L-R Dr. Chike Akunyili, widower of the late Minister of
Information and Chief Willie Obiano, Governor of Anambra State
unveiling a plaque to commemorate the renaming of the Women
Development Center, Awka to Professor Dora Akunyili Women Development
Chief Willie Obiano, Governor of Anambra State welcoming Dame
Virgy Etiaba, former governor of Anambra State to the Prof. Dora
Akunyili Memorial Mass in Awka. With them are Dr. Alex Ekwueme, former
Vice President and Hon. Rita Maduagwu, Speaker, Anambra State House of
Assembly.
L-R Dr. Alex Ekwueme, former Vice President, Chief Willie
Obiano, Governor of Anambra State and Chief Victor Umeh, former
National Chairman of APGA during the Professor Dora Akunyili Memorial
Mass in Awka…Saturday
Dr. Alex Ekwueme, former Vice President, Chief Willie
Obiano, Governor of Anambra State and Chief Victor Umeh, former
National Chairman of APGA and other worshipers during the Professor Dora Akunyili Memorial
Mass in Awka…Saturday
By Valentine Obienyem
The former Governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi has challenged Nigerians to emulate the virtues of Prof. Dora Akunyili. He said this while delivering Dora’s one- year memorial lecture at Nike Lake Hotel.
Speaking to the press after the lecture, Obi said that Nigerians from all walks of life had lessons to learn from Dora’s life of service and commitment to the ideals of honesty and integrity.
Using the hidden part of Dora’s life to illustrate her greatness, Obi narrated how, when she was the Supervisory Councillor on Agriculture at Anaocha Local Government, she shared truck load of fertilizers for the local Government straight from trucks to the buses each community came with, without so much ceremony that often led to the fertilizers growing wings. “At the end of the sharing, the communities happy at getting the fertilizers as it should be for the first time opted to give her one bag each, but she refused,” Obi revealed.
Speaking further, Obi also narrated her experience with Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, the man that appointed him the NAFDAC boss thus: “Dora was not afraid to speak to power once she is convinced on the rightness of her deeds. Her driving passion was best captured in small events about her that were even unreported. As President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo once gave her a name of somebody for employment in NAFDAC. She politely informed Obasanjo that his candidate would be sent to the Examination Board like others, Obasanjo enjoined her to follow all due process. The end of the story was that he informed the President that his candidate did not pass and was not taken. Till today, Obasanjo uses it as an example on how to follow due process.”
Concluding, Obi said that her family was often not spared of her thoroughness and insistence on due process. Again, he says: “Once, I was discussing with her husband, Dr. Chike Akunyili and he told me his own experience being Dora’s husband. Being a very good cook, when Chief Daniel Ogbuefi lost her father, Ogbuefi, as the husband told me, appealed to Dora to help her prepare special pepper soup for his important guests. When she finished, her husband asked to be given some, but all Dora did was to park them in the car with food flask to Ogbuefi’s house. After handing over the delicacies to the wife, she asked her to put some for her, which she brought home for her husband. For Dora, trust should not be betrayed in any way.”
admin
