From David Onwuchekwa, Nnewi
In its quest to recognise outstanding personalities in humanitarian gestures, the West African Students Union (WAS) recently converged on Nnewi, Anambra State, from the union’s secretariat in Ghana.
The students had singled out Most Rev. (Dr) Paul Hillary Odilinyechukwu Okeke, the Bishop of Nnewi Catholic Diocese, and presented him with the Kwame Nkrumah Leadership Award.
Okeke, they said, was the 14th person in the West African sub-region to receive the award.
From the record presented during the award ceremony at the Assumption Cathedral Utility Hall, Okwuani, Nnewi, other personalities who have received the award in the past were Mr. John Agyekum Kuffour, former President of Ghana; the immediate past President of Nigeria, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan; His Excellency, Judge Bola Ajibola Afonja, former World Court judge; Dr. (Mrs) Sarah Alade, Deputy Governor, Economic Policy, Central Bank of Nigeria; and Gen. T.Y.Danjuma, among others.
While presenting the award to Okeke, the Secretary-General of WASU, Diplomat Emmanuel Sobio, who came with four other executive members of the union from the various countries in West Africa, explained that the conferment of the 2016 Kwame Nkrumah Leadership Award on the bishop was in recognition of his outstanding gestures in humanitarian services and his leadership qualities in the church and society at large.
“However, what seems to be most phenomenal about our amiable recipient is his unequalled regard, reception, care and compassion for everyone who comes his way at all times either seeking assistance, mentorship, on official or unofficial grounds. He is always eager to assist, lend a listening ear and support, irrespective of who you are, where you are from or the faith you profess or your social status,” Sobio said.
He disclosed that the cleric was carefully chosen in view of the need for the present crop of West African leaders, especially in the education sector, and aspiring leaders in all human enterprises to start realising the dreams of West Africa’s founding fathers while also dreaming new dreams to advance the course of humanity to greater heights and ideals.
Sobio also explained that the winners were not chosen at random but decided by the leaders of the students’ body on the basis of proposals and nominations submitted by an international jury consisting of eminent personalities from WASU’s member unions and international organisations around the globe.
The Catholic bishop was nominated and honoured after a careful study of his records, including his leadership and humanitarian gestures that cut across his denomination, after an indepth research, the union said.
“WASU is the initiator of the popular Kwame Nkrumah Leadership Award and lecture series, which had featured in Ghana many years ago. The aim of the award by WASU is to promote all forms of action of good leadership designed to construct the defenses of West African culture of leadership and integrity in the minds of men by rewarding particularly outstanding leaders, that is, leaders with vision towards the upliftment of West Africa, with the purpose of serving as role models for younger generations in line with the constitution and charter of WASU, in the spirit of pan-Africanism of late Dr Kwame Nkrumah,” the Secretary-General said.
In his acceptance speech, Okeke said he was dumbfounded when he received the message informing him of the WASU award.
He said he did not know how he came into the picture, saying that he would have ignored the offer but later accepted it to use the opportunity to know more about the organisation called WASU.
“My basic interest is that it has to do with education and with students. The Catholic Church is very much interested in education. Indeed, the Church has given careful consideration to the paramount importance of education in the life of men and its ever-growing influence on the social progress of the age according to the Second Vatican Council, Declaration on Christian Education,” the bishop said.
He also noted that because the award had to do with humanitarian services “even though I am not sure I’m even engaged in humanitarian services and not to talk of being the most outstanding,” that he was accepting the award to make him more conscious of his duty to engage in humanitarian services, especially to the poor and needy.
Also speaking at the event, the Director of Communications of the Nnewi Catholic Diocese, Rev. Fr. Hygi Aghaulor, said the honour to the bishop was a clear testimony of the humanitarian gestures of Okeke in the Diocese and beyond, “which has given him the accolade, Nna Ora (father of all).”
The event attracted HRH Igwe Kenneth Orizu III, Igwe Nnewi, other traditional rulers, government officials, including the Anambra State Commissioner for Education, Prof. Kate Azuka Omenugha.