By Nkem Anyata-Lafia
A socio-cultural group, Ndigbo Good Governance Initiative, NGGI,has poured encomiums on two of its members,Amb.Dr. Gerald N.Okeke and Amb. Dr. Harriet Chimezie, both of whom were decorated last week in Abuja,Nigeria’s capital city,with the United Nations-POLAC awards for the promotion of global peace.
In a congratulatory message signed by the leader of the group, Nonso David Ezedinma,which was made available to newsmen in Abuja , Tuesday,the group praised the efforts of its Deputy Chairman ( South),Amb.Dr.Okeke and its Director-General, Industrial Development and Empowerment, Dr. Chimezie for making the group proud.
He said it was a thing of joy that the many activities and efforts of the duo in many areas of endeavour, including peace- building,conflict resolution, environmental protection and safety as well as safer- earth initiatives in the extractive industry,were beginning to court global attention and rewards. Ezedinma said he was sure that the group possesses men and women whose great prowess still lies in the womb of time and whose great endowments would be revealed to the world in the future.
While calling on the distinguished UN- POLAC Peace Awardees not to rest on their oars,the group leader and former Special Adviser to the Nasarawa State Governor on National Integration,challenged the duo to see the honour done to them as a call to a greater life of service to humanity. He also urged them to avail of their deep experience and wide global contacts to promote the vision of the NGGI and that of the Igbo people at large for the election of a President of Igbo extraction in Nigeria in the election year,2023, and the actualisation of the dream of a heavily industrialized Igbo nation.
Ezedinma argued:
” Nothing can at this time ensure a more radical development of Igbo land and the empowerment of our teeming youths than heavily industrializing the Zone. It is public knowledge that the foundation for the industrialisation of Igboland has since been laid in Nnewi,Onitsha,Aba and in other cities and towns across the Igbo region. We have so suddenly forgotten even the technology that Awka,the Anambra State capital city,was known for. Today the town’s youth have abandoned everything in search of dollars abroad and white- collar employment in Abuja.. Now is the time to look inwards again. And with people like Doctor K.K.Okeke and Engineer Dr. Harriet Chimezie,our able DG on Industrial Development and Empowerment,the Igbo may well be on their way to re- living our glory days.”
The UN- POLAC event,which drew participants and awardees from different parts of the country was held at the National Merit House last week and was attended by notable national leaders,members of the National Executive Council of NGGI,a host of friends, professional colleagues and well-wishers ,who came in their numbers to celebrate their very own.
Nkem Anyata-Lafia
is the National Publicity Secretary of NGGI. He wrote in from Abuja.
Pictures from the Events
