~ VC: Awardees must represent courage, resilience of Ojukwu
Anambra State owned university, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University (COOU), Igbariam, Anambra State, has unveiled the Ojukwu Legacy Award, as an honour to late Biafra warlord, and Ikemba Nnewi, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu.
The Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof. Kate Omenugha in a press conference, yesterday to unveil activities marking the 25th anniversary of the institution and combined convocation said the Ojukwu Legacy Award project is very dear to the institution because of who Ojukwu represents globally.
She said several activities have also been lined up for the twin event. They include; charity walk, back to roots event at the first campus of the university, founders and heritage day cultural carnival, convocation lecture, award of honorary doctorate and awards of degrees.
Unveiling the first set of recipients of the Ojukwu Legacy Award, Omenugha announced that the quartet of; former speaker of Anambra State House of Assembly, Late Rt Hon Barth Onugbolu, former governor of Anambra State, Late Dr Chinwoke Mbadinuju, renowned businessman, Chief Emma Bishop Okonkwo and first Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof Cornelius Ezekwe would receive the award.
While Onugbolu was the speaker of Anambra Assembly under whom the law establishing the university was passed, Mbadinuju was governor of the state who set up the university. The university was formally known as Anambra State University of Science and Technology, before it was changed to Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University in 2014.
Omenugh while addressing journalists said: “The Ojukwu Legacy Award is considered very prime, and is an award to be received by people with the spirit of Ojukwu in them. These are people who cannot afford to fail the university for anything, and must live according to the virtues Late Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, Eze Igbo Gburugburu was known for.
“Two of the recipients are posthumous and two are alive. In subsequent programmes, recipients will not exceed two persons. We decided to make it four now because it is the maiden edition. We want the award to be a legacy project, and recipients must be people who can bring legacies to the university.
“It is a very significant award, and the recipients must embody some of the traits Ojukwu was known for, and they include; courage, resilience, oratory and others.”
Other categories of awards to be presented during the weeklong event include; award to 25 alumni of the institution, awards to facilitators of the establishment of the university in its temporary site at Uli, Ihiala Local Government Area and award of honorary doctorate degrees.
Omenugha said a former member of the House of Representatives, Hon Forth Dike and businessman, ABC Orjiakor will receive awards for their role in establishing the university, while wife of the governor, Mrs Nonye Soludo; traditional ruler of Ogidi kingdom, Igwe Alex Onyido; Chairman Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) South East, Ada Chukwudozie, Engr Chidozie Mbanefo and Chief Christopher Ndubuisi.
The event would commence with a fitness walk on Saturday, with a roadshow from the medical campus of the university to the Anambra State House of Assembly complex.
