Jonathan Extols Zik’s Qualities

President Goodluck Jonathan last Friday extolled
the selfless qualities of Nigeria’s first President, the late Dr Nnamdi
Azikiwe, and urged Nigerians to emulate him in order to move the country
forward.

Jonathan made the commendation in Nsukka during an
anniversary lecture in honour of ‘Zik’, organised by St John’s Anglican Church,
Onuiyi, Nsukka, the church Zik attended while he was alive.

He said that it was Zik’s patriotism and selfless
service that made Nigeria’s independence possible.

“Zik was a detribalised Nigerian, who invested his
knowledge, energy, time and money to see that the country gained independence
from colonial masters.

“Nigerians should emulate his shinning exemplary life,
shown through dogged struggle, to free his country from colonial rule,’’ he
said.

The president, who was represented by the Minister of
State for Foreign Affairs, Prof. Viola Onwuliri, said that for the country to
develop, there had to be attitudinal change.

He said Nigerians also had to be ready to render
selfless service to the country at all times.

“We must know that Nigeria is the only country we can
call our own and therefore, must contribute selflessly to make it great.

“We should make sacrifices so that the struggles of our
nationalist heroes will not be in vain.

“We must shun bribery and corruption in every position
we find ourselves in order to move the country to an enviable height,’’ he
said.

A former Vice-President, Dr Alex Ekwueme, who was the
Chairman of the occasion, said the contributions of Zik to the country could
not be quantified.

He said Zik denied himself luxury and enjoyment of life
to see that Nigeria gained freedom from the colonial masters.

“Nothing will be too much to honour and immortalise
Zik’s selfless service to the country.

“Zik is a good example of a servant leader, who laboured
day and night to promote unity in the country,’’ Ekwueme said.

He commended the church for organising the memorial
lecture, which was another way of honouring the former president.

He pledged to contribute 10 per cent of the N67 million
required to build the church to have a befitting edifice for a church Zik
worshipped in while alive.

A lecture titled “Transformational Leadership and the
Quest for National Transformation’’ was delivered by a former Vice- Chancellor
of University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Prof. Chinedu Nebo.

Nebo, who is currently the present Vice-Chancellor of
the Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, said for transformational leadership to take
place in the county, every citizen must be accountable and transparent in
whatever was entrusted to him or her.

“Until our leaders emulate people like Zik in being
accountable and transparent in their various positions, the level of bribery
and corruption will continue to increase.

“We should consider our future generation in everything
we do; it is bad habit for us to eat all and leave our future generation
begging and hungry,’’ he said.

The Anglican Bishop of Nsukka, the Rt. Rev. Aloysius
Agbo, said that the church had a plan of building a centre to be called “Zik
Memorial and Tourist Centre”.

Agbo said that when completed, the centre would attract
tourists nationally and internationally.

“With the help of our esteemed guests, we will ensure
that St John’s church will have a building that one will be proud to say that
Nigeria’s first president worshipped in it while alive.

“The Anglican Church will continue to honour the late
Zik because of his countless contributions to the country,” he said.

In a vote of thanks on behalf of Zik’s family, Mr Uwakwe
Azikiwe, the last child of Zik, thanked the organisers for honouring his late
father.