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Personality Profile: Who Is Samuel Titilola Oladele Akande?

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Introduction

Rev. (Dr) Samuel Titilola Oladele Akande, a man who while in office was fondly referred to by some of his friends as the “Archbishop of the Baptist Church of Nigeria” is a Nigerian Baptist minister, held in very high esteem by the Baptist communities in Nigeria, Africa and the world at large. He was the third indigenous General Secretary of the Nigerian Baptist Convention. He served the Convention meritoriously in various capacities from 1952 – 1991, a period of forty (40) years, with the last twelve (12) being spent as the General Secretary. To his many admirers, he is a dutiful  minister, courageous preacher, a talented teacher and the “best Nigerian Baptist leader ever produced.”

Dr. Akande passed away at his residence in Ibadan on September 10, 2020 according to a statement released by his family. He is survived by his wife of 64 years, Comfort Olalonpe, five children and five grandchildren.

Birth and Parental Background

Samuel Titilola Oladele Akande was born in Awe in the present Oyo State of Nigeria on March 31, 1926. His father was Daniel Oladele Akande, who was the son of Papa Oyetunde Akande of the Onsa-Olapeleke’s Compound in Awe. His mother was Susainah Ayannihun, whose father was Ayanwale and mother was Olanbiwonninu. Samuel’s father was a Baptist, while his mother was from a Catholic home.  In those days, it was almost an impossibility for a Protestant Christian to marry a Catholic. This was as a result of the high-level denominational biases which existed among the churches at that time. However, due to God’s providence, the two families agreed to the marriage proposal and Susainah was given in marriage to Daniel in 1923 and three years later, they gave birth to Samuel, their first child.

Education and Early Work Life

Few years after his birth, Samuel’s parent migrated to the then Gold Coast, now Republic of Ghana, in search of greener pastures, taking their infant son with them. Samuel therefore had his first taste at education in Ghana. There he attended the A. M.

E. Zion primary School, the Salvation Army School and the Aggrey Memorial Primary School in Sekondi, Gold Coast, until 1937 when he was brought back to Awe his hometown. He continued his primary education in Awe at  the Awe Baptist  Day School in 1938, this time under the guardianship of his uncle Mr. Abodunrin Akande and his paternal grandmother, Madam Olatoun Ajile, as his parents were still based in  Ghana.  He completed his primary education at this school in the year 1943. On the completion of his primary education in 1943, he went back to Ghana to join his parents.

There he was enrolled at the Adisadel College, an Anglican High School in Cape Coast, Gold Coast, where he completed his secondary education in flying colours in 1949 with a very good grade at the London Matriculation Examination as well as the Cambridge School Certificate Examination.

The year 1948, on September 9, was a tragic year for Samuel as his mother answered the call to the great beyond in that year. Consequently, his father decided to return to his hometown of Awe in Nigeria with his four sisters. This nearly brought an abrupt end to his secondary education, but for the timely intervention of Alhaji Shittu Olopoenia of Okeiho, in Oyo State, who opted to be his guardian for the remaining  period of his studies and the Baptist Mission in Ghana under Reverend W. N. Claxon  who offered him a scholarship to enable him to complete his education. The scholarship was however conditional. After the completion of his education, he was to serve the Baptist Mission as a teacher in any of their schools in Ghana. Hence, 1n 1949 he was appointed as a teacher in the Baptist Mission School in Suhum, a town in the Southern part of Ghana.

While serving as a teacher with the Baptist Mission, he felt the urge to go into the pastoral ministry and this necessitated his return to Nigeria and enrolment into the Nigerian Baptist Theological Seminary Ogbomosho in 1952, so as to be trained as a Baptist minister. At the seminary, Akande was a very brilliant and popular student.

From 1952 – 1955, he was elected the Editor of the seminary’s magazine, “The Theologue”, and as a good athlete right from his primary school days, he also participated in sports. He completed his theological education with a Bachelor’s degree in Theology (B.Th) in December 1955. He was invited to the pastorate of the First Baptist Church, Fiditi, beginning from January 1, 1956.

In 1959, while serving as Pastor of the First Baptist Church, Fiditi in the present Oyo State of Nigeria, the Nigerian Baptist Convention awarded him a scholarship to study in the U.S.A. In America, he attended the Wayland Baptist College, now Wayland Baptist University and the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary from 1959 – 1962. At Wayland College, he obtained a Bachelor of Arts cum laude, degree majoring in English, while he obtained a Bachelor of Divinity degree at the latter. He returned to Nigeria in 1962 after the completion of his studies, worked briefly in some Baptist Churches as Pastor and later returned to the United States in 1969 on the scholarship of the Union Theological Seminary of Broadway New York for his postgraduate studies. He pursued a Master of Sacred Theology degree in New Testament at the institution, which he completed in 1970. Thereafter, he returned to the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary for his Ph.D programme in New Testament, which he successfully completed in 1973.

Marital Life

The period which Samuel spent as a teacher with the Baptist Mission in Ghana presented him with certain opportunities, which positively influenced his life. First, it was during that time that he met Miss Comfort Olalonpe Kehinde, the lady who later became his wife. Samuel met her on his first day at Suhum, in December 1949.

During their stay together in the area, a relationship developed between them, which eventually culminated in their marriage on the 13th of December 1956. The marriage is blessed with five God-fearing children, who are at present in various responsible positions. Dr. Akande’s achievements could not have been realized without the prayerful support, devotion, and unwavering faith of his wife, who believes that the duty of a Christian wife is to support her husband in prayer. The woman has been a source of courage and encouragement to him all through.

Children and Grandchildren

The Akande’s are blessed with five children and five grandchildren. Olanike Akande, Associate Director, Finance and Administration Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health Center, U.S.A; Benjamin Ola. Akande, President, Champlain College, Burlington, Vermont, U.S.A.; A. Bola Akande, City Administrator for City of Brentwood, Missouri, U.S.A.; Olayemi Akande Bartsch, President/CEO Focus St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.A.; Folashade Okediji, Director, College Counseling Rockhurst High School, Kansas City, Missouri, U.S.A.; Grandchildren: Moyosola, Anjola and Reni Akande, Elianna and Jonathan Okediji.

Pastoral Ministry

Another opportunity which presented itself to Samuel during his stay in Suhum was that which launched him into the Gospel ministry. As a teacher in a Baptist Mission School, Akande was also involved in church activities. In 1951, he came in contact with the Late Reverend J. T. Ayorinde from Nigeria, who later became the first Indigenous General Secretary of the Nigerian Baptist Convention. This was at a Baptist convention  at Tamale in Ghana. One of the sermons preached at the convention by Dr. Ayorinde  was titled “Preaching the Gospel Around.” This sermon had a great influence  on Akande. After the sermon, he felt within himself the urge to go into the ministry. He therefore met the speaker and told him that he would like to join the ministry. The Reverend gentleman gave him all the support he needed, as a result of which he returned to Nigeria in 1952 and got enrolled at the Nigerian Baptist Theological Seminary, Ogbomosho, to commence a course of training as a Baptist minister.

Upon his graduation from the seminary, he was engaged to pastor at the First Baptist Church, Fiditi, Nigeria. It was while serving at this church that he was ordained  as a full gospel minister on the 13th day of October 1957. Pastor Akande did not only command great respect in his domain, the First Baptist Church Fiditi, he was also seen as a role model by the youths of the town. He was at Fiditi till 1959, when he won a scholarship to study in the U.S.A. Returning to Nigeria from America in 1962, Rev. Akande secured a pastoral job at Ago-Owu Baptist Church in Abeokuta, where he had a great and successful ministry which lasted four memorable years. During his four-year of pastoral leadership of Ago-Owu Baptist Church, the church witnessed tremendous spiritual and numerical growth.

Before his appointment as Pastor of the church, some members were accused of being members of the Ogboni Fraternity, a notable secret-cult in the South-West of Nigeria. These men have been ex-communicated  from the  church by his predecessor. But Rev. Akande on becoming the pastor of the church decided to recall these members. It was his opinion that instead of being frustrated out of the church, they could be properly counseled with scripture as to the evil effect of cultism on their Christian life. He  therefore  invited  the  affected  members  back  into thechurch.​His effort yielded positive result as these men later renounced their membership of the cult. They then lived thereafter for the Lord Jesus Christ and died committed to his cause. In all, Rev. Akande served the Ago-Owu Baptist Church in his capacity as pastor from 1962 – 1965, a period of three years.

Leaving the Ago-Owu Baptist Church in December 1965, he moved to the Ebenezer Baptist Church on Campbell Street in Lagos. He resumed at this church in January 1966. At the Ebenezer Baptist Church, Rev. Akande was known for his sermons against membership of the Ogboni Cult by Christians. Membership of secret societies was at the time a serious menace to the churches, as some members still preferred to have one leg in the church and the other in the cult. However, Rev. Akande’s sermons became quite popular in Lagos in this regard, so-much-so that churches of other denominations such as the Methodists and the Anglicans invited him on various occasions to deliver sermons.

In the mid and late 1960s in Lagos, his name became a household name among Christians. He was a regular guest preacher on the television and radio stations in Lagos and Ibadan. He was so loved and highly respected by many that a good number of aged people made their minds known both to him and their children that he must officiate and deliver sermons at their funeral ceremony. Young couples who were also planning their weddings were besieging his office to consult his engagement diary before ever appointing dates for their weddings, because they would want him to officiate and deliver sermons on their wedding days. It was a great period in the life of Rev. Akande. He became very busy and scarce, as he had to adjust to his newfound positions as a minister of the gospel in high demand.

In 1969, while serving as Pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church, he secured another scholarship from the Union Theological Seminary in New York City, United States of America, for his postgraduate Studies in New Testament. He was in America from August 1969 to December 1973 and he completed both his Masters and Ph.D programmes. Returning to Nigeria in December 1973, Dr. Akande taught at the Nigerian Baptist Theological Seminary, Ogbomosho. He served as an Associate Professor at the seminary in New Testament Studies until December 1976, when he was invited to become Pastor of the Oritamefa Baptist Church inIbadan.

Although his stay at the Oritamefa Baptist Church was quite brief, however, the Lord blessed his ministry during these years. His short stay at the church witnessed a geometrical growth of membership. The Sunday worship services were well attended by both Baptists and non-Baptists alike. It was reported that the church was always filled to capacity, to the extent that worshippers who arrived the church after 9.30 a.m., usually didn’t get seats. There were those who would stand throughout the worship services; some would sit with members of the choir; while others would sit on the rostrum around the pulpit just to be able to worship on Sunday and listen to Rev. Akande’s sermons. To make his sermons available to members of the church and other interested members of the public, he introduced a unique tape-recording ministry, which flourished tremendously. They were recording the Sunday sermons and making them available to interested members for a token amount. He also introduced the printing of these  sermons, which were always distributed to worshippers the following Sunday. All these contributed in no small measure to the spiritual growth of the members during his tenure as pastor of the church. As a courageous and fearless preacher, his sermons against membership of secret cults, for which he was known in Lagos, continued at the Oritamefa Baptist Church, Ibadan. During one of such sermons on a Sunday in 1977, an eyewitness gave a vivid account of the day as follows: –

The church was packed full. The media, both electronic and print, was highly represented. It is even possible that members of the secret cults were themselves present. Some members were afraid of what might happen to their pastor given the viciousness with which cultists were known to have dealt with persons, including some pastors, who openly divulged their secrets. After the choir special, Dr. Akande mounted the pulpit.

The whole atmosphere was charged. Anxiety filled the whole sanctuary. He fired on, exposing their secrets, denouncing the evil of cultism and then gave invitation. It was in the news all over town. Of course, he was threatened later and told that he would die within seven (7) day! He is still living till today.

Leadership of the Nigerian Baptist Convention

From March 1977 through April 1979, Rev. Akande served as the President of the Nigerian Baptist Convention. In April 1979, he was appointed its General Secretary. As  a reformer and an agent of change, he was determined to leave his marks on the sand of time as a facilitator of positive development in the Nigerian Baptist Convention. His tenure therefore witnessed giant strides in administrative innovations and spiritual development.

(a) Staff Motivation and Welfare

Staff motivation and welfare was high on his agenda. First, he introduced a special periodical “Appreciation Service” for church pastors who have served any Baptist Church or the Convention for a period of five years and above. These services have over the years served as a source of encouragement to ministers in their work. Congregations have also been using the occasion of such services to really show appreciation to their pastors by presenting them with valuable gifts, written citations, and certificates. Realizing then that there was also the need to appreciate retired ministers of God, he introduced the “Award of Certificates of Meritorious Services” to ministers of the Nigerian Baptist Convention who have retired from the services of the Convention after years of meritoriousservice.

Prominent among the certificates introduced at that time was that for the “Excellence for growth in church membership, baptism and founding of new Churches”. This was introduced by him in collaboration with Rev. R. L. Locke, the Southern Baptist Missionary  with  whom  he  also  co-founded  the  Oke-Bola Baptist Church.​He also introduced Certificates of Merit to the first one hundred (100) churches on Honor Roll in their cooperative giving to the Convention. These presentations served as recognition for work well-done, help motivate ministers and members to greater work and culminated in the expansion of Baptist work in Nigeria during Rev. Akande’s tenure as the General Secretary.

He introduced a new self-administered pension scheme to the Convention, which enabled retired Baptist personnel to collect reasonable gratuities at retirement and also enabled their gratuities to be paid at record time. To forestall the exodus of pastors from the Convention, into the civil and teaching services, he set up a Salary Review Committee to review pastors’ salaries, recommending to the committee to come up with a very generous proposal that would be in line with the salaries of civil servants. This singular act was a great achievement and he yet complemented that with the preparation, for the first timewithin the Convention, of a “Booklet on the Conditions of Service for

Workers of the NBC. The result was that the scales of salary for  pastors became  the same and is still the same with those of the civil service. With this, the exodus of personnels from the Convention’s Service was curtailed to an appreciable level. It would therefore not be an exaggeration to say that his tenure was that of better salaries structure and improved condition of service for Baptist pastors and workers.

(b) Evangelism and Church Growth

Rev. Akande is a lover of evangelism. Before his appointment as General Secretary of the NBC, he was involved in many church planting activities. He was a Co- Founder with Southern Baptist Missionary, Rev. R. L. Locke of the Oke-Bola Baptist Church, Ibadan (English Speaking), which was latter renamed New Reservation Area Baptist Church and was its Honorary Pastor from 1979-1989. He also Co-Founded the University of Ibadan Baptist Church, Ibadan, Nigeria with Professor J. T. Okedola. Apart from the contribution of his pastoral ministry to church growth, the motivation which he gave to pastors and members alike led to the expansion of the Baptist ministry in Nigeria. Specifically, there was a phenomenal increase in Baptist Churches and Preaching Stations from about two to three thousand. The Student Ministries Department was established during his time as Convention Secretary. Correspondingly, the Convention started to assume increasing financial responsibility for Student Ministry. This tremendously helped to foster this arm of the Convention as students were ministered to, cared for, and integrated into the life of the Church.(c) Contribution to Education

Rev. Akande was instrumental to the establishment of the Department of Religious Studies, at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. In 1984, the University approached the Executive Committee of the NBC on its intention to open a department of Christian Religious Studies, with the condition that the Convention should provide a teacher to head the department and pay his salary for two years. Rev. Akande worked assiduously to fulfill this condition; thereby the department was opened at the university. He also used his position as the Regional Secretary for Africa of the Baptist World Alliance to assist the newly created department to arrange for theological books for its library. Through his influence, nine hundred and forty-eight volumes of theological books were sent to the department from the Baptist World Alliance in America. As the General Secretary of the NBC, Rev. Akande helped promote intellectualism within the Convention by contributing to the education of many pastors and young students. He encouraged many a good number of them to further their studies. To make this easier, he marched this encouragement with action, by pursuing and securing scholarships for many of them. In 1980, he initiated an exchange programme between the NBC and the Quachita Baptist University in Arkansas, U.S. A. This programme gave many pastors of the NBC the opportunities of overseas studies. Surely, those who benefited from these programmes will never forget his great contribution to their lives in this area.

10(d) Contribution to Economic Development

Before his appointment as General Secretary of the NBC, many properties of the Baptist Mission and that of the Convention have been compulsorily acquired by government. On his assumption of office, he fought relentlessly and got compensations for some of them and it was through his relentless effort that the NBC was able to secure allocation of land at Abuja, the new Nigerian Federal Capital Territory.

An Accomplished Author

He is an accomplished author and educated elite, who sought to educate the masses through his many publications. His book “The Courage to Live” published in 1986 by Macmillan Publishers Nigeria Limited is a masterpiece and has been reprinted in 2003 and 2007. It contains admonitions on how to wade through life courageously, thereby living a life worthwhile. The home is another area that is of special interest to him. Some of his books offer encouragement and admonition to couples on how to sustain their marriages, manage their homes and bring up their children in the fear of  God. He is an anti-corruption crusader. Therefore some of his works also deal with the evil practices of corruption, greed and excessive love for money which have remained a recurring problem within our society and which have constituted a bane to the progress of our nation, economically, politically, educationally and socially. Some of his published works are: – Marriage and Home Making in Nigerian Society (1971); What to do when Someone Dies: A Handbook of Information for Families in the Crisis of Death (1976); Common Family Problems: Advice and Counsel on Eight Problems in Family Life (1977); An Invitation to become One Family in God: A Study of the Ephesian Epistle (1977); published by the Daystar Press, Ibadan. Others are The Doctrine of Eschatology: Its Relevance to our Present Day Evangelistic Programme (1974); Prevent a Divorce in Your Marriage (1981); For Better, For Worse (1986); published by the Baptist Press, Ibadan; Marriage and Home Making in the Nigerian Society; From the beginning to the End; People Whom God Blesses and their Reward; Who are they? Speaking in Tongues; Yesterday and Today; and his latest 438-page book entitled, Sermons of Solace and Hope.

Ecumenical Involvements

Rev. Akande held many positions within the Body of Christ, both at home and at the international level. On the home front, he was Member, Translation Committee of the Bible Society of Nigeria from 1980-1991; Member, Standing Committee of the Christian Council of Nigeria, 1976-1991; and the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Oyo State Chapter, 1985-1990. He was also appointed by the Federal Government of Nigeria as Member of the Panel on Implications of Nigeria’s membership of the “Organization of Islamic Council” (OIC) in 1986; and the Advisory Council of Religious Affairs from 1987-1989. As his contribution towards religious peace in Nigeria, he was Co-Founder with Alhaji Abdul Azeez Arisekola Alao, (a Nigerian Muslim leader and a staunch promoter of the Muslim Faith), of an organization “The Christian/Muslim Peace Movement of Nigeria in 1990.

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He held the following appointments at the international level – Life Member, International Society for the Study of the New Testament (SNTS) 1977; Member, Faith and Order Commission of the World Council of Churches, from 1977 – 1983 and 1984- 1991; Member, Central Committee of the World Council of Churches; Member, General Council of the Baptist World Alliance, 1978-1992 and General Secretary/Treasurer All Africa Baptist Fellowship and Baptist World Alliance Regional Secretary for Africa 1982-1992.

National Honour

The Revd. S. T. Ola. Akande, Ph.D, J.P., M.F.R. was awarded the National honour of the Order of Member of the Federal Republic in December 2003 by the Federal Government of Nigeria in appreciation of his many social, political, cultural and religious contributions to the NigerianSociety.

Establishment of a School of Evangelism

Dr. Akande, in November 1995, established the International Institute of Evangelism in Plainview, Texas, U.S.A. The School was approved by the State of Texas,

U.S.A. and by the U.S. Federal Government in 1996. The School which is multi- denominational prepares evangelists, moral educators for schools and adult literacy educators, and awards the certificate and Diploma in Evangelism. Classes began at the School on October 6, 1998.

Personal Qualities

Rev. Akande is a man of many parts. He is a gifted, courageous, and fearless preacher; an astute and tireless pastor; a forthright theologian; an able and accomplished administrator, a committed and uncompromising leader; and unwavering Christian person. He is a loving husband to his wife and a dutiful father to his children. He is a  man of honor, integrity, and the fear of the Lord; and a gospel minister of no mean achievement, who has been an agent of positive changes in his own time. The Lustre and Pride he has brought to bear on the NBC in particular and the Christian Faith in general is unquantifiable. No wonder the entire students of 1977 Master of Divinity (MDIV) class of the Nigerian Baptist Theological Seminary, Ogbomosho, when reviewing the activities and performance of Nigerian Baptist leaders concluded as follows “Though controversial while in office and out of office, yet S. T. Ola Akande is the best Nigerian Baptist leader ever produced.

Conclusion

Rev. (Dr) Akande served the Baptist communities in Nigeria from 1951, when he answered the call into the ministry to his retirement from the exalted office of the General Secretary in 1991, a period of forty (40) years. During this period, he served as pastor, church administrator, seminary teacher President and lastly the General Secretary of the NBC for 12 years. It is the witness of a great number of Baptists that he brought the NBC

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many steps forward to greatness during these 12 years. In 1993, Revd. S. T. Ola. Akande was voted as the Presidential Candidate of the defunct National Republican Convention (NRC).

References:

Olaseni O. Egbeyemi, S. T. Ola Akande – Agent of Change, Ibadan: GLJ General Services Ltd, 1996.

Ademola Ishola and Deji Ayegboyin, Ecclesiastes, The Preacher, the Church and the Contemporary Society, Paper in Honour of Rev. Dr S. T. Ola Akande Ph.D at 80, Ibadan: Sceptre Print Limited, 2006.

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Sports

Hope Uzodimma Backs Chiney Ogwumike’s Vision for Girl-Child Empowerment Through Sports

Report by ORJI ISRAEL

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Imo State Governor welcomes ESPN Star (1)
L-R: Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Sports Development, Mrs. Dorothy Otazi; Commissioner for Sports Development, Hon. Obinna Onyeocha; Chiney Ogwumike; Deputy Governor, Her Excellency Lady Chinyere Ihuoma Ekomaru, PhD; Commissioner for Youths and Talent Hunt, Hon. Emeka Ukaegbu; and Chiney’s father, Nze Peter Ogwumike.

The Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma, on Monday, warmly received Imo-born American basketball player and ESPN host, Chiney Ogwumike, who visited the State to launch her foundation dedicated to empowering the girl-child through sports.

On behalf of the Governor, the Deputy Governor, Her Excellency Lady Chinyere Ihuoma Ekomaru, PhD, warmly welcomed the American superstar to the State, describing her as a shining example of the excellence of Imo women in sports and other sectors.

Imo State Governor welcomes ESPN Star
L-R: Deputy Governor, Her Excellency Lady Chinyere Ihuoma Ekomaru, PhD; and Chiney Ogwumike.

She reiterated the State Government’s commitment to talent hunt and sports development, recalling how the Governor recently hosted the triumphant Super Falcons of Imo state extraction and rewarded them handsomely for their commendable roles in the successful outing of the Super Falcons at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in Morocco.

The Deputy Governor commended Ms. Ogwumike for her vision to inspire and support young girls in the state, pursuing their dreams through basketball and other sports. She noted that her remarkable gesture aligns with Governor Uzodimma’s broader vision of creating opportunities for youths across Imo State. She assured her of the government’s readiness to partner with well-meaning Imolites and Nigerians to bring positive development to the State.

Chiney Ogwumike is not only a celebrated WNBA athlete but also a global trailblazer whose achievements resonate deeply. In 2020, she became the first Black woman and the first WNBA player to host a national radio show for ESPN, and one of the youngest commentators ever named as an NBA analyst.

By 2016, she was elected vice-president of the WNBA Players Association, and in October 2023, she made history again as the youngest woman on the White House’s inaugural Advisory Council on African Diaspora Engagement in the United States. Recognized globally, she is a 2021 Forbes 30 Under 30 honouree and an Executive Producer of the ESPN Films documentary 144, which chronicled the 2020 WNBA season.

In her address, Ms. Ogwumike expressed her commitment to helping young girls in Imo pursue their career in sports, especially, basketball. She credited her Igbo heritage for instilling in her the resilience and drive that propelled her to global success, pledging to use her platform to inspire the next generation of talents.

Also speaking at the event, the Commissioner for Sports Development, Hon. Obinna Onyeocha and the Commissioner for Youths and Talent Hunt, Hon. Emeka Ukaegbu, praised Ms. Ogwumike for being a true ambassador of Imo State. They pledged that the Government would support her foundation in achieving its objectives.

Also present at the event were her father, Nze Peter Ogwumike, senior government officials, and stakeholders in sports and youth development.

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Education

Delta-Five and Oborevwori’s education vision

By Ray Umukoro

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Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and the students

Call them President Bola Tinubu’s kids; then Governor Sheriff Oborevwori’s children. You won’t be wrong.

For in reality, that sums up the story of five young Deltans who left Nigeria as national champions to compete in Qatar and returned to the country as global champions.

They brought honour and fame to Nigeria, to Delta state and to their respective schools and families.

Take a bow:  Wisdom Chukwuma of Government College, Ughelli; Otorvo Uyoyou of Alegbo Secondary School, Effurun; Abraham Honour of Okpaka Secondary School, Okpaka; Ekhamateh Splendour of Government Model Secondary School, Asaba; and Alika Daniel of Utagba-Ogbe Grammar School, Kwale. They are all students of public schools in Delta.

Ahead of their stellar performance in Qatar, they had emerged champions at the 2025 President’s National Basic Education Debate Championship, which earned them the ticket to represent Nigeria at the World Schools Debate Championship in Doha, Qatar.

To emerge champions in the national President’s schools debate, they out-performed other young debaters from 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory. They showed oratory, lexical elegance, critical thinking, linguistic sophistry, stage craft, teamwork and typical Delta spirit of self-confidence and charisma.

The Delta quintet showed no butterflies. They were assertive and compelling in their arguments, persuasive with a splash of eloquence. They were not fazed by the audience.

They possessed every stage of the national competition, wowing the audience with raw intelligence, logicality and an uncanny ability to verbalise their thoughts at the speed of light.

Besides, they evinced a firm grasp of contemporary issues in a manner that truly set them apart from their competitors.

The Delta-Five simply owned the national debate championship. They made it their show with a dash of distinction. That was the badge of honour they took to the 2025 World Basic Schools Debate Championship held in Doha, Qatar.

And they excelled against competition from United States of America and host nation, Qatar, debating on climate change, youth empowerment and responsible technology use.

It was a triumph of ‘the spirit of Delta’ and a testament to the strategic investment in education by Oborevwori; an investment that spans teachers recruitment, capacity building, infrastructure addition and upgrade, welfare of education personnel across the value chain, all of which have created the conducive ergonomics for experiential learning.

One common feature in Delta public education is funding. Oborevwori, himself a product of public-school system, believes that with the right tools, upskilled personnel, and good funding, Nigeria public schools can rival any in the world.

He was the first governor to pay the 2025 counterpart funding for UBEC-SUBEB projects. His unrelenting push for quality academic and technical education has manifested in more school enrolments, improved performance in external examinations and enhanced technical competencies among youths in the state. It is a template worthy of national implementation.

A strong advocate of performance-based reward, the governor gifted each of the five students and their handlers with a goodly N20 million. Oborevwori is an ideal intentional leader whose predilection to welfare has been legendary all through his public life.

He believes that governments at all levels must be people-centric. It was the same spirit of people-centred leadership that made him launch the Widows Welfare Scheme, which seeks to empower 10,000 widows through direct financial aid and access to free healthcare as well as the release of N10 billion to clear outstanding pension arrears owed to retirees in the state.

This bucks the trend whereby retirees wait on end before receiving their deserved entitlements. Nigeria has had a poor sense of welfare for pensioners with hundreds dropping dead while waiting to be paid or while protesting non-payment of their pensions and gratuities.

In a particular south-west state in 2015, 236 pensioners reportedly died in seven months as a result of the inability of the state government to pay their pension and gratuity, according to a Radio Nigeria report at that time.

Even at the federal level, the issue of delayed payment and in some cases non-payment of pension has caused strains and deaths of retires in a manner that is not only shameful but affronts the fundamental rights of the retirees.

There has been a toxic pattern of owing retirees across the country. But not so with Oborevwori. He believes that while governance focuses on building infrastructure across all spectrum of endeavour, the human element in society must never be neglected.

He sees this as a duty, an undeniable obligation to humanity. And he has kept his word. So far, a total of N36.4 billion had been paid in pensions, and N1.4 billion is being released for payment of pensions monthly since he assumed office.

“Our retirees are men and women who gave their best years in service to the state. It is only just that they receive what is duly owed to them, and under my watch, their welfare will remain top priority,” he said recently during a meeting with the state’s Pension Board.

Leadership in emerging economies like Nigeria must be deliberate in visioning, and purposeful in implementation.

This was the model of Lee Kuan Yew, the architect of modern Singapore. He was devoted to quality education of Singaporeans and the enthronement of merit over sundry mundane considerations.

He enforced the learning of English language making Singaporeans bilingual and becoming globally competitive.

This deliberateness in leadership led to the emergence of Singapore from the ruins of war into a frontline global economy.

Indeed, success is neither an accident nor a happenstance. It comes from a premeditated visioning of a desired destination and calculated implementation of the critical processes that will lead to that destination.

Oborevwori from the outset promised to deliver a MORE agenda of Meaningful Development, Opportunities for All, Realistic Reforms, and Enhanced Peace and Security.

The rash of reforms he has wrought in the education sector alone underscores the competitive edge of Delta students both locally and globally.

It is a rebirth of the good old days when Delta, even as a component of the defunct Bendel state, was the exemplar for youth development, academic and sporting excellence in the country.

From law, medicine and engineering to liberal arts and social sciences, Delta colleges and universities have continued to excel in major competitions thus cementing the state’s position not only as a benchmark in education but also a model in youth development and upskilling for global competitiveness.

This is not a by-product of ad hoc and episodic leadership. Such landmarks are achieved with conscious leadership, the type epitomised by Oborevwori.

The fact that the fantastic Delta-Five are all students of public schools in the state speaks volumes of the governor’s determination to make Delta education sector the archetypal 21st century standard in the country.

·       Umukoro, a public policy analyst, writes from Warri

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Hospitality

Gov. Mbah and the Rebirth of Hotel Presidential

By Nnamani Arinze Darlington

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Hotel Presidential relaunch

Enugu’s renaissance is oscillating through the entire space of Nigeria, led by a man whose audacious governance and humongous vision is breathing new life into the legacy of the late Dr. Michael Iheonukara Okpara, the iconic Premier of Eastern Nigeria.

Governor Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, a maritime lawyer and a towering entrepreneur turned transformative leader, is not just governing, he is rekindling a golden era, breathing Okpara’s spirit into the entire Enugu to catapult the state into a future defined by innovation, prosperity, and pride.

This is not just leadership; it is a renaissance, deliberate and electrifying, that dares to dream as big, if not bigger, than its storied predecessor.

At 39, Michael Okpara took the reins of Eastern Nigeria in 1959, deploying his philosophy of “Pragmatic Socialism” to transform the region into an economic titan. His agricultural revolution, anchored by institutions like Adapalm, turned Eastern Nigeria into a global palm oil powerhouse, fueling monumental projects like Okpara’s industrial ventures, Golden Guinea Breweries, and the Ceramics Industry in Umuahia, which sparked self-reliance, while his investments in education and infrastructure laid a foundation for enduring prosperity.

The parallels between Mbah and Okpara are impossible to ignore. Both are architects of self-reliance – Okpara through agriculture; Mbah through a diversified economic engine. Okpara’s educational revolution and Mbah’s Smart Schools both treat education as the spark for progress. Both have led by action, not noise, earning praise for their quiet yet seismic impact.

The rebirth of Hotel Presidential in Enugu, Nigeria, under Governor Peter Mbah’s administration after over 15 years of abandonment and neglect, is a notable example of revitalizing state-owned assets to boost tourism, economic growth, and job creation for the overriding public interest of the people of Enugu State.

Built by Dr. Michael Okpara and commissioned in 1963, Hotel Presidential was a prestigious landmark in Enugu, originally featuring 100 rooms and hosting significant events in its early years. It served as a hub for social and economic activities in the region. The hotel fell into disrepair over the years, lying comatose for over 15 years due to neglect and mismanagement, becoming a symbol of lost potential.

Since taking office, Governor Peter Mbah has prioritized the restoration of moribund state-owned assets, with Hotel Presidential being a flagship project, along with similar significant rebirth across abandoned assets like UPPL, Sunrise Flour Mills, Nigergas, the International Conference Centre, and a host of others geared towards transforming Enugu into a premier destination for business, investment, tourism, and living.

The revitalization aligns with Governor Mbah’s broader economic goals, including achieving a $30 billion economy for Enugu State. The revamp of Hotel Presidential will create hundreds of jobs and enhance tourism infrastructure in the state, while also making Enugu the Conferencing Capital of Africa.

Mbah’s governance is a “dramatic departure” from the status quo, pulsating with the revolutionary fervor of Okpara’s era.

The hotel’s rebirth is part of a larger portfolio of over 2,000 ongoing and completed projects under Mbah, including smart schools, healthcare centres, farm estates, and various urban and rural road construction.

Peter Mbah is not just walking in Okpara’s footsteps; he is sprinting, adapting a historic vision to a modern canvas. Through relentless infrastructure, education, security, and economic innovation, he is forging Enugu into a beacon of what Nigeria can be. Okpara’s legacy is a towering milestone, but Mbah’s Enugu is a living testament to its enduring fire. The road ahead is fraught with Nigeria’s tangled challenges: economic volatility, political noise, systemic hurdles, and bureaucracy.

Yet, Mbah’s momentum has consciously shown that he is not just reviving Okpara’s dream but redefining it, proving that visionary leadership can turn the past’s promise into the future’s triumph. Enugu is rising, and the world is watching the rebirth of Michael Iheonukara Okpara’s spirit in Governor Peter Ndubuisi Mbah through his visionary leadership and actions that are intentional and connecting the dots for economic and social prosperity for ndi Enugu.

Governor Peter Ndubuisi Mbah’s leadership embodies the spirit of Michael Okpara’s vision in a modern context. Through infrastructure, education, security, and economic innovation, Mbah is transforming Enugu into a beacon of progress, much as Okpara did for Eastern Nigeria. While Okpara’s legacy is a historical milestone, Mbah’s ongoing efforts show he is on a path to leave a similar mark. He will fully realize Okpara’s “rebirth” from the already sustained momentum and focus to overcome Nigeria’s complex challenges. For now, Mbah’s Enugu is a testament to the enduring power of visionary leadership, proving that the past can inspire a brighter future.

Under Governor Peter Mbah’s leadership, the rebirth of Hotel Presidential symbolizes Enugu’s resurgence as a hub for tourism and economic activity. Reiterating the words of the Enugu State Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Ugochi Madueke, while extolling Mbah’s leadership at the commissioning ceremony, she said: “The silence has been broken; the lights are on never to dim again; the doors are open never to shut again; and the spirit of Enugu is back, stronger and brighter than ever.”

…. Nnamani Arinze Darlington writes from Enugu

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