University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN), Faculty of Arts on Thursday Jan. 19th held its first 2023 distinguished lecture series delivered by Nigeria’s former Minister of Information and Communications, Mr Frank Nweke Jnr.
The lecture series tagged, “Our Identity: Politics and Development in Igbo land,” was anchored on the importance of politics and its developments in Igboland and processes on how the Igbo tribe could reclaim their “lost identity.”
During his speech, he explained that “history is a way of presenting the same opportunities to us over time.” He continued, “As I prepared for this lecture, I was reminded that it was from this same auditorium that Late Gen. Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu (the late Ikemba Nnewi) addressed the Eastern Region in May 1967 during a consultative meeting on the fate of Ndigbo.”
The guest speaker also shared strategies on how Igbos could reclaim their identity and make the Igboland what it used to be without disunity amongst them.
While addressing the students, Nweke Jnr admonished them to study hard as no one knows what will be tomorrow. He narrated how he finished from his alma mater as a nobody, but came back to the school 22years later as a Nigerian minister. He narrated, “Just as I walked in into that gate, nobody knew that I walked in. I came back 22years later to give back to the school and equally became a minister. So I say to you all, as you walked in into University of Nigeria Nsukka, nobody knows tomorrow, so if I address you as His excellency, Governor or Minister, I’m not wrong. Take your studies very seriously so when opportunities come, you will be ready,” he said.
Read MoreAt the end of the program, an award of “Excellent Leadership” was presented to him by the Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Prof. Paul Obi-Ani.
The former Minister under the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo is currently running under All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) as its gubernatorial candidate.
The conference was held at the Princess Alexandra Auditorium (PAA). In attendance were lecturers, the dean of the faculty, Vice Chancellor who was represented by his deputy Professor Pat Uche Okpoko, other prominent guests, and students.
