By Sandra Nnaemeka
Ndigbo from all works of live gathered in Enugu on December 28, 2017 for the official commissioning of the Center for Memories (CFM), a repository of the history and culture of Ndigbo, informing and empowering leaders to serve with excellence and integrity.
Cutting the ribbon, Igwe Alfred Nnaemeka Achebe (Agbogidi), the most respected OBI of Onitsha, in his speech, said that another private sector museum and information repository /hub which has mass of information, published and unpunished, on Nigeria is also in the offing in Onitsha.
According to him, as Ndigbo, knowing our past, gives us info on managing and planning our present and future better, puts us more confident and able and encourages deeper written academic scholarship and research. History students and academics should be very excited about these developments. Young people should see their past better and talk authoritatively and confidently about it.
One of the attendees, Michael Orekyeh, a leading voice among South East Society of Professionals, an ambitious NdiIgbo Values Initiative, posited, “It is truly comforting and encouraging that in a country where we don’t seem to take history serious, some people have invested money, time, effort, brains to put up a private museum and information repository that can teach and keep records of what happened in the past, especially for Ndi Igbo who seem to rate history very low on their scale of priorities. We must teach our young ones what is important, this place is our own Smithsonian, and it is alive!!
Meanwhile, the Conveners said, CFM is an ambition centre and a repository of the history and culture of Ndigbo, informing and empowering leaders to serve with excellence and integrity and wishes to be the leading hub for Igbo history, culture, and excellence.
The Centre is a tourism potential, capable of attracting foreigners, diaspora Nigerians,, while tourism and international academic collaboration will definitely blossom out of this reference point in the Nigerian Historical Landscape.
The team is made of Nkiru Okpareke; Ndidi Okonkwo Nwuneli; Nkem Nweke; and Patrick O. Okigbo III.
Also, the patrons are: Obi Nnaemeka Alfred Ugochukwu Achebe; Tonye Cole; Dr. Stella Chinyelu Okoli; Prof. Patrick Okedinachi Utomi; Austin Okere and Commodore Okoh Ebitu Ukiwe, while Prof. Rina Okonkwo will serve as the resident historian.
—