Three critical leaders in the South East have said that investment in education remains the only right way to build for the future and develop the country.

Vice Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2019 general election and former Governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi; Enugu State Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi; and the President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief John Nnia Nwodo, underscored the importance of education to the future of Nigeria as they spoke at the launching of a non-governmental, non-political organisation, The Ichakporoko Foundation instituted in honour of the late politician, Chief Michael Odo Abonyi of Obollo Etiti in Udenu Local Government Area of Enugu state.

The trio who addressed hundreds of students drawn from some secondary schools in the area said that any country that has no correct plan for its children has already determined how its future will look like.

Obi who was the keynote speaker at the launching said that any nation that invests in education clearly puts its future at the right place. He outlined some of the benefits that have accrued to countries like Ghana, Kenya and South Africa in the continent that are investing well in education.

Obi told the school children to embrace the digital times and develop themselves to meaningfully impact their environment.

He cautioned the youths to be careful not to idolise material wealth saying that nobody is worshiped and adored in the world for being rich in money and material but for having something upstairs right in their head.

According to him, if the richest company in the world, Apple is founded by somebody picked from a motherless baby’s home, there is no barrier for any child as long as he embraces education dedicatedly.

Obi summed up his speech by saying that education and what we get through it remains our cherished capital and asset.

The Governor of Enugu State, Rt Hon. Ugwuanyi, who is also a trustee of the Foundation, paid glowing tribute to the late politician and leader, Chief Michael Odo Abonyi, for his contributions to development and for being an example of who a good politician should be.

He promised that the Foundation will strive through charity to impact on the people noting that most programs of his administration is geared towards youth development and empowerment.

The Chairman of the occasion and President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Nnia Nwodo, admonished the school children to be ambitious because a child who has no ambition is as good as dead.

Nwodo said that having a focus of what to be in future and striving hard to achieve it through education is the right way for every child.

He charged the students to use the modern technology available to them positively and refuse to be distracted by it by ignoring the negative side of it.

Earlier, the Chairman of the late political sage through one of his sons the former Chairman of Udenu Local Government Area, Dr Godwin Abonyi, explained that the family came up with the idea of the Foundation as a nongovernmental organisation to continue the good charity work of their father when he was alive.

The highlight of the ceremony was the endowment of a trophy by the Foundation for essay competition for secondary school students in the local government area.

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