The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) flag-bearer for the 2021 Anambra governorship election, Mr. Valentine Ozigbo has paid glowing tribute to the Igbo nation for their creativity, resourcefulness, and resilience, while calling for “fresh innovative approaches” to solving the challenges the Igbos face.
Mr. Ozigbo, who is a respected business leader, made these remarks when he delivered the chairman’s address at the maiden ‘Igbokacha’ lecture series, organised by the Department of Archaeology & Tourism of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), on Friday.
The well-attended event was held at the Princess Alexandria Auditorium at the Nsukka Campus of The University of Nigeria (UNN), and the theme was, “Igbology and Zeitgeist of Akonauche in the 21st Century Africa.”
Ozigbo, the immediate past president and Group CEO, stated that the Igbo are a unique nation of resilient people, who have always defied the odds and created opportunities out of nothing.
He maintained that the bane of the Igbo society has always been the lack of quality leadership, which is necessary to galvanise Ndi Igbo towards a collective vision of greatness.
“Ndigbo have always been known for their enterprise. The aftermath of the civil war and the economic resurgence of the Igbos is a clear indication of our resilience as a people,” Ozigbo said.
He further noted that, “this resilience is what drives the Igbo man and fuels the excellence that has characterised Ndigbo globally. Unfortunately, we have been unlucky with leaders that have failed to utilise the abundant human resource we are blessed with.
“With progressive, visionary leadership, Igboland can be the envy of the entire black race. We have evidence of the effect of quality leadership with the exploits of leaders like Nnamdi Azikiwe, Michael Okpara, and more recently, His Excellency Peter Obi.
“This is why I decided to step down from my position as the president and Group CEO of Transcorp Plc to dedicate myself to playing my part to ensure that we create a new reality for future generations.”