Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode on Thursday stated that the
Nigerian nation is at the moment, in need of redefinition and moral
rearmament to grow the economy in a way that it will impact maximally
on the lives of the people.
The Governor spoke at the 17th Mike Okonkwo Annual Lecture with the
theme: “The State of the Nigerian Nation, Redefining our Values” to
mark the 71st birthday of the Presiding Bishop of The Redeemed
Evangelical Mission (TREM), Dr Mike Okonkwo at the Muson Centre,
Onikan.
Governor Ambode who spoke through the Secretary to the State
Government, Tunji Bello, said: “To really change the course of our
nation, we all have to be ambassadors with resolute commitment to
change our attitude and embrace moral values and etiquettes that will
assist the task of national development. There is nowhere in the world
where Governments have successfully revamped their economy without the
support of the citizens”.
He called on Nigerians to emulate the sound initiatives of
personalities like Bishop Okonkwo who has demonstrated strong
commitment through his missionary work and other platforms like the
annual lecture to steer the course of social development and
empowerment of the common man.
He added that since year 2000, the annual lecture has become a
warehouse of ideas for socio-economic and political enlightenment and
springboard of solutions for myriads of challenges confronting the
Nigerian nation.
In his address, the Chairman of the occasion and former Nigeria’s
Permanent Representative at the United Nations, Chief Arthur Mbanefo
charged all Nigerians to take an active part in the affairs of the
country, saying the people should be ready to stand up for what they
believe in about the country.
The Director of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group, Mr. Frank Nwenke
II, who was one of the guest speakers, said that Nigerians in
redefining their values, must go back to the unadulterated fulfillment
of their roles as parents by paying attention to the physical, mental
and spiritual well-being.
He added that parents must nurture their children in every sense in
order to pre-empt the emergence of successor generations of
insurgents, citing personal experience of his mentorship by his
father.
Also speaking, an Executive Director of Paradigm Initiative Nigeria,
Gbenga Sesan said the way to secure the nation’s future is to
ensure that young people begin to chart new territories by believing
in themselves.
He added that for a better nation, Nigerians need to redefine their
values and build on the ongoing efforts in order to move from a status
– based economy to the one that rewards innovation and celebrates
excellence over mediocrity.
While appreciating the gathering, the celebrant and presiding Bishop
of TREM, Dr. Mike Okonkwo advised Nigerians to imbibe in youths good
behaviours in order to be agent of change.
Prizes were also presented to winners of the Bishop Mike Okonkwo
Competition for Nigerian Secondary schools including Miss Fadilah
Saliu- Ahmed from Zamani College, Kaduna who emerged the overall
winner, Miss Barakat Adebayo from Roshallom International School,
Lagos, second and Miss Wuraola Adeoye from Fountain Height Secondary
School, Lagos who emerged as second runners-up.
Follow Us
