By Frank Ulom
CALABAR (CONVERSEER) – The President of the Nigerian Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Dr Betta Edu, and Chief Chukwuemeka Egwuonwu (CEO of Peterson Group) have been inducted into the University of Calabar’s prestigious Hall of Fame.
The induction ceremony, which was held in Calabar had the wife of the Senate President Mrs Ekaete Unoma Akpabio, the Acting Governor of Cross River State Dr Peter Odey, alongside serving members of the National Assembly business moguls, including Chief Chukwuemeka Egwuonwu, Dr Ikechukwu Ukweh CEO Hogis Group and the crème de la crème of society.
Senator Akpabio, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representative Kalu, who was the 37th convocation speaker, and the former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation Dr Edu, including the former gubernatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Professor Sandy Onor, and the Chief Executive Officer of the Peterson Group Chukwuemeka Egwuonwu, amongst others were honoured for their contributions to humanity.
Reacting to the gesture, Senator Akpabio, who thanked the Nigerian President for efforts to enshrine peace in Rivers State with the declaration of a State of Emergency for the warring factions to broker peace, recalled with nostalgia his journey as a student at the University of Calabar.
“I have a brand new bus for the Faculty of Law and another for the Student Union Government (SUG) of this university since I was a former Speaker of the SUG. I encourage you to take your education seriously and urge us to support the growth of education and the university. I dedicate this award to the glory of God.”
Similarly, the former minister, Dr Edu, commended the institution for finding her worthy, saying, “It is a privilege to be honoured, and I thank God almighty for the opportunity to be inducted into the Hall of Fame of this university that actually built leadership skills in me. I also thank everyone who has contributed to the height I have attained today in Nigeria, especially President Bola Tinubu.
“On behalf of me and the Class of 2009 medical students, we are contributing to the completion of the institution’s medical centre. We will not only complete the structures but we are going to fully provide the equipment needed to function optimally,” she hinted.
Edu further stated, “I believe very strongly that with the student loans and other interventions of the Nigerian Government to the university, we will have greater, stronger citizens, who will make their impact in society, for the poor, needy, economy, digitisation of our nation and its processes. I believe strongly that the future is bright for education in Nigeria.”
Earlier, the Vice-Chancellor of the institution, Professor Florence Obi, who performed the induction ceremony with the presentation of awards to the distinguished Nigerians, explained that it was the university’s way of appreciating the contributions of its alumni to the growth of education and society.
She added, “We are celebrating 50 years of impactful service to the growth of humanity. Right from 1975 when the University of Calabar was founded, we have graduated nearly 200 thousand graduates, who are leaving their imprints across the globe. These alumni have, in their different fields, contributed to the development of humanity and Nigeria in particular.”
Speaking with newsmen, Chief Chukwuemeka Egwuonwu, CEO of Peterson Group, who lauded the Vice-Chancellor for her giant strides in the University, disclosed that education has made a huge impact on him as a business mogul.
“I must tell you the truth that education has deeply widened my horizon and reshaped my thinking and how I do business, and I’m not stopping anytime soon till I get my Doctorate degree.
“I want to thank my wife and my children for all their support; I thank the Vice-Chancellor for finding me worthy and honouring me; I’m indeed humbled by his recognition,” he said.
