Manage Nigeria’s Diversity for Her Unity, Greatness, Anyaoku Tells Leaders

Wale Igbintade

Former Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, has urged Nigerian leaders to ensure effective management of the country’s diversity to guarantee its continued unity.
He made the call during the recent inauguration of the Emeka and Bunmi Anyaoku Foundation Centre in his Obosi community, Idemili North Local Government Area (LGA) of Anambra State.

The centre was inaugurated to mark the 91st birthday celebration of the former Commonwealth scribe.
Addressing the guests, Anyaoku said: “At 80 years, you are considered to have entered the departure lounge. “Your relatives can only pray that your flight will be delayed well enough, but I’m fortunate to have made 90 and today 91 years. At 91, I have been able to retain all my faculties. They say it is as sharp as a sword, but I’m not so sure.

“The commissioning of this centre is the fulfillment of a dream which my wife and I have had for a long time. We have always wanted to support education, and by opening this library and museum, we hope that it will help both the old and young to acquire a reading culture. The attribute of Nigerians that worries me is the absence of reading culture,” he added.
According to him, the museum is a place where visitors can come and learn about the memorabilia that he and his wife had collected from across the Commonwealth of Nations of 54 countries located in the major continents of the world.

He added that the centre will also parade artifacts from Nigeria, which he described as a pluralistic country that only became one as recently as 1914.
Anyaoku stated that before 1914, the place called Nigeria existed in different tribal groups that lived their own lives in different parts of the country.
“I believe that one of the major issues that this centre will be promoting is the management of diversity in a pluralistic country. Some countries have succeeded in managing their pluralistic nature. Switzerland for example is a country of four major ethnic groups, Canada with two major ethnic groups, and India, with seven ethnic groups. These countries have succeeded because they have deliberately addressed the challenges of how to manage diversity in their country.

“But some pluralistic countries that were not able to manage their diversity have failed. Like Yugoslavia, which ended up breaking into eight states. Take Czechoslovakia, a country of two major ethnic groups, the Slovaks and the Czechs, but they could not manage their diversity, so they peacefully decided to part.
“I hope that this centre will be a hub of collaboration with universities, schools, and institutes to promote studies in various areas, and it has enough materials to help leaders address the challenges posed by our diversity,” Anyaoku said.

Speaking about the reason for locating the centre in Obosi, and how it was funded, Anyaoku said: “All my savings and gratuity of 34 years at the Commonwealth were plowed into this foundation. We are hoping that in the future, the foundation will have funds to sustain it and also its activities.”

Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, who performed the inauguration, praised Anyaoku for giving back to society, saying that he remains a man worthy of emulation.

He promised to back the Anyaoku Foundation Centre through an endowment fund and described Anyaoku as one who has lived a life of impact, dedicated to public service and humanity.

He stressed the importance of acknowledging and celebrating heroes during their lifetime and applauding their contributions to humanity.

According to the governor, his administration focuses on improving human capital development through policies and programmes that support free education, healthcare, and the less-privileged, even as he used the opportunity to encourage wealthy individuals to invest in community development, including channelling resources towards promoting activities in government schools and public services.

Presenting a birthday gift to Anyaoku on behalf of Obosi title chiefs, a former Minister of Aviation, Mr. Osita Chidoka, said the Obosi people were proud of the former Secretary General of the Commonwealth.