Obaze spoke about Governor Willie Obiano but I am not sure about former Governor Peter Obi unless you read .............................
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Upholding Our Legacy of Goodness (Bonitas)
The Charles Okoye Memorial and 2015 Convention Keynote Address
By Hon. Oseloka H. Obaze, Member C.K.C. Onitsha Class of ’73 and
Immediate-Past Secretary to the Anambra State Government at the
19th Annual Convention of the Christ the King College Onitsha
Alumni Association in America (CKC-AAA)
Oakland, CA, 25 July, 2015
[Protocols]
I feel extremely honoured to have been asked to deliver the 2015 Charles Okoye Memorial and CKC-AAA Convention Keynote address. It is pleasant to return to the C.K.C. Onitsha family fold, after having missed the last two annual conventions ~ and only those two since 1998. Having been privileged to deliver many speeches in my personal and public capacity, I consider this address to my fellow alumni of C.K.C., Onitsha and my collegiate peers and friends, as perhaps, the most important speech that I have given. I am proud, appreciate the honour and humbly accept your gracious invitation. I recall fondly, my senior and our dear friend, the late Mr. Charles Okoye, aka CHAKOYE, whose contributions to CKC-AAA and memory we also honour with this address.
My recollection of every moment of all our past conventions ~ safe for the two I missed ~ remain very nostalgic as they are vivid. So too were the serious talks; conviviality, genuine bonhomie, fraternal bonding and shocking and jiving (njakiri). On this our return to California for the fourth time, we remain expectant and I believe, as committed as ever to our common cause. We thank the California Host Chapter and the 2015 Convention Local Organizing Committee (LOC).
Let me thank all those here present -- our good friends, good associates, and good family members, who even though they may not know where C.K.C. Onitsha is located and may never visit the school campus in their lifetime, have identified with us and joined us this evening in our collective mission to give back to our posterity, and enrich it by supporting Page 2 of 8
our alma mater. Our collective fealty to the old school is very ennobling and further enriched by their presence and generosity.
Qualitative education is the foundation of any nation and civilization. Regrettably, in our country, Nigeria, the quality of our education has slipped markedly. Similarly, the financing of our education remains well below the 26% of GDP recommended by UNESCO. It is obvious therefore, that the Nigerian government alone cannot underwrite and manage our education. Space must be created for Missions to run parochial schools as they did in the colonial days and for alumni to support their alma mater through the goodness of their hearts and via collective support or individual endowments. Only such a concerted partnership can uplift our schools and educational system across new frontiers. As an association we in CKC-AAA have invested heavily in C.K.C. Onitsha over the past 18 years. Because of our return-the-school reinvestment initiative, the Anambra State Government under Peter Obi invested billions in support of Mission schools and the Willie Obiano administration invested the sum of N733 million in its first year, into the renovation of mission schools, of which C.K.C. is a beneficiary.
Commitment to Common Good
As I was preparing this address, I came across a newspaper advert by Josh Tetrick, the CEO & Founder of Hampton Creek, which the contents were not only salient to our collective mission and 2015 Convention theme, but to the vision that led to the founding of our college in February 1933 and the establishing of this association in November 1997. Josh Tetrick’s letter in The New York Times of July 12, 2015, was addressed to “Dear 23-year-old”. The second paragraph was revelatory as it was poignant. It said: “And more than any generation before, you have a commitment to common good over individual gain – an ethos that reaches across traditional divisions such as race, ideology, partisanship”. Mr.Tetrick might as well have been our keynote speaker; you will agree with me that his observations resonate and are germane to our gathering here today.
Perhaps, we should briefly cast our minds back to when we were callow lads and freshers at C.K.C. Onitsha; back in the 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s 70s, 80s, and 90s; to when we became young Page 3 of 8
alumni and 23-year-olds ~ and then to our present status and role; as eminent alumni of the glorious old school now in lofty positions and different callings, bound by a common goal ~ to make our world a better place by supporting qualitative education and high moral and leadership values. In the fullness of our reflection, it will all begin to make sense why our “commitment to common good over individual gain” matters.
What also matters is that in our days at C.K.C. Onitsha, we were imbued with good leadership qualities. Where most of us are today, is therefore hardly incidental. Neither are we surprised by the various leadership roles our old boys hold in various fields of human endeavour. As impressionable youths at C.K.C. Onitsha, we were exposed to eminent C.K.C. old boys who were already very accomplished. We were encouraged to appreciate their goodness and to see them as role models worthy of emulation. We were also made to appreciate that true leadership is about knowing the way; going the way and showing the way. So, as C.K.C. alumni, we continue to lead by our virtuous example, which derives from our inherent goodness and the fact that we are Primus Inter Pares. Indeed, it was that goodness that led our President Mr. Fidelis Atuegbu and our Vice President, Dr. Larry Ozoh to visit C.K.C. Onitsha in the summer of 1997 ~ a transformational journey that led to the formation of C.K.C.-AAA. It was also that goodness that has placed our college in the fulcrum of history. C.K.C. Onitsha is the only college in Nigeria that has produced three democratically elected governors: Peter Odili, Peter Obi and Willie Obiano.
The trajectory that took our association from its founding in 1997 to this day, seem to have covered just a brief time capsule instead of eighteen solid years of giving back. Fleeting as it seems, we are again gathered in the San Francisco Bay area for the 19th General Assembly of C. K. C. Onitsha Alumni Association in the Americas (CKC-AAA). We have stayed the course and ran a good race thus far. Our sustainability and resilience behooves us.
This year's convention theme “Upholding Our Legacy of Goodness” speaks eloquently to what we do individually and collectively; and both in our private and public lives. From our college days we have been called upon to be good; to do good and to uphold goodness in all its ramifications. Thus while the choice of goodness as the theme for this convention may Page 4 of 8
seem simple, it is not. Indeed, goodness in the present context might seem very abstractive; but in our case it is not, considering its wholesomeness, applicability and relevance in all we do.
Our Goodness Resonates
Goodness has a politically correct and philosophical ring to it and therefore, risk being evaluated as subjective. But then, when you do good, see good and benefit from goodness, you know it instantly. Goodness sells! Goodness resonates. Goodness is soothing and uplifting. Nevertheless, goodness like all virtues is oftentimes hard to engender and practice. This is why we must uphold goodness in all we do. Today we may not get the credit, but CKC-AAA is responsible for spearheading the return of mission schools in Anambra State on 1 January, 2009 by Gov. Peter Obi. We championed that cause, which is yielding visible results. Although inadvertently, C.K.C.-AAA also compelled the U.S.-based alumni of the other legacy schools like Government College Umuahia, C.I.C. Enugu, Q.R.C. Onitsha, Government Secondary School Afikpo, and D.M.G.S Onitsha to become proactively involved in their respective alma maters. They do not always openly admit our noble antecedents and catalytic role in this respect, but they honour our goodness by trying to outdo and outshine us. But then, over the past decade, our school, C.K.C. Onitsha has been ranked the highest of all Nigerian secondary schools. Thanks goodness.
Hence, considering the alternative to our legacy of goodness is starkly discomforting, if we contemplate the bad versus good choices we have individually made over time. Indeed, to abandon the choice of goodness is tantamount to failure and disgrace – a fate that to most men of honour is far worse than death. Our aspiration to goodness also speaks to what makes us different from the alumni of those other schools, who may feel no compelling sentiment or attachment to their college values and motto. As C.K.C. Onitsha alumni, we are called to be progress makers. Our goal is to promote goodness and to move the world forward as long as we believe in our humanity and acknowledge the benevolence of those before us. Page 5 of 8
David Brooks in his recent seminal Op-Ed piece for The New York Times titled, "The Moral Bucket List" wrote about values of goodness from a rather revealing and introspective dimension. Brooks said: "About once a month I run across a person who radiates an inner light. These people can be in any walk of life. They seem deeply good. They listen well. They make you feel funny and valued. You often catch them looking after other people and as they do so their laugh is musical and their manner is infused with gratitude. They are not thinking about what wonderful work they are doing. They are not thinking about themselves at all. When I meet such a person it brightens my whole day. But I confess I often have a sadder thought: It occurs to me that I’ve achieved a decent level of career success, but I have not achieved that. I have not achieved that generosity of spirit, or that depth of character." Yes, our goodness is about our depth of character; and our generosity of spirit and our enduring commitment to giving back.
Every C.K.C. Onitsha alumnus can find a bit of himself in that opening paragraph, if they look hard enough. For most C.K.C. alumni, such a search need not take long -- since others will readily testify to our being "deeply good" and "not thinking about ourselves at all” or at least not all the time.
In our midst, we know those revered seniors and diligent juniors who give selflessly of their time and resources, and yet are the first ones to express appreciation for the opportunity to serve and give back. Then, there are many, especially some of our elders and very seniors, who have "achieved a decent level of career success" but with all humility do the yeoman's job for our association and college, in hope of serving our common cause and sustaining the great legacy bequeathed to us. Indeed, they are the ones that visit the old school regularly, interact with the students, take pictures, write reports and tell heartwarming stories about Amaka and the positive impact of our revitalization efforts. But all said, the most striking line in Brook's piece, is for me and I suspect for most readers, his admission that "I have not achieved that generosity of character". That singular point resonates for me. I suspect it will resonate similarly for many of my C.K.C. college brothers. Page 6 of 8
Next Steps and the Heavy Lifting
So what is it that is asked of us? We called to continue "Upholding Our Legacy of Goodness (Bonitas)" regardless of where we find ourselves. What makes this compelling is that we do so for our alma mater, in the full knowledge that our kids, who are mostly born in the United States, will never attend C.K.C. Onitsha. Several generational lines are already broken. Most of those who followed their fathers' footsteps to C.K.C. Onitsha cannot enjoy the privilege of the bragging rights that "My son of going to C.K.C. Onitsha- the third generation in my family to do so." Such a generational affiliation to a school is the stuff of history. But it is also an affiliation we must of necessity sustain.
So why worry about the fate of the old school? Herein, we behold an irredeemable consensus. We worry, because the goodness, discipline and knowledge imbued in us at C.K.C. Onitsha has a brand attraction and universality that is incontestable. That universality spreads like a ripple and globally; shining like streams of light wherever we go, whenever we act and in whatever we do. And were we to ably uphold such goodness, then we would have succeeded. The truth is that our goodness acquired from C.K.C. Onitsha, holds out infinite possibilities -- all positive -- for our humanity.
We worry because of the falling educational standards. Education is far too important to be left to the whims of government bureaucrats. We know that here in the United States, except for the military academies, government don’t own or run schools. We know that the great legacy schools like C.K.C. Onitsha and its arch rival, D.M.G.S. Onitsha, were propelled to greatness by their healthy rivalry. But we must acknowledge also, that there is a personal role each of us can play in making our schools better.
In the body of his piece, David Brooks also wrote about a "calling within the call" to goodness, to wit: "We all go into professions for many reasons: money, status, security. But some people have experiences that turn a career into a calling. These experiences quiet the self. All that matters is living up to the standard of excellence inherent in their craft." It is those possibilities and attraction to excellence that compels us to take risks, render selfless services and indeed, push ourselves beyond the boundaries required of us in public and Page 7 of 8
private services. To me the nexus between that ‘can do’ disposition and our doctrinal obligation to goodness, discipline and knowledge are self-evident.
Even if we had entered C.K.C. Onitsha as naïve lads not necessarily all qualified as "good"; I know that almost all of us left C.K.C. Onitsha in good grace, good standing and in good spirit. Moreover, I believe we all have some very good memories of our time at the college and thus, the moral obligation to do good. Certainly, those with rough edges definitely had those edges rounded and sufficiently blunted. In the end, we were all charged to go forth and do good.
Although C.K.C. Onitsha is not a university, we can draw from the prevailing parameter for a moral university. So in upholding our goodness, let us bear in mind the words of Jeffrey Sachs about what constitutes a moral academic institution in the 21st Century. His words: "My message, colleagues, is that morality counts. It counts for our intellectual purposes; it counts for our souls. As Aristotle thought of his beloved polis, we should think of our beloved university. This is our community; and a vital source of our meaning as individuals and professionals. What we do here matters, for ourselves, each other, and society. Morality matters, because otherwise we succumb to social dilemmas that foment distrust, corruption, and ultimately violence. And as the great sages from Buddha to Aristotle to Jesus, taught us, morality is ultimately the path to a life worth living." These values, I dare say, pertain to us and to Amaka – the Varsity of the Niger.
Moving CKC-AAA to the Next Level
C.K.C. Onitsha is for us all “a vital source of our meaning as individuals and professionals.” Our dear college is now in its eighty-second year and eighteen years away from its historic centennial mark. Its sustenance and growth cannot be detached from our commitment and goodness. But if the truth is told, our commitment may be waning, not due to lack of resolve, but due to inertia, donation and service fatigue and natural attrition. What these challenging times call for, is digging deep into our reservoir of goodness, to carry on and to recruit those who will succeed us and carry the baton to the college’s centennial. We need good succession planning to take C.K.C.-AAA to the next level. We are already imbued with Page 8 of 8
goodness, discipline and knowledge as well as the tools of leadership required for embracing future challenges, difficulties and hardships. But to pass on the baton to the succeeding generation of Amaka Boys demands that we find ways to motivate those that follow us. Definitely, some of our fellow alumni are ready to embrace the tasks ahead; but others may need to be prodded into action. Going forward, I foresee some heavy lifting in supporting our college. There will be no shortcuts. Our elders will lead with their wisdom, but it will fall on the youth to do the heavy lifting. We should pray that those following us will be inspired, not just to do well, but with genuine goodness, to seek to surpass us in every way possible.
Conclusion
In September 1937, the founder and proprietor of our college, Archbishop Charles Heerey of blessed memory, wrote these immortal lines in his report to Cardinal Fumasini-Biondi the Prefect of the Propaganda Fide at the Vatican; “Our secondary school has become a famous educational establishment. The successes in public examination have been the highest in all Nigeria including the various Government and Protestant colleges…” From my vantage position, I can confirm that his successor, Archbishop Valerian Okeke, an eminent old boy himself, can today repeat those same lines in a report to the Vatican, without worrying about its veracity. Yes, C.K.C. Onitsha is upholding its legacy of goodness and is on its way to back to its old glory. That accomplishment is in every sense thanks commitment and support of its alumni.
In closing, it is worth remembering that while there is an appointed time for everything; any given moment presents us an opportunity for doing good. The moment is now- this is a time for us to shine further; our designated time to promote goodness by upholding our legacy of goodness, not just towards the old school, but in our everyday endeavours. It is said, that ‘by their fruits you will know them’. Yes, it is by our goodness that we shall always be known as Amaka Boys. Yes indeed, C.K.C. Amaka! May the fame of our college last forever. BONITAS and God Bless us all.
C.K.C Onitsha ...... BONITAS..........The 2015 Convention Keynote Address in USA
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