“Passion for Purposeful Leadership: Building Timeless Legacies”
Please accept my warm greetings ladies and gentlemen. It is with a profound sense of appreciation that I welcome you to the 2022 series of the Amaka Lauretta Ndoma-Egba Founders Celebration and Memorial Lecture. I must also salute the deep awareness of the Advisory Board in their choice of theme for this year – “Passion for Purposeful Leadership: Building Timeless Legacies”.
Let me begin by reminding us of the words of Jesus Christ Himself on Leadership, He said “…If the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch”, thus outlining for us that purposeful leadership cannot happen where there is no vision. It is vision that enables a leader to intentionally influence people in ways that will birth legacies that will continue to speak even in the leader’s absence.
I recall my passion as a young governor about three decades ago, driven by my vision and will to transform Cross River State from a dormant civil service economy to a vibrant private sector investment driven economy. I set out to do what all good leaders do: I examined the current situation of the State without living in denial about the paucity of funds and the enormous task ahead, secondly I defined my goal – I knew and saw clearly where I wanted to take the people of the State to, thirdly, I examined the restraining forces – i.e. actual and potential obstacles that stood in the way of accomplishing my goal, and I evolved a mitigation plan to address these. Fourthly, I examined the enabling forces at my disposal, i.e. the actual and potential resources (especially human resources) at my disposal, which I proceeded to harness and put together a sterling team that shared and co-owned my vision for Cross River State. The team was ready to make a feast out of crumbs, and to improvise success if necessary.
Following these principles, my team and I, with the support of the good people of Cross River State were able to accomplish some enduring successes.
As we gather to celebrate Amaka’s second anniversary today, I look about me and see Amaka’s imprints, her unfolding vision and her legacy, which are not the physical structures that we see, structures which only serve as a cocoon to provide a conducive environment for the training and development of her real treasure, passion and true legacy – the young minds and lives of Start – Rite Schools – . Treasures that she so lovingly dedicated her life to nurturing and training to become today’s and tomorrow’s leaders.
I recall Amaka’s proactive intelligence, effervescent passion and indefatigable energy, and though Amaka will forever remain indelibly etched in our thoughts, it is only proper and befitting that we continually gather like this on the very day of her death, to celebrate her. In the words of our brother and her loving husband Victor’s own words: “My wife was someone who did not like pity for any reason, and she would not like to be mourned, so I will rather celebrate her always instead of mourning her”.
And so shall we all continue to celebrate Amaka, who was indeed one of our most emblematic and captivating personalities, a magnificent visionary and consummate housewife. We shall remain consoled by the fact that the footprints she has left on this planet will bear everlasting witness to posterity that a great lady, a true patriot and a lover of humanity once walked this earth.
