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By Young E. Freeborn, Warri
Professor Sunny Awhefeada, a visiting professor at the Delta State University of Science and Technology, Ozoro, and other great scholars across the state have extolled the virtues of the Very Rev. Fr. Dr. Abaka Ambrose Oghenejode Jr., both in the church and the school as a Catholic priest and a senior non-teaching staff of the Federal University of Petroleum Resources (FUPRE), Effurun, Delta State
In a public lecture organized in Very Rev. Fr. Dr. Oghenejode’s honour as he retired from the university and also clocked sixty-five years of age, Professor Awhefeada and his colleagues from across the state extolled the Catholic priest’s virtues of prudence, accountability, commitment, dedication and humility in leadership and management.
The event which took place at the university premises saw management staff, teaching and non-teaching staff and students of the school in attendance, including traditional chiefs from both Okpe and Uvwie kingdoms, Catholic clergy and parishioners from Warri Diocese, political leaders, family and friends of the celebrant.
In his address, the vice chancellor of the university, Professor Akpofure Rim-Rukeh, said the event was the first of its kind in the school and was purposely organized to honour Fr. Abaka as he retired from the school and also clocked sixty-five years of age.
The vice chancellor described Fr. Abaka as a man of honour and dignity, both in the church and in the school. Professor Rim-Rukeh described Fr. Abaka as a highly principled and disciplined leader that always followed due process to achieve his goals and doesn’t cut corners, adding that the university community would missed him dearly.
Deliving the lecture, guest lecturer, Professor Sunny Awhefeada, described the event as a salutary one to motivate others to be impactful, and also to enable the celebrant to look back and take stock of his sojourn on earth and how he was appreciated by people around him.
Professor Awhefeada described the celebrant, Fr. Abaka as a man of experience who served the university for many years as a chaplain, senior non-teaching staff, head of the Directorate of Media and Public Relations and finally as a member of the governing council of the university.
In the lecture titled, ‘Beyond Priesthood: The Clergy in Contemporary Nigeria,’ Prof. Awhefeada advocated that, since the secular had failed Nigeria in terms of good governance, Nigeria should go for the sacred, which is the clergy, to take over governance. Citing examples of achievements and contributions made by the clergy in the country during the colonial era and even after independence, Professor Awhefeada however emphasized that, he was not proposing theocracy for Nigeria, but wanted the clergy that are genuine, altruistic and patriotic to have a shot in the political leadership of the country again like the time of old whether they would be able to bring to the people the needed changes that Nigerians were craving for.
Presenting a vote of thanks, the highly elated Fr. Abaka thanked the organizers of the event and the management of the university for giving him such great honour, “even with the little I have contributed to the growth and development of the university.”
He also thanked the guest lecturer and all other guests that graced the occasion despite that Nigeria is presently undergoing economic downturn. He further prayed for greater positive changes in the country and also called the government and individuals to support his medical foundation to take care of the health needs of the less privileged and children in the society.
Amongst those that attended the public lecture was the Orodje of Okpe kingdom, HRM, Major General Felix Mujakperuoh, and other dignitaries.
