…Bags leadership Icon award
By Nkechi Ojukwu
An illustrious son, business Mogul and strong stakeholder from Ideato South LGA of Imo State, Chief Johnpaul Ochemba has in dismay decried what he says is “the recent fall of South-East in total darkness” as a result of heightened insecurity.
Ochemba lamented that it has led to the death of many South-Eastern youths and collapse of businesses in the region, even as he solicited for peace in the area.
The business Mogul called for the total commitment of the youths in bringing peace to the zone.
He made the call during the occasion of receiving an Integrity Award from a student body; the South East Students Leadership Forum.
Addressing them, Ochemba reminded them that, “youths are future leaders and that their future starts now, adding that youths should portrait good character of future leaders.
“I am surprised that it’s only in the South-East that youths do not have regard and respect for their elders and leaders”.
He therefore advised them to emulate their counterparts in other regions of Nigeria to respect and obey leaders for them to receive the maximum support from the leaders when the need arises, charging to use the Union to canvas for peace in the zone.
Ochemba, admonished them not to allow themselves to be used by politicians to disrupt government and involved in social devices, because, “those answering unknown gunmen in Imo state and South-East are youths and are only to destabilize the government, killings, dislodging people, destabilizing the entire States of the South East with the total collapse of the economy, thereby creating massive unemployment of the youths.
The business Entrepreneur expressed gratitude for being honoured by the Students Organization and thanked them for the gesture, even as he urged them to utilized the Union to build their career and future so as to be more useful to the society,assuring them of his maximum support.
The group led by its President, Prince Jerry Okafor, while presenting the award, made it clear that the award which they termed ” Leadership Icon of the Year,as well as Most Friendly Students Leader of the Year”, was based purely on merit and that investigations they carried out about Johnpaul Ochemba warranted them to honoured with the award and were convinced and delighted that the Union made the right choice. They described him as the virtue of simplicity and accessibility on that stand most suitable for the award.
The Union President Jerry Okafor, who was a former Students Union Government (SUG) President of Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu, Alike Ikwuo (A_E FUNA), regretted that the Union hardly receive financial support and otherwise from the leaders of South Eastern states, especially when they go for national events.
He gave instance of how the South East Students were shortchanged and deprived of the position of Deputy Senate President at the Convention of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), in Abuja in 2022.
Okafor further hinted that the Group selected only two personalities with integrity from each of the South Eastern States for the award, even as he explained that Ochemba and Mrs Ruby Emele happened to be selected respectively for the award from Imo State.
The students delegation thereafter solicited the total support of Johnpaul Ochemba.
NIGERIA NEWSPOINT
