GOV OBIANO EXTOL VIRTUES OF AKUNYILI, RENAMES WOMEN CENTRE AFTER HER

Governor Willie Obiano in making real some of his promises to immortalize every Anambra-born persons who has passed on and contributed to the development of the State the prestigious Women Development Center, Awka has been renamed as the

Prof. Dora Akunyili Women Development Center, Awka as part of a well

organised effort to immortalize the former Minister of Information and

fake drugs czar, who fell to cancer last year.

The renaming of the Center came after a memorial mass that was

attended by prominent citizens like Dr. Alex Ekwueme, former Vice

President, Chief Victor Umeh, former National Chairman of APGA, Iyom

Josephine Aneni, PDP Women Leader, Onyeka Onwenu, CEO of the National

Center for Women Development as well as the key members of the Anambra

State Executive Council Members.

Remembering the late Amazon in a brief speech title “Immortalizing

Prof. Dora Akunyili,” the Governor of Anambra State, Chief Willie

Obiano described her as a beloved sister, daughter, wife, mother,

teacher, moralist, crusader, role model, merchant of hope and angel of

light, pointing out that in gathering to immortalize her, Ndi Anambra

were simply trying to remind themselves that “the greatest legacy a

man or woman can leave is a good name. Brothers and sisters, we are

gathered here to affirm the wise saying of our elders that ezi afa ka

ego – a good name is better than gold!”

Governor Obiano further noted that the life and times of the late czar

should serve as a strong call to moral re-armament among Ndi Anambra.

Waxing philosophical, Obiano observed that “we finally begin to live

when we choose to live in the service of the people; when our lives

bring hope, happiness and fulfilment to people around us. Dora reminds

us that a life of service to the community is the true life of

meaning.”

Recalling some of the finest moments of Professor Akunyili on numerous

national assignments, Governor Obiano observed that most Nigerians

were familiar with Dora’s legend.  “We are familiar with her courage

in the face of extreme danger; her unwavering commitment to the cause

she believed in even when a bullet peeled off her head gear, her

passionate speech at the National Conference while she endured the

biting pains of cancer and of course her blunt refusal to be cowed

when the struggle for succession that followed the death of President

Yar’Adua needed a rallying point.”

Recalling the late Amazon’s historic memo to her fellow ministers

where she declared her readiness to pay the ultimate price in the

struggle to return Nigeria to the path of certainty in the cloudy days

that preceded the passage of former President Umar Yar’Adua, Governor

Obiano maintained that Dora was willing to walk alone once she was

convinced that she was walking in righteousness and in light.

Quoting the famous lines of Martin Luther King Junior that “a man who

has nothing to die for is not fit to live,” Governor Obiano argued

that Dora had taught Nigerians the values of standing alone. “She has

taught us that it is better to stand alone for righteousness than to

enjoy the momentary satisfaction that comes from standing in the

company of others.”

The governor further observed that in honouring Dora, Anambra State

has built a psychological monument to her name. We lift her up as a

beacon of hope to our people. We hold her up as a shining example to

our youths and we celebrate her as the quintessence of virtue to our

women! Surely, Umu nwanyi Anambra cannot accept mediocrity again

because Dora Akunyili lived among us. Truly, umuada Anambra can no

longer be restrained from dreaming big dreams because they walk in the

footsteps of Dora Akunyili.”

Arguing that the late Minister still lives through her numerous

legacies, Governor Obiano ended his address with a quote from Scottish

Poet, Thomas Campbell that “to live in the hearts of those we leave

behind is not to die.”