HALLMARKS OF LABOUR PRESENTATION OF BOOK XI CHAIRMAN’S OPENING REMARKS
BY
CHIEF PHILIP C. ASIODU, CFR, CON 1ST SEPTEMBER, 2023
Your Excellencies
Our Royal Fathers
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen
I am very delighted to join in welcoming you all to this presentation ofVol XI of Hallmarks of Labour by Chief Patricia Otuedon-Arawore. Vo1. XI contains the biographical profiles of four very distinguished Hallmarks of Labour Role Models : HE Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, HE Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi, HE Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, and Prof. Joe lrukwu.
It was a rare inspiration that made ChiefPatricia Otuedon-Arawore seek out and persuade a few eminent Nigerians to agree to serve as Trustees of Hallmarks of Labour Foundation. I now quote from ChiefPatricia Otuedon-Arawore’s preface to V01.I or Book I of the series:
“The idea of Hallmarks of Labour was conceived in the light of increasing collapse of our moral fabric and the tendency to enthrone mediocrity in the management of the affairs of the nation. The massive decay in our social structures is manifested in several ways, among which are corruption, human degradation and abuses of all sorts. The concept is essentially designed to
promote the virtues of hard work, transparency, humility in leadership, excellence and selfless service, among others”
That was in 1997, twenty two years after the military coup of 1975 which was followed by a massive purge of the Federal and State Civil Services, and parastatals, and academia, mostly without due process and which left the institutions demoralized. It also degraded the monitoring system which ensured disciplined, honest and transparent conduct with the assurance that hardwork and merit will be appropriately recognized and rewarded. That coup also led to the abandonment of the 1975 – 80 Plan, and indeed, the discipline of Planning and the strict implementation of plans.
So we find ourselves in a much worse situation today. Our country now tethers at the brink of disintegration, anarchy, and genocide. But we must not despair.
Before Covid-19 Pandemic disruption, a few “concerned Elders” in our meetings and consultations discovered that fortunately that there are several young people in all the states of our Federation who are not happy with the decline and degradation of the last five decades and desire genuine change.
We must therefore invigorate our pursuit of the original vision of the Hallmarks of Labour Foundation Vision – of choosing and publicising Role Models who have achieved national and also international acclaim through hardwork, integrity, transparency, positive public-spirited service and so forth. We must endeavour to change the mindset of the youth, especially those who seek to engage themselves in the management of public affairs at any level. We must sway them away from the prevailing greedy addiction to immediate self- gratification and self-enrichment without caring about and damage to the long term interest and progress of our country and nation.
The first Role Model selected in November, 1997 was Prof. Thomas Adeoye Lambo, CON, OBE, HLR. By 2022, the total number, I am told, is ninety from many professions and sectors, who have all rendered excellent service to our country and beyond.
The four Role models featured in Book XI reflect this variety – all were professors in academia, three were federal ministers and all four headed very important national institutions. One of them, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu in his days in academia achieved several patents in Chemical Engineering. I hope our country “will soon exploit those patents.
I must not delay you further from listening to the reviewer of the Book.
Once again, I welcome you all to this presentation of Book XI of Hallmarks of Labour Foundation. I thank you for coming.
ernes
PHILIP C. ASIODU, CFR, CON, HLR LAGOS
1ST SEPTEMBER, 2023