By Ugochukwu Asiegbu
The intelligence of Prof Greg Ibe in itself is a blessing to Abia, and his immense contributions to the development of rural communities have been on the lips of people till date.
And, lately, he has injected life into the ancient city of Okigwe, thereby re-writing the history of the place. Evidently, he is a man with a rare vision, and posterity will be kind to him, for he has influenced lives positively, and has created jobs for Abians and non-Abians alike. This is commendable, in fact!
Interestingly, he is not, by any stretch of the imagination, a proud man, and he doesn’t trumpet his achievements, but humanity will always speak well of him.
Today, the world has heard of Prof Greg Ibe, because of his life-changing works. The United Nations and other international bodies have mind-blowing testimonies about this man, whose leadership traits, uncommon as the case may be, have differentiated him from others in the political circle. He is one of the geniuses Nigeria has produced in the recent time, believe you me.
And because Prof Ibe has continued to swim in the ocean of transparency, the low and mighty are eager to have him around them.
Already, his tireless efforts have led to the development of Uturu, his country home and building a university there is another way of bringing home his wealth (aku ruo ulo) and giving others the opportunity of acquiring knowledge in a serene environment.
In truth, a rural community like Uturu wouldn’t have been known internationally, if Gregory University, Uturu wasn’t built there. Now, the University has created jobs, and has produced brilliant graduates, and that, in clear terms, has ascertained the impactful academic works of their lecturers.
Just recently, the University Management had notified the public of the final accreditation of her College of Medicine, an achievement that connotes excellence. Prof Greg Ibe should be applauded by all and sundry for having the interest of his people at heart.
Come to think of it, have you ever heard that Okigwe has remained under-developed, despite being an ancient city? At a time when investors have refused to register their presence in Okigwe, Prof Ibe has made a bold step that birthed Skills FM in Okigwe. The jinx on development in Okigwe, obviously, has been broken by Prof Greg Ibe, who has an eye for excellence, with peculiar ideas on how to develop rural areas, plunged into obscurity of some kind.
Apart from adding another feather to his cap, Prof Ibe, again, has created jobs for Easterners, even when job creation has become a difficult task for the State and Federal Governments. Being a man that maintains standard and cherishes professionalism in all his doings, he has employed notable On Air Personalities (OAPs) to manage the station, Stanley Nduagu (Village Square) being one of them.
This week Wednesday will be a great day, as the Executive Governor of Imo state, Senator Hope Uzodinma will be unveiling Skills FM in Okigwe, in the presence of other distinguished personalities.
When one mentions the name of Prof Greg Ibe, what comes to mind is excellence and, in all fairness, he has done well for Abians. And being a member of the Presidential Advisory Committee of Ohaneze Ndigbo, Prof Greg Ibe has always championed the course of the Igbo in this space.
Apparently, when one thinks he has seen the best of Prof Greg Ibe, the genius comes up with surprises, making giant strides in different areas of human endeavours.
Simply put, he is a rare gem, with a rare vision.
Ugochukwu Asiegbu, an author, writes from Uturu, Abia State
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