How Ezeife Made Me Stay Back In Anambra -Proprietor Onitsha Business School
Alphonsus Nweze,
Onitsha
The Proprietor of Onitsha Business School, Prof. Olusegun Sogbesan, has said that the former Governor of Anambra State, Late Dr. Chukwuemeka Ezeife, was instrumental to his staying back in Anambra State after his one year compulsory youth service in the State.
Speaking in an interview with newsmen in Onitsha, Anambra State, Prof Sogbesan said it was in 1992 when he served in Adazi Ani, he won the best corper in the Local Government Area, in Anambra State and went ahead to win National Award of the National Youth Service Corp (NYSC).
Sogbesan said he built the first Bus Stop in the community, which he said still stand today.
He said when he eventually won the National Award, Dr. Ezeife was so happy that he assigned three vehicles with which he travelled to Abuja with his entourage to receive the award.
On his returning back, the then Governor threw a party in his honour where he appealed to him and others who won awards to stay back in the State and contribute to its development.
He said Ezeife was the originator of Think Home Philosophy” which has now gained acceptance among Ndigbo.
Prof Sogbesan said in fact, Ezeife made two requests to those of them who won awards, one was that they should marry in Anambra State, two was that he should stay back, which he complied with including marrying from the State.
He also said that the late Governor allocated plot of land to him at Ifite Awka, which had become intractable for him to posses as successive Governments failed to release the land to him, insisting that he still needs the land because it was a promise by the Chief executive of the State then.
Sogbesan said it was at the same time that some of his colleagues from the South West who won awards were recruited into the State Civil Service but he turned it down and decided to go into private sector.
He said Bayo who was recently appointed Permanent Secretary in the State Civil Service and Dele were among those who stayed back.
Prof. Sogbesan also noted that he donated the N25, 000 he was given for his national award to the State Government.
But he said his decision to stay back has not been in vain as he has contributed in many ways in the development of Anambra State, one of them being the of the establishment of Onitsha Business School.
He said the business school which would be 10 years by June this year is meant to provide answers to various questions about Onitsha metropolis in Anambra State and the entire Igbo land.
He said: “Our vision in OBS is beyond Nigeria. It is to reach the entire Africa and the world. We can change the narratives about Onitsha by our values”.
He said the core values at the OBS is to be conscious of gain, instead of profit, believing that the profit would come.
Sogbesan said at OBS they have students all over Africa and beyond saying that they have in the last 10 years graduated 82 chartered accountants, 28 chartered bankers and 10 Doctors of Philosophy.
Currently, he said, they have 15 candidates of Doctors of Philosophy, about 100 in Masters Class short programmes in Strategic management, Project Management, Export Management, Business Development and Entrepreneurship.
