Ojukwu gets posthumous honorary degree as Yakubu delivers paper in Anambra

Former Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon (retd) will on March 25 deliver a lecture at the 6th convocation ceremony of the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, formerly Anambra State University reports www.odogwublog.com.

Senate President David Mark will also receive an honorary doctorate at the institution’s sixth convocation.
The former military Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon, is to deliver a lecture, titled: ‘Nigerian Civil War: No Victor, No Vanquished’.
Ex-Governor Peter Obi renamed ANSU Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University (COOU).
Addressing reporters yesterday at the institution’s campus in Igbariam, Anambra East Local Government, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Fidelis Okafor, said it was significant that Gen. Gowon would speak for the first time about the Civil War at a university named after his ‘rival’ in the war.
Prof. Okafor said: “Ojukwu’s wife, Bianca and  Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu (Jnr) will receive the award on behalf of the late Igbo leader.”
He described the three main characters in this year’s convocation as ‘special military men’, who, in one way or the other, helped to shape the country.
The vice chancellor said 3,000 students would receive certificates as follows; 2,800 to be admitted to first degrees, 54 to receive  Master’s.
Fourteen are to be conferred with doctorate and 97 postgraduate diplomas.

The Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Fidelis Okafor, said that the former head of state would deliver a lecture on the topic: `No Victor, No Vanquished: Healing the Nigerian Nation`.
The vice-chancellor said that 14 Ph.D graduates, 54 students of Masters Programmes, 97 post graduate diploma and 2,800 first degree graduates would be conferred with degree certificates on March 26.
“Some 45 years ago at the end of the Civil War, Gowon made an epoch-making speech and he is going to speak on that.
“It is also an opportunity for this General to come to a university named after his rival during the war.
“Gowon has never made any public statement on the event of between 1967 and 1970.

‘’I think also that he wishes to use the opportunity to speak to the Igbo people before he exits from this earth.“
According to him, the event will be the first convocation of the university since it became Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University.
The vice-chancellor said that the Senate President, David Mark and the late Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu would be conferred with honourary and post-humous doctorate degrees respectively at the convocation.
He said that Mark, Ojukwu and Gowon were special military men, who distinguished themselves in the history of Nigeria.’