ISNO HOTEL was the venue for this year’s get together and reunion party which is an annual ritual for “THE ACHIEVERS” class of International studies and Diplomacy University of Benin 2007/2008. The event is very unique in many ways. Aside the opportunity of reuniting, dining and wining with former colleagues, invited guest, former course and school mates, there is always lecture on topical issues that will further enrich by and adding to the body of knowledge of all those present at the occasion.
As it is done yearly, notable, intellectuals and intelligent scholars are invited to deliver lectures on chosen topic that will add value to the whole event. For this year’s programme, the chairman of Academic Staff Union of University (ASUU) University of Benin (UNIBEN) Dr. Iyasele Julius was the guest speaker with the topic “Nigeria in Post 2015 Presidential Election”.
The event created room for sober reflection, planning, commitment, re-dedication and determination for members to ensure the programme continues as the brain behind the birth of the programme and the major financier/sponsor of the event Mr. Mike Omagbemi Enonuya died early in the year after a brief illness. His death has thrown the burden of financing and sponsoring the programme on members who has pledge their commitment in ensuring the programme continues so that the dream and legacy of late Enonuya lives on.
Late Enonuya’s children know how important the gathering of “THE ACHIEVERS” is to their father as such his daughter miss Toritse Enonuya lead other family members to this year’s event where their father was given a post humus award for his contribution to the body in the past four years.
Aside late Enonuya, some other persons have been working behind the scene to ensure the yearly get together for “THE ACHIEVERS” continues. Mr. Chris Iyovwaye who like late Enonuya is a friend of consolidation. They kept working hard to ensure the success of not only the programme but also of members.
Welcoming members to the event the President of “THE ACHIEVERS” Comrade Osamuyi Eyemwonmwen welcomed the members and non members alike to the gathering informing them that since the event started in 2011, this is the forth edition in the post six year graduation experience for members of the group.
“It is on record that the 2007/2008 class of International studies and Diplomacy University of Benin was a pace setter, that even years after graduation our lecturers still held us in a high esteem this is because our motor “one for all and all for one” is still our watch word, in-fact our system of being in league and alliance enable us to actualise our aims and objectives”.
Continuing Comrade Eyemwonmwen said since we just came out from a rigorous electioneering process there is need to visit the process yet again employing the services of scholars to look at the entire process again. “This made the group to invite the chairman of Academic Staff Union of University (ASUU) University of Benin (UNIBEN) Dr. Iyasele Julius to speak on the topic “Nigeria in Post 2015 Presidential Election”. This topic according to the president of the group became necessary because Nigeria is said to have embrace change and how far will this change affect the social-economic and political life of our nation’s history will be the bedrock of the lecture”.
“The high point of today’s event will be to honour two of our own, those that have kept this group together, they deserve out honour for their immense contribution for the survival of this group for the past four years. A post humus award will be given to late Mr. Mike Omagbemi Enonuya who is no longer with us today but his lovely children are present here today. Mr. Chris Iyovwaye who most time don’t want to be known have no choice today as he will be known. He has continually worked behind the scene and never liked to be mention but I will break that vow today to honour him for his good deed that has kept us as a group together all these yeas”.
“As a group, the greatest good we will do to our late former course mate is to keep the Achievers going which was the child of his brain. To keep this dream is that all members must registered, pay their quarterly dues and continue to contribute financially to our yearly get-together” he concluded.
The lecture “Nigeria in Post 2015 Presidential Election” delivered by the guest lecturer, chairman of Academic Staff Union of University (ASUU) University of Benin (UNIBEN) Dr. Iyasele Julius was mind blowing, informative, educating and thought provoking as questions bothering on the election, the future of elections in the nation and our survival were asked. Trust the guest speaker who was equal to the task as he answers all questions thrown at him by intellectual mind that make up the class of International studies and Diplomacy University of Benin 2007/2008.
Dr. Iyasele Julius x-rayed the entire political process of Nigeria as a nation right from independent till date and submitted that the just concluded general election in Nigeria was the last civil war fought in the ballot box, expressing delight in the maturity played by the electorate, political parties, stakeholders, security agencies and all concerned as the cooperation is responsible for the peace we enjoy as a nation today.
He said since 1960 as a nation, the country swing on the pendulum of three region which include the Hausa Fulani; The East; The West and later on The Mid West came to existence. The Nigerian politics since inception has been revolved round ethnicity and religion and it will be difficult to separate Nigerian Politics from religion and ethnicity as these element plays significant role in our political system.
Speaking further he said the Nigerian civil war was promulgated due to the mass killing of the Igbos in the North. The war he said could be narrowed down to be between the Igbos and the Hausa. The Yoruba played a traditional role while the war lasted.
“Looking at the role of ethnicity and religion in our political process, the country is gradually returning to regional government. Currently, region has become an issue in Nigeria politics compare to time past; it plays the front burner in our politics today. This is a pointer that ethnicity, religion has come to shape Nigerian politics”.
Dr. Iyasele said our political system is divided along ethnic and religious line just like it played out in the Civil war in the 60s through the 70s. He said there have never been conscious efforts on the part of our leaders to move the nation forward. “Nigeria as a nation has good, intelligent, courageous and diligent people, our environment is good, land fertile for cultivation of various crops and have a great population but our government bad and lacks vision to move the nation forward. If we must progress as a nation, we need leaders with vision and focus, leaders that will be determined to turn things around positively no matter the odd against them. With the way things are going in this country, we are not far from returning to the medieval period i.e returning to regional government. The only thing that will frustrate our return to regional government in Nigeria is accurate governance on the part of our leaders.
The incoming government under the leadership of Mohammad Buhari should focus on electricity and this will boost the productivity of the nation and all the dead factories and Industries will spring up again and more people who are now jobless will find something doing. The situation is so bad that the incoming administration should and must act fast within six months to change and transform the lives of the electorate who defiled all odd to cast their vote to produce the incoming government.
The public relation officer of the group Comrade Uyi Omosefe expressed delight at the success recorded at the event but frown at the low turn out of members at the programme. He called on members to throw their weight behind the programme and support it now ever than before especially as the major financial and sponsor of the programme died early in the year. He said the programme should continue to immortalise Mr. Mike Enonuya who has bear the financial burden of the group for the past four years.
“The event was a success by the grace of God, we expected more number but the numbers we have today is still encouraging and wonderful. It is good to see ourselves once again after one year but it is however painful that we lost one of our members who has been our rock in terms of financing the event, the death of Mr. Mike Enonuya came to us as a rude shock but we thank God he has lived well and has contributed his quota to the development of the nation especially this group. He is a good man, thank God for his life, we will continue to remember him for his goodness to us as a group” he concluded.
The high point of the event was the celebration of life and an post humus award of excellent bestow on late Mr. Mike Omagbemi Enonuya for his dedication and commitment in financing the programme yearly since inception and was also the brain behind the existence of the event.
Responding on behalf of her family members, Miss Enonuya Toritse thanked the members of “THE ACHIEVERS” for remembering her father at a time like this. “I want to thank you all for remembering my father for his contribution to this group. We know he loves this group very much that is why we are here today to represent him. We know he will be happy where ever he is now. Thank you so very much for this award, this will motivate we his children and family to equally contribute our quota to the development of mankind”.
The second recipient of an award of excellent for his contribution to the development of the group for the past four years Mr. Chris Iyovwaye thanked the excos for the award. He said he will continue to play his role and will never stop doing that. He promised to sponsor all the bills for the 2017 event.
