The governor of Imo State,Hon. Emeka Ihedioha has been tipped to deliver this years “Annual Professor Celestine Onwuliri Memorial lecture scheduled to now take place on Friday June 28 at Chris VI Hotel Ahiara Mbaise by 11am with the theme: Partnering with Women and Youth for Growth and Sustainable Development of Imo State.
The annual lecture which attracts people of all walks of life, mainly scholars, the academic, professional, politicians, philanthropists and other progressives in Nigeria and diaspora, was instituted in memory of a great Philanthropist, Scholar,administrator and former Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology Owerri(FUTO) who died in the ill-fated Dana Air-crash.
The lectures instituted by the Onwuliri family led by the wife of the late Vice-Chancellor, Noble Lady Professor (Mrs) Viola Onwuliri former, Minister of the Federal Republic for Foreign Affair and Education, alongside her children and relatives is co-sponsored by International Liaison of Mbaise Indigenous (ILMI) in diaspora.
In previous years the memorial lectures had been held in big cities like Owerri,Enugu, Abuja and Lagos but will take place at Ahiara in Mbaise LGA this year.
A programme of event from the organizers which was made available to the public indicates that the programme kicked off with the undergraduate scholarship exams on May 18, 2019 while the Memorial Mass of the Dana Air-crash was held by 6am and 5pm with the blessing of the grave on 3rdJune, 2019.
The memorial lecture earlier dated for Thursday June 27 has been shifted to Friday June 28, 2019 after which the programme will be followed with Award of Professor C.O.E Onwuliri Annual Memorial Scholarships to successful candidates by the International Liaison of Mbaise Indigenes in Diaspora.
When asked in a phone chat why the venue this year changed, and why Mbaise was chosen, Professor Viola Onwuliri disclosed that “looking at the exigencies to develop rural areas, favoured Mbaise for this years lectures as it will help to stimulate youths in the local communities and encourage rural investors.
It will also help to reduce rural/urban drift”,she opined.
Continuing,she stated that the programme is targeted at grooming young leaders to take over leadership positions.
