way to cement the unity of Igbo people in the pursuit of the development ideals of the late premier.
Gov. Uzodinma, who was the Guest Lecturer at this year’s Annual Michael Okpara Leadership Lecture and Award Ceremony used the occasion to beam light on the sterling leadership qualities of the late premier. He described the Okpara years as the golden age of the eastern region when Eastern Region of Nigeria was celebrated as the fastest growing region in the world. He described Michael Okpara as “a leader like no other,” as he recounted his giant projects spanning agriculture, industrialization, education, health, and infrastructure.
Hope Uzodinma noted that the ideals of Okpara’s development agenda together with that of Gov. Sam Mbakwe, have become his governance model. He pledged to work with all the Governors of the former eastern region comprising Abia, Anambra, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Ebonyi, Enugu, Imo, and Rivers states; to see to the completion of the centre within the next twelve months.
The Special Guest of Honour at the event, former First Lady of Nigeria, Dame Patience Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, described the late Premier as her uncle while recalling her days growing up in her maternal home of Umuahia. In a voice laden with emotion she urged the Igbos to return home and to re-embrace Okpara’s developmental agenda as well as his agricultural revolution. She went down memory lane on how, in keeping with the Okpara agricultural revolution, she tilled the ground with her grandmother in Umuahia.
Also speaking at the occasion the Governor of Cross River State, Bassey Otu, noted that he was inspired to attend the occasion when he noted the Premier’s contributions to the development of his state. He highlighted such legacy projects as the cement factory in Calabar and the Obudu Cattle Ranch, Akamkpa Rubber Plantation and the Calabar Campus of the University of Nigeria which today gave birth to the University of Calabar, among others.
In his address of welcome the Chairman and CEO of the Okpara Leadership Foundation, and son of the late Premier, Chief Uzodinma Okpara, emphasized the need for a centre which would promote the ideals of leadership excellence which was the hallmark of the Okpara years.
Okpara recounted his father’s rare qualities which included not having a house of his own while he was premier of the entire eastern region and the harvest of developmental projects such as the Calabar and Nkalagu cement industries, the University of Nigeria Nsukka, with Campuses in Enugu and Calabar, Shoe Industry in Owerri, Hotels Presidential in Port Harcourt and Enugu, five farm settlements and oil palm plantations spread across the entire South East and parts of south-south states. He also paid tributes to Liyel Imoke whose late father was the Minister of Education in the then Eastern Regional Government and presided over the best standard of education in Africa during the Okpara era.
The occasion was graced by dignitaries from across the nation, from both the public and private sectors. Business Mogul Arthur Eze flagged off the funding of the institute with N100million naira donation among others.
