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Dr Okey Anueyiagu: Media Gosip: why Nigerians talk about this man?: DR. OKEY ANUEYIAGU – CHAIRMAN AND CEO OF BROWN BROMMEL LTD. The Visionary Mind of a Business Genius.               A Ph.D. gra...

Prof. Chuu Krydz Ikwuemesi - Modern Medici Interview of Dr. Okey Anueyiagu

Prof. Chuu Krydz IkwuemesiModern Medici InterviewofDr. Okey Anueyiagu

QUESTION:

Tell me about your younger days, Dr. Anueyiagu. What kind of education did you have? How did it help you cultivate an interest in art and heritage?

ANSWER:

I was born in the bustling ancient city of Kano, in Northern Nigeria. My early formative years, witnessed the most amazing picturesque exposition to ancient northern art and architecture, laced with interesting experiences of ancient Igbo cultural life, art and folklore, occasioned by my periodic visits to my ancestral home of Awka, in Eastern Nigeria.

The city of Kano left an indelible mark in my life and until today, has remained the centerpiece of my reflections of a conglomerate of diverse cultures, peoples, ideas and ways of live. My childhood experiences in Kano have elicited my interest in writing a book, that will show, that, until the politicians and their military collaborators polluted the system, all peoples of diverse cultures, religion and values, lived peacefully in total harmony in Kano.

With the advent of the devastating civil war in 1966, my family was forced to relocate to the East. I attended the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, an institution steeped very deeply in creative art and culture. Although I did not study art, the overwhelming presence of art giants, both painters and sculptures; teachers and budding students within the campuses and around the cities of Enugu, Awka, Calabar and in other localities, captured my imagination. These explosive art movements arrested my interest. From Obiora Udechukwu, EI Anatsui, Chike Aniakor, Uche Okeke; to Tayo Adenaike, Nsikak Essien, Ifedioramma Dike, Chris Echeta, Bona Ezeudu, Obiora Anidi, Olu Oguibe and others, I found great company in the personal relationships shared with some and intimate admiration for their works in their many exhibitions around the Eastern part of Nigeria in the 1970s.

For my post graduate studies, I lived and studied in New York City, an environment of expansive and intensive art and culture. During this period, I visited many museums and attended art exhibitions in the city. I became an active member of The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) and had the opportunity of viewing works of great artists like Picasso, Monet, Jackson Pollock, Paul Cezanne, Andy Warhol, Joan Miro, Willem de kooning, Salvador Dali, Marc Chagall, Jean-Michel Basquiat and many more.

Without any doubt, these early experiences and exposures helped enormously in cultivating my interest in art and cultural heritage.

QUESTION:

How old were you when you started collecting art? What was your aesthetic taste like at the onset and how has it developed over the years?

ANSWER:

I was pretty young when I started collecting art. Maybe as early as four years or so. I was, at a very early age, fascinated with horses and race cars. Kano had many horses, and my late father’s friend, the late Emir of Kano had loads of horses mostly decorated with beautifully wooven colours of materials made of various motifs and His Highness allowed me to play with his horses. I loved the colours and the local patterns on the horses and the motifs on the ancient walls of the city. I always went to the Emir’s Palace to admire the horses and the painted art on the walls. Following my interests, my father had acquired some horses which we decorated in those beautiful colours and rode them on the farms outside Kano in Azare and Jamari. Kano also had race tracks and in addition to the miniature figurines of horses, I also collected miniature race cars of various shapes and colours. I thought those were really cool and adventurous collections.

Aesthetically, I have always been fascinated by futuristic art that are embedded in the past as a vehicle for the modern times. I like it when an artist is using the past and old history to point to the future. That is awesome and has guided my quest for art collection.

QUESTION:

What are the factors that helped to sustain your interest in art? Where do you locate those factors and have they continued to be part of your life?

ANSWER:

My interest in art grew in my undergraduate years as I became very friendly with the prolific and the enigmatic painter, Nsikak Essien. We had many common interests, including our interest in classic rock music. I found a unifying force between the dark heavy rock music of the early 1970s and art. We listened to Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Jethro Tull, Black Sabbath, Queen, Deep Purple, Cream and Others. The culture of rock music and the outrageous dressings of the musicians, coupled with the poetic nuances of the lyrics, in my opinion, had major similarities to creative and abstractive art. This was also the same case with the Igbo, the Efik and Ibibio masquerades and musicologies, although, at that time, to a lesser extent, nothing to compare to the influences rock music had on my direction and appreciation of art.

Nsikak Essien was the factor and rock music was the motivator that sustained my interest in art. Nsikak and I were drawn to the eroticism of colours flowing from the hippie culture of the 1960s prevalent in the flower age and era as exemplified by legendary rock groups like the Doors and the Grateful Dead. He experimented with ideas and colours reminiscent with the culture of the times. We both romanticized this moment and movement and were hugely influenced. These factors have remained indelible in me and have continued to be an integral part of my art life.

QUESTION:

How do you describe your aesthetic taste now? Are there any kinds of work that specially appeal to you? Do you collect works on their merit or are there extra-artistic factors that usually influence your decision on what to collect?

ANSWER:

My aesthetic taste for art is described within the ample creative ambit and space of modern African art. The historical development of modern art, in my opinion encompasses many diverse strands, mediating and unraveling in divergent juxtapositions. I am particularly attracted to paintings of acrylic and pastel media. I have extensively collected works that evoke explosive kinetic contents and compositions of colours. I have collected some sculptures and works of other selected media.

I collect works according to its personal merit and on how they appeal to my taste and personal idea of what a good art is and the significance of such art to me and my environment. I have never speculated on the futuristic financial value of any of my collection, as a basis for the purchase, although in the back of my mind, I know that any good work, will make for a good investment in its value in the future. If I do not like a particular work or its maker, I will not purchase it regardless of its potential value presently or in the future.

I am vastly inspired in my art collection by African schematic renderings which have been prominently referred to as Cubism, a style of work believed to have been developed by Brague and Picasso. This style of painting was largely defined by pictorial language whose geometrical approach to form and shape was inspired by Cezanne and by archaic or primitive art. The origin of these styles, many believe, is African.

My interest in Abstrations and Surrealism forms of art, intertwine in the sense, that they give me the satisfaction of seeing clear dissociation of line and colour, and the unique contrast of various forms, images and shapes, making for exciting forms of pictorial harmony. These variables influence my decision of what to collect or not.

QUESTION:

Do you see the role of the critic as being complementary to that of the artist, the way the role of the art collector also is? If yes, how have you enjoyed playing this highly complementary humanising role in the art field over the years?

ANSWER:

I have never played this role, as I believe that beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. However, for those whose professional duty it is to critique works of art and the artists, there is always an element of bias and personal prejudice, as no one can claim impartiality in the judgment of any art form, be it drama, film or painting.

However, objective criticism, sometimes can complement and spur the artist to improve and adapt to new ideas and perspectives that may have been pointed out by the art critic.

QUESTION:

Tell me about your collection? How rich is it? How many pieces of art do you have today and what do you consider the most precious or important aspects of it? If there are high points of your collection, what do you consider the low points, if any? Apart from collecting art, have you supported art and the creative enterprise in other ways? If so, could you tell me a bit about these contributions and how they have impacted the growth of art in these parts?

ANSWER:

My collection is very rich and widely extensive. From my early Nsikak Essien, EI Anatsui, Bona Ezeudu, Tayo Adenaike, Bruce Onobrakpeya to my not too recent and recent Ndidi Dike, Tola Wewe, Olu Ajayi, Sam Ovraiti, Tony Enebeli, Glover, Ekwenchi, Onyema Offoedu-Okeke, I have been able to find a balance between various forms, patterns and artistic compositions that our continent has offered.

I have also collected works of, and shown deep interests in the works of; Muraina Oyelami, Peju Alatise, Wosene Worke Kosrot, Rom Isichie, Abdel Basit EL Khatim, Chris Afuba, Yusuf Grillo, Kainebi Osahene, Dele Jegede, Joe Musa, Anthea Epelle, Chris Ofili, Yinka Shonibare and others.

My major collection is that of Onyema Offoedu-Okeke, whose work in my collection that are scattered all over the world, are numbered in the excess of 200 paintings. Upon citing some of his early works in the mid-1990s, I saw a pattern that pointed him in the direction of artistic greatness. His work in a very progressive way, defies the codes and narratives that define traditional art in regimentary manners. I was drawn to Onyema’s art because of the interpretative paraphrases that it employs in making his works relevant to our lives and environment. Crucially, Onyema has enormous natural gift and talent that prod him to try virtually anything, no matter how outrageous. He paints a landscape filled with wild colourful flowers and birds, or a marketplace that drizzles acrylic paints on canvas with human and other hidden images and forms playing mirage like and magical visual tricks on the viewer, offering varying interpretations, and meanings.

My large and extensive collection of Onyema, prompted me to write a 260 page book titled “Contemporary African Art. My Private Collection of Onyema Offoedu-Okeke. By Dr. Okey Anueyiagu”. This book published in 2011 by Brown Brommel Publishers, is in many libraries and museums around the world, and has received many accolades and commendations as a literary, academic and pictorial well researched work on African art. 

The high point of my art collection was in 2003, when I took Six Nigerian artists to London and in collaboration with Barclays Private Bank, hosted one of the most successful art exhibitions of Contemporary African Art in the world. This exhibition was attended by prominent art lovers, politicians, captains of the banking world, art critics, princes and princesses and who is who in the art world. The artists and their works received high commendations in the British mainstream media, and some of the proceeds of the exhibition, were used for the betterment of some charities in Nigeria. This was a very high point for me.

I have had a few low points, most significant being generally, the unfortunate negative and myopic attitude of some artists and patrons, who assume that their God given talent and, or their wealth, is a ticket to the financial and status mountains of the art world.

QUESTION:

What do you think about the value of art? At times, when I contemplate the game of football philosophically, I wonder why people are so moved by a simple round leather. The same way, many wonder what is in a piece of canvas or wood that should make people pay so much for art. When you look at a work of art, what do you see that moves you? What endears you to it, to the empathetic point where you want to acquire, to own and to cherish?

ANSWER:

Philosophically, the analogy is apt and appropriate. The passion, the affection, and the fanaticism are inclined by desires of joy, exhilaration, and self-fulfillment of love of object and action.

I cannot place a value on art. The value is latently intrinsic and can only be determined by extreneous factors, that sometimes may be beyond comprehension. Practically, the media over the many decades, with the help of critics, have come to place values on works of art, through the promotion of the artists. Some art that may appear meaningless without much value, to some, may become extensively sought after by value hunters, simply because some critic in the New York Times recognized the painter as great.

What moves me and elicits my interest in a work of art is, firstly, the strength and vision of the artist and secondly, his or her character, dispositions and views of the world we live in, through his or her eyes and brush.

QUESTION:

Art appreciates in value over time. How do you perceive this unique potential of art? At a fundamental level, if you resell something, it should lose some value. But it is not the case with art. Why does art have this unique value when it comes to its economic significance?

ANSWER:

The appreciative value of art both in economic and aesthetic terms is an indisputable fact. Fundamentally, art is uniquely different from other objects due to its originality in form and content. An art object, cannot be essentially reproduced as a replacement of the original, whereas a car, for instance, can be duplicated in its original form, shape and content. Art has no replacement and therefore, retains and surpasses its unique value when it comes to its economic significance. For these reasons, an art object will continue to appreciate in value over a long period of time.

QUESTION:

Beyond personal enjoyment, what do you hope to do with your collection in the long run? When you decide to retire, how will your collection be preserved and looked after for the benefit of your family, the society and posterity? Do your children appreciate art as you do?

ANSWER:

I intend to keep most of my collection in my private family estate. Others I intent to lend to Museums and other institutions for display for public viewing and education. At this present time, I am in discussion with Mayor Kasim Reed, The Mayor of The City of Atlanta, USA, who is a good friend, to lend some of my works to the City for display in some prominent locations in the City. One of the locations, is the new and magnificient Maynard Jackson International Airport, the busiest airport in the world. It will be a thing of joy and pride to display my collection of beautiful African art for millions of travellers from around the world to appreciate.

When I retire, or you must mean when I am no more, I will keep my works in my Family Trust and my Foundation. My wife and Children all have tremendous love and appreciation for art. Whenever we are in a big city, one of our first visits would be to the museums and art centres. I am hopeful that they will be able to preserve my collections and that they will do much more than I have been able to do for the benefit of mankind, the society and posterity at large.

QUESTION:

Apart from art, what else have you loved so passionately?

ANSWER:

Apart from art, I have fascination and love for mechanical objects. I love cars, but not in the aesthetic and showoff form. I have owned a few Ferraris and have always wanted to open the awesome and monstrous engines and play around with the intricate parts. I also started collecting watches from childhood. Then, from the fake inferior movements, to now, the more complicated tourbillon timepieces. Sometimes I begin to think, that my collection of wrist watches supercede or surpass my art collection. I think that in my other life, I must have been a watch repairer or a horologist.

 My love for architecture and furniture is so passionate, that I have devoted tremendous amount of time, travels and interests, to the point that by a mere first glance at a masterpiece architectural drawing and design, or a piece of furniture, I could tell almost  to a pinpoint accuracy, who is behind the design. I also love to cook.

Apart from these objects of desires, my primary love and passion is my Family and God. I believe that for the world to thrive, we MUST LOVE GOD and LOVE PEOPLE.

Media Gosip: why Nigerians talk about this man?

DR. OKEY ANUEYIAGU – CHAIRMAN AND CEO OF BROWN BROMMEL LTD.

The Visionary Mind of a Business Genius.              

A Ph.D. graduate of Fordham University, New York with emphasis in Economics and Political Science, Okey Anueyiagu was born in Kano, Nigeria. He first went to the prestigious University of Nigeria, NSUKKA, where he obtained a Bachelor of Sciences degree with honours, before proceeding to the University of Rochester, New York and Fordham University, also in New York.

A University teacher, an entrepreneur, a philanthropist, an activist, art collector and a humanist, Dr. Okey Anueyiagu has distinguished himself in various endeavours of life. He has for over three decades promoted various ventures in Oil and Gas, Agriculture, Telecommunications, Construction, Manufacturing and Industry.

As the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Brown Brommel Limited, Dr. Okey Anueyiagu steers the company to maintain global strategic alliance networks and international partnerships that contribute to project planning and execution. Brown Brommel Limited recently signed a Joint Venture Agreement with Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to build a 100,000 Bpd Refinery in Warri Delta State, Nigeria. This is the first Joint Venture for the establishment of Refineries by NNPC since it was established over 4 decades ago.

NNPC as the largest business entity and investor in Nigeria is amongst the foremost National Oil Companies in the world. The corporation is entirely owned by the Federal Government of Nigeria and manages Nigerian upstream, mid-stream, and downstream petroleum sector. The objective of the Joint Venture between NNPC and Brown Brommel Limited for the establishment of the refinery in Warri is to achieve increased domestication of crude oil refining on a fast track, towards meeting the nation petroleum products demand for the country. The goal is for an upsurge in the refining capacity of NNPC.

Dr. Okey Anueyiagu recognizes the dire-need for the establishment of more refineries in Nigeria and the enormous challenge of being selected to partner with NNPC to achieve the overall objective of this laudable venture. He has assembled a group of reputable and competent oil industry operators, to ensure effective technical and operational performance. This properly structured and organized approach will bring about high capacity utilization of facilities and optimum production when completed.

Various implementation committees including the steering and technical committee have been inaugurated and work has stated on the preliminary stages, the technical team has undertaken a facility tour of Warri Refinery to access the available land earmarked by NNPC for the refinery and to evaluate the utilities to be shared by both refineries.

KPMG, an internationally acclaimed advisory and consultancy firm was engaged by Brown Brommel to produce a complete business and financial plan. Also as part of the progress in executing this project in accordance to the timeline, Brown Brommel has engaged international Engineering Procurement and Construction (EPC) Companies around the globe and is in partnership with various companies in the industry including Oil Serve, Mocoh, Total, Mercurial, Shoreline, Essar, LR Group, Dignia, Parsons Brinckerhoff, UOP (Honeywell), Union Maritime, Amal Group, Netco, Worldwide Energy, Enviremed, Galil Engineering Group, Global Petroleum Exploration (GPX), Israeli Aerospace Industry (I.A.I) and many others in the actualization of this landmark project.

Dr. Okey’s brilliant entrepreneurial, and visionary strategic mind and his vast experience and wide international contacts in these areas in the oil and gas sector and other business enterprises, are largely responsible for the monumental success being recorded in these projects, particularly in the establishment of the Brown Brommel Refineries in Warri, Nigeria.

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Naija Media Gosip: who is Dr. Okey Anueyiagu?

Dr. Okey Anueyiagu was born in Kano, Nigeria. He graduated, with honours, from the prestigious University of Nigeria, NSUKKA, studied and earned post graduate degrees in Political Science and Economics from the University of Rochester, New York and Fordham University, New York. He was a pioneer staff member of the old Anambra State University of Technology.

Dr. Okey Anueyiagu, a teacher, an entrepreneur, a philanthropist, and activist, art collector and a humanist, has distinguished himself in various endeavours of life. He has for over three decades promoted various ventures in Oil and Gas, Agricultural, Telecommunication, Construction, Manufacturing and Industrialization; and has sponsored the promotion of art and culture across continents.

Dr. Okey has worked in various field of endeavours in the promotion of harmonious coexistence of the various tribes, entities and peoples within the varying geopolitical Landscape of Africa and the world. His foray into sociopolitical spheres is geared toward fostering unity and peaceful coexistence between diverse groups and entities.

In the academic field, he has published a compendium of research materials, journals and books, a few of which are listed herewith; Wealth and Economic Status: A perspective on Racial inequality (1982), Foreign Trade Policy and Black economic Advancement. (1982), Trends, Prospects, and Strategies for Black economic Progress. (1984), The Political Mobilization of Black America, 1982- 1984 (1986), The Determinants of Black Partisanship (1985), Race: Politics and Economics. (1985), Minorities and the Labour Market (1985), Foreign Policy Planning: Its practice and problems in the United States Department of State. (1985), Practice & Problems of the United States Foreign Policy Planning: A case Study of Africa. (1985), Voter Choice in Presidential Elections: A Casual Analysis. (1986), Welfare System in Nigeria: An Analysis. (1987), Debt Conversion & Direct Equity investment: The Mexican Experience. (1988), The Economic Implications of a Two-party System in the Third Republic. (1988), Privatization: A Case Study of the Nigeria Oil Industry. (1989), The Arrogance and Glorification of Illiteracy, (2009), African Contemporary Art: Collection of Essays, (2011), Contemporary African Art; My Private Collection of Onyema Offoedu-Okeke, 265 Pages (2012).

Some of his Professional Memberships include; Member, The Joint Centre for Political Studies, Washington D.C., U.S.A, Member, Democratic National Convention, New York Chapter, Member, National Policy Institute, Washington D.C. U.S.A, Associate Member, Economic and Social Task Force, JCPS Washington D.C., Member, Association for Intelligence Officers, Virginia, USA,  Member, Journals of  U.S and International Intelligence Studies, USA.

He has served and continues to serve in the following business enterprises; Akob Ltd, Pointec Technologies Ltd, Transmatic, Brown Brommel, Nigerian Coal Corporation.

Dr. Okey Anueyiagu has been describe by very prominent scholars, successful and well revered and respected individuals in very superlative ways.

In the words of Ambassador Professor George Obiozor, Nigeria’s Ambassador to the United States of America; “Dr. Okey Anueyiagu is very prominent, responsible and highly respectable Nigerian. He is an outstanding business man with interest in various enterprises including Agriculture, Power System, Aviation Equipment, Mining, Engineering, Construction and Petroleum Products...”

Professor Obiozor continues “ Dr. Okey Anueyiagu whom I have known for over 20 years, is one of Nigeria’s best and brightest young entrepreneurs. He is a man of impeccable integrity, a decent man with strong devotion to professionalism and decorum in the conduct of his private and public life. He is highly respected and admired by his colleagues and friends for his interest in the general welfare of humanity in general and Nigerians in particular. I highly recommend without hesitation Dr. Okey as a reliable man, and accomplished individual and a trust worthy man with a reputation for honesty, charitable character and friendly disposition. I have known him for over 20 years, and I have no doubt in saying that he is a man who is faithful to friends and colleagues and trusted by both as man of his words…”

In the same vien, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, the former Executive Vice Chairman and General Counsel of Exxon Mobil for Africa and the Middle East, and now The Minister of Petroleum of Nigeria, wrote about Dr. Okey thus; “Dr. Okey Anueyiagu is a person of topmost ethical and professional pedigree and is a well respected Nigerian of means and stature… He is above all an impeccable gentleman… and I have no hesitation in recommending him…”

Dr. Okey Anueyiagu’s contribution to philanthropy is growing steadily. He has contributed in various project in support of the poor, the down trodden, the hungry, the homeless, orphans and less privileged in the society. Through his organization;

DR. OKEY ANUEYIAGU FOUNDATION, a structure was built to serve as accommodation and clinic for orphans in Awka. The Foundation amongst other projects, is presently engaged in the design, reconstruction of an old and dilapidated elementary school and construction of a new structure in Awka. This massive project, when concluded, will feature classrooms, laboratory, library auditoriums, clinic, living quarters for some staff, track and field, spectator stand and other amenities to carter to over 500 pupils.

In the field of art, Dr. Okey is an avid art collector that has spent well over 30 years collecting painting and sculptures from around the world. In 2012 he published a 265 page book titled; “Contemporary African Art- My Private Collection of Onyema Offoedu-Okeke. The book, which include images reflecting the sweeping governmental changes throughout Africa and the rest of the world, pays tribute to Offoedu-Okeke’s heritage and the artists who preceded him. Topics range from primal emotion to complicated sociological concerns. Throughout the anthology, the artist aims to express his experience and observations though rhythm, poetry, pattern, and color. Dr. Okey’s book and essays, ultimately seek to advance and preserve the culture of Africa and by extension, of the world.

 The Ph.D. graduate of Fordham University with an emphasis in Economics and Political Science, is the CEO of Brown Brommel Limited in Lagos, Nigeria. The company provides advanced technologies services and leading innovation in multiple sectors, such as energy, defense, infrastructure, agriculture, and publishing. Furthermore, Okey Anueyiagu helps the company to maintain global strategic alliance networks and international partnerships that contribute to project planning and execution.

His admiration for his late father led him to craft a written tribute in his honor that highlights the man’s life and the experiences they shared. In his tribute, to his father, Chief Chuma, a Legendary Journalist and writer, who died in 2014, at 100, years Okey Anueyiagu says he greatly admired his father, who he felt embodied integrity. Anueyiagu says that he learned many lessons from his father, including the belief that a simple life is the most successful and powerful. In addition, he says that his father taught him that peace and simplicity are closely intertwined. Anueyiagu respected the fact that his father led a life free of hate, hurriedness, and clutter.

Dr. Okey Anueyiagu and his father shared many spiritual and philosophical discussion. Anueyiagu says his father was a great thinker, savvy businessman, philosopher, spiritualist, and an advocate for helping others to succeed. He says that one of his father’s greatest lessons was that in order to be accomplished, you should assist and encourage others. His father emphasized to him that by helping others, you also help yourself.

Dr. Okey is married to Hadiza, a lawyer and a partner of 30 years and have three daughters; Tochi a lawyer, Ebele and Dera, both undergraduates, and twin boys Aka and Arize.

Media Info: Dr Okey Anueyiagu Biography

Dr Okey Anueyiagu’s Biography

Dr. Okey Anueyiagu was born in Kano, Nigeria. He graduated, with honours, from the prestigious University of Nigeria, NSUKKA, studied and earned post graduate degrees in Political Science and Economics from the University of Rochester, New York and Fordham University, New York. He was a pioneer staff member of the old Anambra State University of Technology.

Dr. Okey Anueyiagu, a teacher, an entrepreneur, a philanthropist, and activist, art collector and a humanist, has distinguished himself in various endeavours of life. He has for over three decades promoted various ventures in Oil and Gas, Agricultural, Telecommunication, Construction, Manufacturing and Industrialization; and has sponsored the promotion of art and culture across continents.

Dr. Okey has worked in various field of endeavours in the promotion of harmonious coexistence of the various tribes, entities and peoples within the varying geopolitical Landscape of Africa and the world. His foray into sociopolitical spheres is geared toward fostering unity and peaceful coexistence between diverse groups and entities.

In the academic field, he has published a compendium of research materials, journals and books, a few of which are listed herewith; Wealth and Economic Status: A perspective on Racial inequality (1982), Foreign Trade Policy and Black economic Advancement. (1982), Trends, Prospects, and Strategies for Black economic Progress. (1984), The Political Mobilization of Black America, 1982- 1984 (1986), The Determinants of Black Partisanship (1985), Race: Politics and Economics. (1985), Minorities and the Labour Market (1985), Foreign Policy Planning: Its practice and problems in the United States Department of State. (1985), Practice & Problems of the United States Foreign Policy Planning: A case Study of Africa. (1985), Voter Choice in Presidential Elections: A Casual Analysis. (1986), Welfare System in Nigeria: An Analysis. (1987), Debt Conversion & Direct Equity investment: The Mexican Experience. (1988), The Economic Implications of a Two-party System in the Third Republic. (1988), Privatization: A Case Study of the Nigeria Oil Industry. (1989), The Arrogance and Glorification of Illiteracy, (2009), African Contemporary Art: Collection of Essays, (2011), Contemporary African Art; My Private Collection of Onyema Offoedu-Okeke, 265 Pages (2012).

Some of his Professional Memberships include; Member, The Joint Centre for Political Studies, Washington D.C., U.S.A, Member, Democratic National Convention, New York Chapter, Member, National Policy Institute, Washington D.C. U.S.A, Associate Member, Economic and Social Task Force, JCPS Washington D.C., Member, Association for Intelligence Officers, Virginia, USA,  Member, Journals of  U.S and International Intelligence Studies, USA.

He has served and continues to serve in the following business enterprises; Akob Ltd, Pointec Technologies Ltd, Transmatic, Brown Brommel, Nigerian Coal Corporation.

Dr. Okey Anueyiagu has been describe by very prominent scholars, successful and well revered and respected individuals in very superlative ways.

In the words of Ambassador Professor George Obiozor, Nigeria’s Ambassador to the United States of America; “Dr. Okey Anueyiagu is very prominent, responsible and highly respectable Nigerian. He is an outstanding business man with interest in various enterprises including Agriculture, Power System, Aviation Equipment, Mining, Engineering, Construction and Petroleum Products...”

Professor Obiozor continues “ Dr. Okey Anueyiagu whom I have known for over 20 years, is one of Nigeria’s best and brightest young entrepreneurs. He is a man of impeccable integrity, a decent man with strong devotion to professionalism and decorum in the conduct of his private and public life. He is highly respected and admired by his colleagues and friends for his interest in the general welfare of humanity in general and Nigerians in particular. I highly recommend without hesitation Dr. Okey as a reliable man, and accomplished individual and a trust worthy man with a reputation for honesty, charitable character and friendly disposition. I have known him for over 20 years, and I have no doubt in saying that he is a man who is faithful to friends and colleagues and trusted by both as man of his words…”

In the same vien, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, the former Executive Vice Chairman and General Counsel of Exxon Mobil for Africa and the Middle East, and now The Minister of Petroleum of Nigeria, wrote about Dr. Okey thus; “Dr. Okey Anueyiagu is a person of topmost ethical and professional pedigree and is a well respected Nigerian of means and stature… He is above all an impeccable gentleman… and I have no hesitation in recommending him…”

Dr. Okey Anueyiagu’s contribution to philanthropy is growing steadily. He has contributed in various project in support of the poor, the down trodden, the hungry, the homeless, orphans and less privileged in the society. Through his organization;

DR. OKEY ANUEYIAGU FOUNDATION, a structure was built to serve as accommodation and clinic for orphans in Awka. The Foundation amongst other projects, is presently engaged in the design, reconstruction of an old and dilapidated elementary school and construction of a new structure in Awka. This massive project, when concluded, will feature classrooms, laboratory, library auditoriums, clinic, living quarters for some staff, track and field, spectator stand and other amenities to carter to over 500 pupils.

In the field of art, Dr. Okey is an avid art collector that has spent well over 30 years collecting painting and sculptures from around the world. In 2012 he published a 265 page book titled; “Contemporary African Art- My Private Collection of Onyema Offoedu-Okeke. The book, which include images reflecting the sweeping governmental changes throughout Africa and the rest of the world, pays tribute to Offoedu-Okeke’s heritage and the artists who preceded him. Topics range from primal emotion to complicated sociological concerns. Throughout the anthology, the artist aims to express his experience and observations though rhythm, poetry, pattern, and color. Dr. Okey’s book and essays, ultimately seek to advance and preserve the culture of Africa and by extension, of the world.

 The Ph.D. graduate of Fordham University with an emphasis in Economics and Political Science, is the CEO of Brown Brommel Limited in Lagos, Nigeria. The company provides advanced technologies services and leading innovation in multiple sectors, such as energy, defense, infrastructure, agriculture, and publishing. Furthermore, Okey Anueyiagu helps the company to maintain global strategic alliance networks and international partnerships that contribute to project planning and execution.

His admiration for his late father led him to craft a written tribute in his honor that highlights the man’s life and the experiences they shared. In his tribute, to his father, Chief Chuma, a Legendary Journalist and writer, who died in 2014, at 100, years Okey Anueyiagu says he greatly admired his father, who he felt embodied integrity. Anueyiagu says that he learned many lessons from his father, including the belief that a simple life is the most successful and powerful. In addition, he says that his father taught him that peace and simplicity are closely intertwined. Anueyiagu respected the fact that his father led a life free of hate, hurriedness, and clutter.

Dr. Okey Anueyiagu and his father shared many spiritual and philosophical discussion. Anueyiagu says his father was a great thinker, savvy businessman, philosopher, spiritualist, and an advocate for helping others to succeed. He says that one of his father’s greatest lessons was that in order to be accomplished, you should assist and encourage others. His father emphasized to him that by helping others, you also help yourself.

Dr. Okey is married to Hadiza, a lawyer and a partner of 30 years and have three daughters; Tochi a lawyer, Ebele and Dera, both undergraduates, and twin boys Aka and Arize.

DEMOCRACY, IS THIS THE END? - by Dr. Okey Anueyiagu

Dr. Okey Anueyiagu

The return to a democratic regime to Nigeria in 1999 formed part of the crest of a tidal wave of democratic transition that was sweeping the world since about the mid-1970s. Statistically, by the turn of the century, approximately 60 percent of the world’s independent states were democratic.

As Nigerians were celebrating freedom from autocratic military rule, it appears that the celebration was premature, as the democratic wave has been detoured by a powerful authoritarian undertow perpetrated by the political class and their accomplices in the bureaucratic set up.

Electoral fraud all over Nigeria has facilitated in a rather rapid pace, the dethronement, and if you may, the overthrow and stifling of democracy. All over the country, there are very severe problems of governance and very deep pockets of disaffection.

The major problem with Nigeria’s democracy, is the failure of the state since 1999 to consolidate the gains of the momentum generated when Obasanjo became president. Emerging democracies must demonstrate that they can solve their governance problems and meet their citizens’ expectations for freedom, justice, a better life, and a fairer society.

If democracies do not move effectively to contain crime and corruption, generate economic growth, relieve economic inequality, and secure freedom and the rule of law, people will eventually lose faith and turn to authoritarian alternatives. And this is the inevitable way that Nigeria is going today.

There is absolutely no doubt that democracy is the best form of government, but struggling democracies, such as Nigeria’s, must be consolidated so that all levels of society become enduringly committed to ethos of democracy as enshrined in  the country’s constitutional norms and constraints.

United States then Secretary of State Hilary Clinton during her last visit to Abuja, reechoed the belief that democracy is in decline or in recession here, demanding more than superficial electoral democracy, by holding government accountable for the problem of democratic dissension.

Considering the strategic importance of Nigeria in the world economic and political arena, many are worried about this trend, and asking how to reverse this democratic recession. Before and from the day Obasanjo allegedly attempted to elongate his mandatory tenure, otherwise known as the “third term”, all manners of the expansion of executive power, the intimidation of the opposition, and the rigging of the electoral process have extinguished even the most basic form of electoral democracy.

Nigeria as in many other developing democracies, is plagued by a superficial type of democracy, that is blighted by multiple forms of bad governance: abusive police and security forces, domineering local oligarchies, incompetent state bureaucracies, corrupt and in accessible judiciaries, and venal ruling, elites who are contemptuous of the rule of law and accountable to no one but themselves. In this country, there are elections, but they are contests between corrupt, clientelistic parties. There are parliaments, state and local governments, but they do not represent broad constituencies. There are constitutions, but not constitutionalism. Is Democracy not over now?

The level of voters disillusionment and disenfranchisement has reached a very high pitch, resulting in massive cases of democratic distress. The biggest challenge for the survival of democracy in Nigeria lay partly on the willingness of the ruling party to; listen to their citizens’ voices, engage their participation, tolerate their protests, protect their freedoms, and respond to their needs.

How do we ensure an enduring democracy in Nigeria. We must confront the monstrous electoral authoritarianism as practiced by Prof. Mahmood Yakubu’s INEC. Elections are only democratic if they are truly free and fair. This requires the freedom to advocate, associate, contest, and campaign. It also requires a fair and neutral electoral administration, a widely credible system of dispute resolution, balanced access to mass media, and independent vote monitoring. By a strict application of these standards, Nigeria may have slipped below the threshold of a democracy.

Nigeria’s promising democratic experiment has been gravely ravaged by electoral fraud and endemic corruption. If this experiment fails, and Nigeria reverts to military rule, descends into political chaos, or collapses, it will deal a harsh blow to democratic hopes across Africa. Indeed, the many African countries that remain blatantly authoritarian will never liberalize if the continent’s new and partial democracies cannot make democracy work.

I am a strong advocate of the widely held theory that without significant improvements in governance, economic growth will not take off or be sustainable. That without legal and political institutions to control corruption, punish cheating, and ensure a level of economic and political playing field, pro-growth policies will be ineffective and their economic benefits will be overshadowed or erased.

Nigeria is a tragic case in point. Since the return of democratic rule in 1999, some achievements have been made in the economic sphere, but much of this progress has since unraveled amid the paroxysms of ethnic and religious violence, and by the disruptive militant conflicts in the North, Niger Delta and South East regions. Government has woefully failed politically, by condoning or even perpetrating massive electoral malpractice, corruption, ethnic favouritism – a poisonous mix that has brought a promising new democracy to the brink of total chaos.

All in all, the consequential failures of our democratic experiments, are grossly portrayed and projected in the recent electoral melodramatics in Edo, Ondo and Rivers States. Critics of government and INEC point to Aso Rock as the autocratic machine spinning violently and virulently within the electoral power vertical that endangers the political process. These critics, while admitting that our electoral process, by virtue of the human and financial investments in it, ought to be, at this stage, fairly developed, or even highly sophisticated, call the system, useless. In this wise, our elections are isolated from the process of endowing the polity with power; they invariably amount to nothing more than expensive rituals of corruption, blood letting, death and disgraceful concentric tragedies.    

Democracy, Is This The End?
Dr. Okey Anueyiagu,
a Political Economist
lives in Ikoyi Lagos.

#DrOkeyAnueyiagu #DrOkey #DrOkey-Anueyiagu

Media Info: Olusegun Obasanjo

Olusegun Mathew Okikiola Aremu Obasanjo, GCFR

born circa 5 March 1937) is a former Nigerian Army general who was President of Nigeria from 1999 to 2007. A Nigerian of Yoruba descent, Obasanjo was a career soldier before serving twice as his nation's head of state. He served as a military ruler from 13 February 1976 to 1 October 1979, and as a democratically elected president from 29 May 1999 to 29 May 2007. From July 2004 to January 2006, Obasanjo also served as Chairperson of the African Union.

Olusegun is a member of the Africa Progress Panel (APP), a group of ten distinguished individuals who advocate at the highest levels for equitable and sustainable development in Africa. As a Panel Member he facilitates coalition building to leverage and broker knowledge, and convenes decision-makers to influence policy for lasting change in Africa.

His current home is Abeokuta, the capital city of Ogun State, where he is a nobleman as the holder of the chieftaincy titles of the Balogun of the Owu Lineage and the Ekerin Balogun of the Egba clan of Yorubaland.

Family and early life

Ọbasanjọ was born in Ogun State;[5] and grew up in Owu (Abeokuta). His first name, Olusegun, means "The Lord is victorious".[6]

In 1987, his second wife/ex-wife, Lynda, was ordered out of her car by armed men, and was fatally shot for failing to move quickly.[7]

On 23 October 2005, the President lost his wife, Stella Obasanjo, First Lady of Nigeria the day after she had an abdominoplasty in Spain. In 2009, the doctor only known as 'AM' was sentenced to one year in jail for negligence in Spain and ordered to pay restitution to her son of about $176,000.[8] Obasanjo has many children who live throughout Nigeria, the United Kingdom and the United States.[9]

His son, Dare Obasanjo, is a Principal Program Manager for Microsoft.

to read more : source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olusegun_Obasanjo

Dr Okey reveals more about his father.

Dr Okey Anueyiagu: Dr Okey Anueyiagu: A TRIBUTE TO MY FATHER: Dr Okey reveals more about his father. Dr Okey Anueyiagu: A TRIBUTE TO MY FATHER : A FATHER TO ALL “People with integrity have firm ...

Dr Okey Anueyiagu: A TRIBUTE TO MY FATHER

Dr Okey reveals more about his father.

Dr Okey Anueyiagu: A TRIBUTE TO MY FATHER: A FATHER TO ALL “People with integrity have firm footing, but those who follow crooked paths will slip and fall.” Proverbs 10:...

Dr Okey Anueyiagu: THE ARROGANCE AND GLORIFICATION OF ILLITERACY IN I...

Dr Okey Anueyiagu: THE ARROGANCE AND GLORIFICATION OF ILLITERACY IN I...: A Short Paper Delivered  By  DR. OKEY ANUEYIAGU   OF THE AWKA UNION USA & CANADA   AT THE CROWNE PLAZA CHICAGO O’...

THE ARROGANCE AND GLORIFICATION OF ILLITERACY IN IGBO LAND: DR. OKEY ANUEYIAGU

A Short Paper Delivered 

By 

DR. OKEY ANUEYIAGU 

OF THE

AWKA UNION USA & CANADA 

AT THE

CROWNE PLAZA CHICAGO O’HARE
CHICAGO ILLINOIS
USA 

Saturday, November 24, 2007. 

AT THE 8^th BI – ENNIAL CONVENTION

=====================

When I was invited to present a key note speech at the 8th Bi-ennial convention of the Awka Union USA and Canada, I became elated. My elation was fueled mainly by the fact that the theme of this year’s convention is centered on education.

To be allowed an opportunity to speak to such a distinguished audience, on a subject of such importance, is indeed an honour and immense privilege, and for this, I thank the members of the Awka Union USA and Canada, more especially, too, for embarking on such laudable educational philanthropy. I believe that although education is a social enterprise, there must be a strong advocacy for private and community effort in the provision of qualitative education for our young citizens.

Over the years my mind has become very agitated with the deteriorating state of Nigeria’s educational system. The scourge of the degradation sweeping through the nation’s educational institutions in the past decade or so, is threatening the very foundation of Nigeria’s value and vision as a nation. And by extention, Igbos of Eastern Nigeria, have suffered the devastating effect of this pathetic development.

It has become overwhelmingly evident, that there is a direct correlation between bad leadership and corruption with the fallen standard of education in Nigeria. Perhaps, it is safe to say that prolonged years of military dictatorship, the attendant visionless leadership, corruption and the sustained mismanagement of the nation’s economic resources contributed largely to the very rapid fall in the educational standard.

The fact that Nigeria accounts for one of the world’s largest oil wealth, and still possesses one of the world’s lowest per capita income is a real puzzle. The tragedy of Nigeria’s condition is so profoundly disgusting when you look at resource poor countries like South Korea, Japan, Finland, Singapore and others, and see what they have achieved.

These countries without much natural endowment, relied on the development of their educational sectors, which in turn nurtured good citizenry, purposeful leadership, as instruments of providing quality standard of living for its people.

However, the reverse is the case in Nigeria, and indeed the whole of Africa. The consequences of bad leadership and corruption can be graphically seen in the fact that 20 years ago, there were roughly about 150 million Africans living below poverty line, but today, the figure has doubled to about 300 million people. Conversely, the continent has witnessed about $600 billion oil wealth, that has not, in any significant way, impacted in the standard of living of the people.

Nigeria presents a good example of how people who live in a rich resource country, can wallow in abject poverty. The statistical data available reveal that 75 percent of the population now live on less than one dollar per day. The frightening impact of this reality may be appreciated when one imagines that one dollar may not purchase one chicken part.

The economic consequences of inadequate education, is pervasive corruption which renders the vast majority of a population highly impoverished. In order to reverse this trend, we must start, by borrowing examples from countries like Singapore and Hong Kong, where rigorous reform agenda pioneered through massive literacy programme, helped in providing visionary and ideas – oriented leadership that strengthened the judiciary, the legislature and the political system.

If something is predictable about the 21st Century, it is that change is constant and will occur at faster intervals than ever before in our history. A world renowned author, Malcom Gladwell in his bestseller, “The Tipping Point” speaks on how leaders in education, business and the media should identify the drivers for education in the next 20 years. The demographic, social, economic, political, and scientific trends that will have the greatest impact on education over the coming decades include:

• Demographic reality
• Social forces
• Economic trends
• The shifting political scene
• Science and technology at warp speed

Looking Globally at Education, the 21st Century is a time of challenge and opportunity for schooling systems worldwide. To survive and thrive, schools will have to address the following five dimensions of sustainability:

1. Financial sustainability; becoming more efficient and less costly

2. Environmental sustainability; teaching children to nurture the earth and to be less wasteful

3. Global sustainability; becoming more networked internationally through computers and exchange programs and less parochial in outlook.

4. Programmatic sustainability; becoming more focused on the skill and values that the 21st Century marketplace will seek and reward and be less narrowly isolated in a traditional discipline of approach to teaching and learning.

5. Demographic sustainability; becoming more inclusive and representative of the school aged population and less unapproachable financially and socially.

As you can see from the aforementioned list of 21st Century keys to educational sustainability, Nigeria is lagging far behind.

In order to understand the title of this short paper, we must reflect on the general acceptability of the downward trend of the educational system in Nigeria, and particularly in the Igbo speaking areas of Eastern Nigeria. It would appear that the social system has come to embrace the show of pride in the acquisition of wealth, with little regard for acquisition of knowledge through formal education. Glorification which is the act of making something look satisfactory or pleasant, has adorned the scorn, which in the past was the way the Igbo people viewed the lack of education.

This is seen in the many instances where individuals with little or no education, are adorned and bequeathed with various titles and leadership positions in various sectors including political and policy making areas.

In reality, the future of a people is determined by the education of their youth, and a solid youth development programme, which ultimately translate into a positive and bright future. One of the most significant things about modern human society is education. Therefore, lack of knowledge and the glorification of its inadequacy will destroy any people.

From all indication, the problem in the education sector has become a national calamity. A sector that is responsible for the grooming of teachers, professionals and leaders of tomorrow has become so dysfunctional and almost comatose. In order for any nation to be and remain relevant in today’s globally competitive environment, it must have a well planned and qualitative educational system.

At all levels of our system, the decay and stench in the curriculum development, school system, infrastructure, policy formation, and funding is grossly appalling and utterly disgraceful.

The data and statistics put forward by The Federal Ministry of Education, is a clear illustration of the explosive danger that Nigeria is potentially facing. Some of these information are listed below:

• Out of the 1 million Nigerian children who ought to be in primary school, less than 24 million are in school.

• Out of a total population of 9 million Nigerians of secondary school age only 6.4 million are known to be in school.

• For the National Examination Council (NECO), the number of candidates who met the minimum requirement for University Matriculation Examination (UME) (that is a minimum of 5 credits including English and Mathematics) is 251,385 out of 937,457 who sat for the examination in 2005. This figure represents 78 percent of total candidates that registered for the examination.

• Out of 1 million pupils that took the JAMB (University entrance admission exam) only 200,000

• All the Universities in Nigeria, combined, have the capacity to admit only 147,000

From the background of the foregoing, it is clearly evident that Nigeria is on the brinks of total collapse. The Federal Ministry of Education must look beyond its statutory duties of registration, administration and regulation of the six levels of education, and ensure that all these levels, from nursery to university, must be properly administered and coordinated in synchronicity with each other.

To achieve the desired goals, the Ministry must welcome inputs from relevant stakeholders, private operators, and interest groups. The current campaign and effort of the Ministry is welcome. The initiative of the Federal Ministry of Education as summarized and reproduced herein, will serve as a guide to reforms, and if implemented, can save Nigeria.

A.) THE PROBLEMS:

1. Institutional Challenges e.g Declining academic Legacy examination system & curricula, Corruption of the monitoring and policing systems, Exam malpractice, Cultism, Inadequate facilities and Unsustainable cost structure.

2. Policy & Communication Challenges e.g Non-implementation of policies, Poor relations between Federal & State agencies and Communication gap between the operators within the sector and society.

3. Capacity Challenges e.g Skills gap between Nigeria and other nations, Unemployment and Brain drain.

4. Socio-Cultural Challenges e.g Youth deviancy, Dying reading culture and Moral degradation.

5. Generational Challenges e.g Generational gap between parents & children and between teachers & students.

B.) THE QUESTIONS:

1. How do we make education more relevant to present national imperatives?
2. How do we produce national leaders and managers?
3. How do we spur national development through knowledge & ideas?
4. How do we compete as a nation in the 21st century?
5. How do we create an entrepreneurial class that will take the burden of job creation off Government?
6. How do we create the new economy class?

C.) THE REFORM AGENDA:

1. Operation Reach All Secondary Schools (ORASS)
2. Read to be Educated, Advance and Develop (READ) Campaign
3. TAP (Tracking Assets for Progress)
4. Universal Basic Education Curriculum Reform
5. Unity Schools Franchising Programme
6. Innovative Enterprise Institutions (IEI)
7. Teacher Quality Development & Teacher Celebration
8. Community Accountability & Transparency Initiative (CATI)
9. Fight against Cultism & Exam Malpractice.

Operation Reach All Secondary School (ORASS) is an aggressive monitoring and inspection programme that will for the first time in decades accurately assess the state of individual public & private secondary schools and their needs. This will provide empirical and analytical basis for school reformation.

The READ Campaign is aimed at igniting a reading culture among Nigerians in a bid to create an Intelligent Society.

ed-TAP (Tracking Assets for Progress) tracks the products of the Nigeria educational system with a special focus on unemployed graduates. The goal is to provide data that will shape future curricula as well as information on entrepreneurial programmes and opportunities. A special career progression and entrepreneurship curriculum has been developed for these assets.

Universal Basic Education Curriculum Reform will ensure that education meets 21st century national imperatives.

The Unity Schools Franchising Programme will ensure sustainable funding for Unity Schools from Non-Governmental Organizations, Alumni Associations and Civil Society.

The Innovative Enterprise Institutions (IEI) programme aims to solve the capacity problems in our tertiary Institutions by creating special institutions focused on contemporary entrepreneurship and the service industry. Such schools include: The Film Academy, Information & Communication Technology (ICT) Institute, The School for Oil & Gas Technology, The School for Paralegals among others.

Teacher Quality Development & Teacher Celebration will drive the resurgence of the teaching profession as an honourable and worthy calling.

The Community Accountability & Transparency Initiative (CATI) compels communities, Local and State Governments to accounts for the monies received for education.

The Fight against Cultism & Exam Malpractice tackles 2 key aberrations that have bedeviled our schools.

Other initiatives include Gender Equality Programmes, a School Feeding Programme, Private Sector Partnership for Education (P4E) and the creation of Schools for Children with Special Needs.

Even though the current state of the Nigerian Educational system seem dire, community groups such as the Awka Union USA and Canada have the opportunity now to introduce their own “tipping points” to alter the projected future. I quote Gladwell: “If there is difficulty and volatility in the world of the “Tipping Point”, there is a large measure of hopefulness as well. Merely by manipulating the size of a group, we can improve its receptivity to new ideas. Simply by finding those and reaching those few special people who hold so much social power, we can shape the course of social epidemics. In the end, tipping points are a reaffirmation of the potential for change and the power of intelligent action. Look at the world around you. It may seem like an immovable, implacable place. It is not. With the slightest push-in just the right place-it can be tipped”

At this point, it is pertinent to point out that the proliferation of universities without commensurate quality and quantity teaching staff to meet up with the rise in student enrolment, is a major contributing factor to the falling standard of education in Nigeria, and global low rating of Nigerian graduates. The universities, in as much as they are so poorly financed and lacking in proper and adequate infrastructure, must find missions for themselves, and target those missions. There must be a well defined and diversified curriculum, with more emphasis on the development of science education and the fields of research and development.

In my mind, the debilitating effect of the fall in educational standard in Nigeria, has afflicted the Igbos the most. The tragic circumstances of the three year civil war tore the Igbos up, as they have gallantly struggled but sometimes futilely to put together their shattered lives. The massive disadvantages suffered by the Igbos in industry, technology, commerce and politics, have adversely affected and truncated the development of education in that region. By placing this reality within a broader and proper national context, I have come to believe that groups like the Awka Union must begin to speak out and act, to define the agenda of regional development in education, as a means of placing at the feet of public consciousness the ideas and activities that can restore the dignity of man through education.

In conclusion, members of the Awka Union USA and Canada by instituting this educational gesture, in no small way, have recognized the magnitude of the problems of the declining academic standards, and realized that without education, Nigeria, and indeed the Igbo nation will not achieve greatness internationally, and that our society will degenerate back to the stoneages, leaving the present economic and democratic reforms highly unrealizable.

The fundamental structure and initiatives for the reform of the Nigeria educational sector, must not be left for government alone. The private sector and community development groups, must be involved in the creation of an educated society, that will in turn, nurture a good society, an informed citizenry, and a globally strong and competitive Nigeria in the 21st century and beyond.

Thank you for listening.

Dr. Okey Anueyiagu.

Ikoyi, Lagos.
2007

==========================

WHO IS DR. OKEY ANUEYIAGU?

#DrOkeyAnueyiagu, #Dr.OkeyAnueyiagu, #DrOkey