By Gloria Ikibah
Member representing Oshodi-Isolo Federal Constituency of Lagos State, in the House of Representatives, Jesse Okey-Joe Onuakalusi, has been appointed Chairman of the National Organising Committee of the University of Nigeria Alumni Association.
This appointment was made during the inauguration of the committee for the Founder’s Day celebration at the University of Nigeria Liaison Office in Abuja on Friday, September 24, 2024.
In his acceptance speech, Rep. Onuakalusi emphasized the significance of the Founder’s Day, which is to honour the institution’s founding fathers who established the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN).
He noted that UNN, which was modeled after the University of Michigan in the USA, is Nigeria’s first indigenous university, designed as a beacon of educational excellence and a symbol of restoring the dignity of the black race.
The lawmaker highlighted that the committee’s main objective is to spearhead the construction of a Grand Research Institute, a 5,000-seat amphitheater, an Alumni Secretariat, and a Conference Arena as part of the Founder’s Tower project.
“This year marks the 64th Founder’s Day, and our primary goal is to build the Founders Tower, which will include a Hall of Fame to celebrate the university’s distinguished alumni. To achieve this, we aim to raise N5 billion and complete the project within 48 months,” Onuakalusi stated.
The National Organising Committee will have several sub-committees tasked with different aspects of the project:
1. Infrastructure and Works – ESV Ben Okoronkwo
2. Finance – ESV Mike Ezechukwu
3. Media and Publicity – Prof Charles Nwekeaku
4. Legal – Mr Monday Ubani (SAN)
5. Administration – Barr Juliet Ukoha
6. Welfare and Logistics – Barr Chioma Okeke
7. Contact and Mobilization – Chief Osita Chidoka
8. Security – ESV (AIG) Ben Igweh
9. Vice Chairman – Dr Ben Onwudinjo and Lady Stella Maduka
Rep. Onuakalusi also mentioned that the Alumni Association will collaborate with the university to establish an Endowment Fund that will support research and aid lecturers in curbing brain drain in the educational sector.
Key figures, including President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the Minister of Education, are expected to support the initiative during the celebration scheduled for December 4, 2024.
The UNN motto, “To Restore the Dignity of Man,” which was derived from the famous oration “De Dignitate Hominis” by 15th-century philosopher Count Giovanni Pico della Mirandola, underscores the university’s foundational ideals.