OSAN INAUGURATION BROCHURE by fahocdigitalsolutions

Inaugural Ceremony OLD SEMINARIANS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA

(OSAN)

T JUS

ICE CHIMA NWEZ

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

OR J O NAT E S

HN OWAN

MEMBER OSAN

ENO H

CHI

NEDU AKUBUEZE

CHAIRMAN OSAN

I FEM

FALANA (SAN )

CHAIRMAN OF THE OCCASSION

4TH SEPTEMBER 2021

STI JU

ENEDICT KA CE B NY

PRESIDENT NATIONAL INDUSTRIAL COURT OF NIGERIA

IKE OKIRO SIR M

CHAIRMAN BOARD OF TRUSTEES OSAN

12 NOON

CHELSEA HOTEL, CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT, ABUJA.

Seminaries

Persons

Inaugural Ceremony OLD SEMINARIANS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA

(OSAN)

T JUS

ICE CHIMA NWEZ

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

OR J O NAT E S

HN OWAN

MEMBER OSAN

ENO H

CHI

NEDU AKUBUEZE

CHAIRMAN OSAN

I FEM

FALANA (SAN )

CHAIRMAN OF THE OCCASSION

4TH SEPTEMBER 2021

STI JU

ENEDICT KA CE B NY

PRESIDENT NATIONAL INDUSTRIAL COURT OF NIGERIA

IKE OKIRO SIR M

CHAIRMAN BOARD OF TRUSTEES OSAN

12 NOON

CHELSEA HOTEL, CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT, ABUJA.

CHINEDU AKUBUEZE esq CLERK OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES PRESIDENT OF OSAN ALL HALLOWS SEMINARY ONITSHA, CLASS OF 1982

SIR MIKE OKIRO FORMER INSPECTOR GENERAL OF POLICE CHAIRMAN BOARD OF TRUSTEES ST PETER CLAVER SEMINARY, OKPALA CLASS OF 1966

FEMI FALANA CHAIRMAN OF THE OCCASION SACRED HEART SEMINARY, AKURE CLASS OF 1975

HON. JUSTICE CENTUS CHIMA NWEZE JUSTICE OF THE SUPREME COURT ST. JOHN-CROSS SEMINARY, NSUKKA CLASS OF 1977

HON. JUSTICE BENEDICT KANYIP PRESIDENT NATIONAL INDUSTRIAL COURT OF NIGERIA ST. JOHN VIANNEY SEMINARY, BARKIN LADI JOS CLASS OF 1980

ABOUT W

e are Old Seminarians Association of Nigeria (OSAN) is a voluntary, fraternal association for all Nigerians who had thier post-primary education in any Catholic Seminary anywhere in the world . We are happy to come together. The Aims & Objectives of OSAN are to work towards national integration and cultural cohesion in Nigeria and to use our intrinsic values and trainings to promote national harmony, good ethics and selﬂessness in public service. To work towards the fellowship of love and solidarity among Old Seminarians in Nigeria irrespective of

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ethnic ,religious or cultural background. The Association was conceived in the course of series of events involving Old seminarians in the year 2020 in Abuja the Federal Capital Territory, but commenced its meetings in earnest in February 2021, culminating in this historic inauguration on Saturday September 4th 2021.

CHINEDU AKUBUEZE ESQ CHAIRMAN OSAN

HISTORY

OF OLD SEMINARIANS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA.

The Old Seminarians Association of Nigeria (OSAN) is a newly formed umbrella body for all Nigerians, who had the opportunity and rare privilege of passing through any Catholic minor seminary in the world during their post-primary education, irrespective of their current socio-economic and religious backgrounds. It is a voluntary and fraternal association. The Association was conceived in the course of series of events involving Old seminarians in the year 2020 in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria; but commenced its meetings in earnest in February 2021, culminating in the historic inauguration on Saturday September 4th 2021. Speciﬁcally, the story of OSAN as it is known today began on the 1st of November 2020 when theAll Hallows Seminary Onitsha Old Boys Association (Abuja Chapter) went to the Church of Twelve Apostles Diplomatic Zone (OSAN)

Abuja to celebrate the Feast of All Saints, the patron saints of All Hallows Seminary. It was at that Mass of Thanksgiving that another Old Seminarian, Ugo Jim-Nwokofrom the St Peter Claver Seminary, Okpala in Owerri met his All Hallows brothers and introduced himself to Chief Ifeanyi Obibuzor, popularly called ' ' ANCESTOR'' among the AHOBITES, who then brought him to other AHOBITES, making it possible for him to identify with them and their thanksgiving activities which ended with a refreshing Reception at the Time-Out Hotel ,Wuse 2, Abuja. The warm reception and convivial atmosphere that characterized that encounter at the All Hallows Feast Day became a physical manifestation of the Psalmist's exclamation in Psalm133 ''Behold how good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity! It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron's beard, down upon the collar of his robes.'' Thus, it was in that All Hallows gathering of brethren with Ugo Jim-Nwoko, as the special 11

brother from SPCS Okpalain their midst that the idea of a common forum for all Old Seminarians in Nigeria started coming up. His brief remarksat the event which was started with Ecce-Quam Bonum et Quam IaculumFratresHabitare in Unum , concluded with a suggestion on the need for Old seminarians all over Nigeria to come together under one umbrella. Later, the Chairman of All Hallows Old Boys Association, Chinedu Akubueze, invited Ugo JimNwoko to the End of Year Get-together of the All Hallows Seminary Old Boys (Abuja)on Sunday 13thday of December 2020. He turned up at the event with ten members of his St Peter Claver Seminary Okpala and they were well received. The party became a great improvement on the previous one of the All Hallows Feast Day. It was a party of joyful songs, excitement and praises to God that reminds anyone of the experiences of Biblical Paul and Silas as they sang and praised God. This atmosphere provided the mood for the All Hallows Chairman, Chinedu Akubueze Esq to move a motion for the formation of an association of Old boys of Nigeria's Catholic Seminaries by whatever name. This motion received popular acclamation from the assembly of

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All Hallows old boys and their Saint Peter Claver Seminary counterparts. On the 27th of January 2021, the All Hallows Old Boys Association Abuja Chapter held a Reception in honor of their chairman, Chinedu Akubueze on his appointment as the Clerk of House of Representatives and his contributions towards the growth of AHOBA in Abuja. In their generosity of heart, they co-opted Ugo JimNwoko into the Committee that worked for the Reception at the Grand Pela Hotel Durumi Abuja. The event turned out becoming a platform to test-run the gathering of Old seminarians from diﬀerent seminaries in Nigeria. The event was graced by Sir Mike Okiro, Justice Benedict B. Kanyip, Professor Hyacinth Ichoku of Veritas University, Professor Fidelis Okafor, the National President of All Hallows Seminary Old Boys Association and the Auxiliary Bishops of Awka and Onitsha, Bishop Jonas Benson Okoye and Bishop Denis Isizo respectively; among many other old seminarians from diﬀerent parts of the country. They all spoke on the need for old seminarians to come together for national development. It turned out to be a well-

attended event after which, Chinedu Akubueze asked Ugo Jim-Nwoko to convene a maiden meeting of the proposed association, without further delay. This was done on Thursday the25th of February 2021at the Time-Out Restaurant,Wuse 2 Abuja. It was at this meeting that the name ''Old Seminarians Association of Nigeria'' wasproposed and then later presented to the General Meeting of the Association properly convened on Sunday the 14th of March 2021, where the name, Aims and Objectives, among others were vigorously discussed by great minds in attendance, among who were Justice Centus Chima Nweze, Justice Benedict Kanyip, Chief Ifeanyi Obibuzor ,Rev Fr Martin Onukwuba who has featured prominently in these landmark events , the Clerk of House of Representatives Chinedu Akubueze the chief promoter of the OSAN, among many others. The aims and objectives were articulated as follows: 1. Towards national integration and cultural cohesion 2. To use our intrinsic values and training to promote national harmony, good ethics and selﬂessness in public service 3. Towards the fellowship of love and solidarity among Old Seminarians in Nigeria, irrespective of ethnic or cultural background. The Association, from then continued growing in leaps and bounds and subsequently ﬁxedits inauguration for the 29th of May, which was later moved to 26th of June 2021.In one of these meetings, Ibrahim Moses Obenda attended with John Ichema Ajonye and informed that there was a similar association of Old seminarians called Catholic ExSeminarians Association of Nigeria(CESAN). He spoke of the need for merger and how impressed

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he was to be at the OSAN meeting and his desire to be part of OSAN. He promised to report his good experiences with OSAN back to members of CESAN. He linked the leadership of OSAN with the leadership of CESAN for the first time and both bodies opened communications on merger as the plans of inauguration on the 26th of June was still ongoing. All the plans towards inauguration were moving on th well till the 18 of May 2021, when Bishop Mathew Hassan Kukah who was slated to be a Keynote Speaker at OSAN inauguration called for postponement of same to enable a merger of OSAN with CESAN which Obenda spoke about at OSAN meeting. Bishop Kukah had floated - Catholic ExSeminarians Association of Nigeria (CESAN) with Ambrose Obioha and others at the Kukah Centre around the year 2018. On Friday, the 3rdday of June 2021, OSAN team met with CESAN team under the superintending influence of Bishop Mathew Hassan Kukah, who presided at THE KUKAH CENTRE Wuse 2 Abuja. After 3hours of rigorous and vigorous discussions, a Merger Committee was constituted to iron out grey areas,The name, 'Old Seminarians Association of Nigeria' was adopted as the preferred name of the Association. The Committee made up of Ambrose Obioha, Moses Ibrahim Obenda, Newton Motomboni and Ugo Jim-Nwoko worked hard and ironed out grey areas and moved ahead with plans to integrate all members of CESAN who were willing to be part of the merger. Sir Mike Okiro who was already the Chairman, Board of Trustees of CESAN was also adopted as the Chairman Board of Trustees of OSAN while existing structures of OSAN were expanded to integrate everyone into one united OSAN. This led to a stronger and more resolute Old Seminarians Association of Nigeria ready to work to bring to fruition its aims and objectives which are meant to serve God, Humanity and Nigeria.

The Justification For The Inauguration Of Old Seminarians Association Of Nigeria

hereas it is a very well-known fact that education is power, and qualitative education becomes a veritable instrument for social transformation; no version of educational curriculum and system assumes superiority to Catholic education. Catholic education has been adjudged an outstanding variant of human development package and formation all over the world. This is why most families globally crave for Catholic education through catholic schools for their children and wards, irrespective of their belief systems. They may be Hindus, Atheists, Muslims, Buddhists or Christians of other denominations; Catholic schools as run by the likes of the Jesuits, the Dominicans, Society of African Mission (SMA) Fathers, St Patrick' missionaries, Spiritans, Franciscans, Vincentians congregations, Marist Brothers, Reverend Sisters of diverse Order, Catholic diocesan/Arch-diocesan Presbyteries, to mention but a few, attract a lot of patronages from people of diﬀerent religious and belief systems. The non-discriminatory practices, systems and policies of the Catholic Church in dispensing its social services or in the exercise of the Church's social teachings and responsibilities serve as catalysts to this state of aﬀairs. Catholic education or civilization is attractive to both the poor and the rich globally, because of its richness and embodiment of values that make for the total man-modelled after the values propounded by Jesus Christ. Values that have been tested and trusted over the ages and several centuries; which have stood the test of time. Education, that is relevant and impactful in all societies and in all

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circumstances, and imbues in its beneﬁciaries' qualities of respect and dignity for the human person. Progressive, developed and modern civilizations have copied a lot from the Catholic values and civilization. The Catholic Church as the oldest institution in the world is a testimonial to its enduring virtues and values; and the reason modern human institutions in the world admire to emulate it. The staying power, culture and modest virtues that beautify catholic education are certainly, diluted abstractions from the curriculum and formation handbook of the Catholic seminary. Seminary is not a secondary school; it rather has secondary education as its integral part. It is much more than the usual secular post-primary institution. Seminary is a nursery home, separated from the secular world for the formation of new human persons who will function as the light of world and a salt of the earth. It is an aphorism- A DAY IN THE SEMINARY IS NEVER A JOKE! It is therefore necessary at this stage of Nigeria's social, political and economic history and development for those who were opportune and privileged to receive the seminary training to boldly come out and put to use their capacities, competences and character in favour of the larger Nigerian society and its people. It is just like responding to the admonition of Jesus Christ our Master. “You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house. So let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven” - (Mathew: 5: 14-16).

TICE JUS

CHIMA NWE

Age Quod Agis: The Route to Natial

Cohi d Integrati

PREFATORY REMARKS approach this podium with humility to share my humble reﬂections on the above subject with the august and distinguished audience assembled here. Although, I was nominated to deliver this Keynote Address, the Secretariat of this Association, forgot to indicate the topic of my address. I took it as a deliberate strategy of authorizing me to generate ideas on a chiaroscuro of subjects that appealed to me. The subjects1 of this reﬂection include: the concept of neighbour; youth renaissance; sustainable development; national development plans; ubuntu; the elderly and national integration and so on.2 I remember my Rectors at the St John Cross Seminary, Nsukka. These great men of God, (may the souls of those of them who have departed continue to rest in the bosom of the Lord), always, emphasized the Latin phrase, age quod agis, that it assumed the status of a commandment!

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Age Quod Agis is a Latin maxim which, according to the Catholic Dictionary means “do what you are doing.” It is an imperative phrase in ascetical writings to point up to the value of not scattering one's moral forces but of concentrating on one responsible task at a time. It is, thus used here as an admonition to all members of this Association, and indeed, every citizen to focus on the work at hand – to do it well for the good of the society. In our humble view, it, [the phrase], captures the various routes to national cohesion and integration. Myron Weiner, an American political scientist, described national integration as creating a sense of territorial nationality which overshadows – or eliminates – subordinate parochial loyalties. National integration primarily involves the amalgamation of disparate social, economic, religious, ethnic, and geographic elements into a single nation state.4 National integration entails the uniting of groups separated by different factors into one group with the erosion of any previous social and cultural group differences. From the time of amalgamation of the Northern and the Southern Protectorates of Nigeria, unity in diversity has been a cohesive mantra preached across Nigeria, home to the most populous black people on the face of the earth with an estimated population of two hundred million. Two hundred and fifty (250) ethnic groups cascade the predominantly Muslim north and the Christian south and a youth population of about seventy percent where 13.9 million remained unemployed by the end of 2020. The concept of Good Neighbour Nigeria is, highly, divided along ethnic, religious, political and ideological lines. This division comes with serious suspicion, distrust, and hatred among the diverse citizens. Efforts towards national integration as national interest and project in Nigeria is challenged by corruption, baseless party politics and worse of all, insecurity. The country, in the face of these challenges, requires that its citizens think beyond their differences to propel the nation into maximising its potentials towards the actualization of greatness. It should be noted that without love encapsulated in good neighbourliness being imbibed by the citizens, the different components that make up the country will persist as dividing factors among the people. St. Paul, one of the greatest apostles of Jesus Christ, enunciated the principles of good neighbourliness. He admonished that “so, faith, hope, love, abide; but the greatest of these is love.” Speaking to the church in Galatia, he said “[B]ear one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.” Love of one's neighbour, appropriately, translates to the love of the country as true patriots would love and pay due allegiance to the land that bears his existence on the planet earth. Professor

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Chinua Achebe, had this to say on this: A true patriot will always demand the highest standards of his country and accept nothing but the best for and from his people. He will be outspoken in condemnation of their short-comings without giving way to superiority, despair or cynicism. That is my idea of a patriot. The neighbour principle has also been recognised in the legal sphere as a sound jurisprudential basis for various legal norms. Lord Atkins defined “my neighbour” as someone who was so closely and directly affected by my acts that one ought to have them in contemplation as being so affected when directing one's mind to the acts or omissions in question. Age Quod Agis! Hold onto Love and the present challenges shall cease! As the Encyclical Letter, Fratelli Tutti, eloquently, presents it, the parable “summons us to re-discover our vocation as citizens of our respective nations and of the entire world, builders of a new social order.” It cannot be otherwise for as a well-known Theologian has argued, and there is considerable force in the argument, that: Jesus places the human person at the centre of religious concern, and stands the Jewish and all other religions upside down. He would not postpone by a single day or hour the healing of a person in deference to the Sabbath, however, sacred, ancient, weighty the Sabbath law might be. The Sabbath must yield to humankind, it is for humans, and not the other way round. It must yield not only to humans' pressing needs but also to their simple joys and their pastime. Right human relationships, mercy and justice have priority over temple and cult so much so that we are even to leave the gifts before the altar in order to go and first be reconciled with a brother/sister. Like his handling of the Sabbath so his attitude to tradition too discloses the same overarching concern for the freedom and fullness of the human even against and above the sacred, the religious and the ecclesiastical. By such words and deeds Jesus was liberating both people and religion from chains religion itself had forged for both. Youths' Renaissance The late British politician and writer, Benjamin Disraeli, described the Youths of a Nation as the trustees of posterity. Recognising this fact, many countries have made concerted efforts at devising various approaches for youth development structures that have the ability of galvanising national growth. Conversely, the countries which do not realise the importance of the youths in national integration and cohesion lag behind in every aspect of life and this, undoubtedly, describes part of the woes of Nigeria. The youths of a country have pivotal roles to play in the nation-building process. Countries that develop and utilise their youths in the proper ways are always the

more developed. In all societies of the world, a virile youth is the foundation upon which national integration and development are based. The stronger the youths, the more developed a nation will be. The energy, eagerness, enthusiasm, and courage that characterise the minds of the youths act as illuminating factors for a nation. There is a strong connection between the national integration and youth development. However, we do not need a prophet to tell us that the youths are the bedrock of positive and negative structure of any society. Their abilities, innovativeness, character, and orientation deﬁne the place of development and security of a country. Through their energy and productivity, a country makes great leaps in economic growth and socio-political accomplishments. It is, therefore, in realisation of the positive value that the youths could add to the growth and development of any society that the United Nations set aside a week every August from the twelfth day to celebrate the International Youths' Day. First celebrated in August 2000, the primary objective is to draw public awareness to youthrelated issues and values.

is one area the youths can maximally contribute their quota towards national development, thereby functioning as instruments of national cohesion. While promoting quality education among the youths, entrepreneurship should also be encouraged. An area like ICT has been very proﬁcient amongst the youths and will be more utilised if developed in a way that negative energies employed on internet fraud and related crime will be curbed. Mark Zuckerberg, the cofounder and CEO of Facebook, a youth himself, while on a business tour to Lagos in 2016, described the Nigerian youths as very resilient. Says the American billionaire, describing the Nigerian youths “ he thing that I ﬁnd striking is the energy… the entrepreneurial energy…”16

The theme of the last year's celebration “Engagement for Global Action” highlighted the ways in which the engagement of young people at the local, national, and global levels is enriching national and multilateral institutions and processes, as well as draw lessons on how their representation and engagement in formal institutional politics can be signiﬁcantly enhanced. Studies have shown that majority of Nigerian youths are in schools. Regrettably, the education curricula have not been patterned to make the youths contribute meaningfully to national development. There is no gainsaying the fact that the Nigerian education industry has suﬀered the worst neglect from the political class in the recent times. Industrial action elongates the time spent by the youths in the school system increasing the dependency ratio. This gives vent to youth restiveness and unemployment.

TOWARDS SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT Sustainable development will showcase a country that all citizens will be proud to identify with. According to the World Bank, while Nigeria has made some progress in socio-economic terms in recent years, its human capital development remains weak due to underinvestment. It ranked one hundred and fifty two out of one hundred and fifty seven countries in the 'World Banks 2018 Human Capital Index. The country continues to face massive developmental challenges, including the need to reduce the dependency on oil and diversify the economy, address insufficient infrastructure, build strong and effective institutions, as well as address governance issues and public financial management systems. For there to be national cohesion and integration, sustainable development goals must be implemented and actualised. This translates to a healthy society where people will love and pay great allegiance to their country. Development must be planned to affect the lives of future generations to make it more sustainable and impactful. Successive governments could come up with their development plans, but the institutions must be structured to engender continuity in a way that previous efforts are sustained, and national resources and time are not wasted.

However, the youth unemployment record in the country clearly portrays an increase in the number of idle minds across the length and breadth of Nigeria. As, it is well known, an idle mind is the devil's workshop. Thus, an unemployed youth is a time bomb that will surely explode at the appropriate time. Activities of groups such as Boko-Haram, Niger Delta militants, Biafra agitators and diﬀerent cult groups have seriously eaten deep into the fabric of national security in the country. National education policies that involve youth development should be given serious priority attention in the national scheme of things. As elsewhere in the world, the productive youths are more focused, creative, and disciplined if they are to become real agents of change in the country. Proper education plays a key role in this aspect. The long-neglected agricultural sector that fostered a devastating over-dependence on the crude oil,

The United Nations' General Assembly in 1987 defined Sustainable development as development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. When development projects are abandoned due to successive government policies made afresh without recourse to the previous government's development efforts, it will have a negative multiplier effect that will continue to deter development of the future generation of the country. According to the StearsBusiness, an online news report, The National Council on Development Planning, (NCDP), recognised the lack of stability and continuity in programmes by succeeding governments as the bane of Nigeria's stunted growth and development. Before the discovery of oil, the agricultural sector was the mainstay of Nigeria's economy. However, policy inconsistencies and lack of continuity have stopped the

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sector from growing to its full potential. This issue was at its peak during the military era and continued unabated despite the nation transitioning to civilian rule. For example, in 1975, General Yakubu Gowon introduced the National Accelerated Food Production Programme Policy (NAFPP). Thereafter, there was the popular Operation Feed the Nation, (OFN), Policy introduced by the Obasanjo regime in 1976. This was abandoned by Obasanjo's successor, President Shagari, who embarked on the Green Revolution Campaign. When General Buhari ascended into power in 1983, he abandoned both development initiatives commenced by his predecessors. It is like the cycle viciously continues till date. Policy inconsistency has been one way the various administrations have run down the business of development and hindered the future of the teaming population of the country. Foreign investors have also pencilled down lack of continuity in government policies as one reason to opt for other countries where the goals of development are sustainable. Organisations are relocating from Nigeria in droves amidst concerns that apart from the heavy security challenges, policy upheavals could hinder their huge investments in a country where development institutions are mere political stooges which only function at the whims of the ruling class. Recently, the news of a National Carrier named, “Nigerian Air,” filtered into the air, undoubtedly, with mixed feelings. Critics predicted that the project would never be sustained by successive governments. Predictably, it never even saw the light of the day! The industrial revolution, that marked a period of development in the latter half of the 18th century that transformed largely rural, agrarian societies in Europe and America into industrialized, urban ones, was charted on the grounds of continuity with sound roadmaps indelibly stored in government development institutions. It was like a race that never stopped in Europe with various countries optimising their efforts to meet up with the tides. Sound development policies are so entrenched in development institutions that it would be certainly difficult to set them aside by successive governments on mere political grounds. NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLANS Nigeria seems to be the only country where virtually all manners of development models have been tested. The second national development plan was launched between 1970 and 1974 after the civil war. The focus of the plan was primarily on agriculture; manpower; defence; electricity; water supply; industry; provision of social services; transport, and communication. The 1975 to 1980 plan launched, after the second plan, aimed substantially at rural development and sustainable

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agricultural development. This was considered the third national development plan. The fourth plan was for the period, 1981 to 1985. It bordered mainly on health care, social services, etc. One bizarre thing about these development plans was that each was considered a panacea, an elixir, for rescuing the country from its deplorable economic state. When the term “development plan” was becoming more repetitive and sounding like sound and fury signifying nothing, mouth- twisting acronyms were adopted. Then came Operation Feed the Nation, and after that, the Green Revolution Programme; Structural Adjustment Programme, (SAP); National Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy, (NEEDS); Vision 2020; and ultimately, the Seven Point Agenda. Though, each specific term of the latter acronyms was geared towards a section of the national life, they met same failure that greeted the previous efforts. Age Quod Agis: focus on the work at hand and do it well for the benefit of posterity! The success of any development plan lies mainly in the commitment and discipline with which it is being implemented. East Asia is one of the major regions of the world that has recorded strong, consistent growth patterns over several decades. The record bearers and economic champions of this region are China; Japan; Hong Kong; Singapore; South Korea, and Taiwan. In all the developmental efforts of these countries, there are common factors that are instrumental to their success: commitment and discipline. Commitment ensures that sound policies are made and painstakingly implemented against all odds; discipline entails that integrity, accountability and transparency dictate the pace. Ubuntu There are various definitions of Ubuntu. The most recent definition was provided by the African Journal of Social Work (AJSW). The journal defined Ubuntu as: A collection of values and practices that Black people of Africa or of African origin view as making people authentic human beings. While the nuances of these values and practices vary across different ethnic groups, they all point to one thing – an authentic individual human being is part of a larger and more significant relational, communal, societal, environmental, and spiritual world. According to Audrey Tang in her Open Source Enlightenment, "Ubuntu," as political philosophy, encourages community equality, propagating the distribution of wealth. This socialisation is a vestige of agrarian peoples as a hedge against the crop failures of individuals. Socialisation presupposes a community population with which individuals empathise and, concomitantly, have a vested interest in its collective prosperity. Urbanisation and the aggregation of people

into an abstract and bureaucratic state undermine this empathy. African Intellectual historians, like Michael Onyebuchi Eze, have argued, however, that this idea of "collective responsibility" must not be understood as absolute in which the community's good is prior to the individual's good. Says he, “Ubuntu,” it is argued, “is a communitarian philosophy that is widely differentiated from the Western notion of communitarian socialism. In fact, Ubuntu induces an ideal of shared human subjectivity that promotes a community's good through an unconditional recognition and appreciation of individual uniqueness and difference.” Audrey Tang has suggested that Ubuntu "implies that everyone has different skills and strengths; people are not isolated, and through mutual support they can help each other to complete themselves." Illustrating the principles that underly ubuntu, Audrey told a story of a famed battlefield philosopher, Iain King, who wrote a book about The Help Principle. This was after following the United Nations into Kosovo to understand and meditate on the subject of people in need of help. If spending one unit of your effort could help another person by two units, he detailed in his book, you should help. Ubuntu is a philosophy that expatiates the egalitarianism in the African culture. The communal and family units still stand strong and form unifying factors among the citizens of the African countries. Individuality is re-defined by the Ubuntu philosophy. The African concept of self-worth centres around the relationship one has built with others. In Igbo traditional society, for example, wealth is not just seen as wealth until the impact made on others by the wealthy is shown. The expression, “I am because we are,” encapsulates every virtue needed to promote national cohesion and integration. In the spirit of Age Quod Agis, this traditional value has to be, tenaciously, held onto even in the face of divisive norms that western influence and neo-colonialist policies have foisted on our value system. The Elderly and National Integration The roles of elderly people in national cohesion and integration cannot be over emphasised. In Job, chapter twelve, verse twelve, the Christian Bible says that wisdom belongs to the aged and understanding to the old. In First Kings, chapter twelve, verse six, King Rehoboam sought the counsel of the crop of elders who advised his father, Solomon, in his lifetime. Little wonder, the said Bible recorded Solomon as the wisest king of his time. According to the Population Reference Bureau, Nigeria is fast becoming an ageing population. The story is the same with other

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2012 World Data Sheet countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Those aged sixty-five years and above, (the elderly), make up 3.1% or 5.9 million of the total population. Mortality rate has had a sharp decline due to better health care; education and nutrition. Even the dreaded Covid-19 did not claim as many lives as was predicted for Nigeria. Polygamy that was, majorly, accountable for population increase especially in rural communities, is also rapidly giving way due to economic realities of the time. With the exception of Muslim families, the era of nine children per family, as a traditional minimum standard for procreation, is far gone. Presently, four or five children are considered excess for a single family. This, invariably, translates to an ageing population because the generations that emanated from the era of monumental population explosion still have several people presently living in their old age. Nigeria is not even alone here. According to the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, by 2050, there would be more older people worldwide (aged sixty years and over) than children under fifteen years for the first time in history. Developing countries are now faced with an ageing revolution at a different scale than what it used to be. According to UNICEF Policy Brief on Ageing, published in November 2009, older persons are often vulnerable to exclusion, marginalization, and discrimination. This is even worse in Nigeria than many other places. There are no sound policies pertaining to the elderly in terms of health care; social security; public utilities; special facilities etc. Except those who either acquired enormous wealth or significant political relevance, the ordinary person in the Nigerian society is often left dejected and lonely at old age. Those who worked their entire lives serving the country in different capacities even struggle to get their retirement benefits. Rapid decline in the moral code has diminished the respect for the elderly people in various forms. Worse still, Neo-liberalism, in the manner it is being practised in Nigeria, has no space for provision of support for the elderly. This, to an extent, increases corruption, especially, in public offices where people tend to amass wealth to take care of their old age. Ageism is a challenge of ageing that seems more obvious than retirement. According to social scientists, ageism, generally, refers to prejudice and/or discrimination against older people. Ageism can be serious or mild, direct, or indirect, pronounced, or subtle. In Nigeria, apart from the highly - educated professionals, that could be retained as consultants or advisers at their old age after retirement, the rest can only be hired to do menial jobs like rendering janitorial services and gatekeeping with little pay that could barely take care of their basic needs.

Moreover, elderly people are often victims of negative stereotypes. Many have been tagged witches or wizards and attacked while others are seen as senile, unnecessarily conservative, and generally unhappy. Day care homes for the elderly or even normal hostels where elderly people could mingle with their mates are not common in Nigeria. It has come to a point where an elderly person prays for accelerated death. To engender formidable national cohesion and integration, the role of the elders and their well-being must be consciously provided for. Specifically, there must be: elimination of all forms of discrimination against the elderly, especially, the ones pertaining to labour markets; cultural practices etc; promoting later learning and education for older persons; provision of specific needs for the . elderly as a consumer group; consideration of the needs of older persons in housing; public transportation; and social activities etc. These, if achieved, will translate to a healthy older population and increased social cohesion for the country. One last word: The preferential option for the poor In Octogesimo Adveniens, an apostolic letter of Pope Paul VI, we find the meaning and intent of the phrase “option for the poor.” Listen to this. In teaching us charity, the gospel instructs us in the preferential respect due to the poor and the special situation they have in society: the more fortunate should renounce some of their rights so as to place their goods more generously at the service of others. His Holiness John Paul 11, in his encyclical, On Social Concern addressed this same question in very insightful prose. According to His Holiness: The preferential option or love of preference for the poor… is an option, a special form of primacy in the exercise of Christian charity, to which the whole tradition of the church bears witness. It affects the life of each Christian in as much as he or she seeks to imitate the life of Christ, but it applies equally to our social responsibilities and hence to our manner of living, and to the logical decisions to be made concerning our ownership and the use of goods. Now, it is, actually, instructive that Nigeria's secular Constitution and the Church's “great and revolutionary Constitution” share mutual concerns on the issue of the welfare of the citizens, particularly, the poor and down trodden. One of the fundamental objectives of the Government in the Nigerian Constitution is the eloquent statement that the Nigerian State shall be governed on the basis of the principles of democracy and social justice. Indeed, there is an express declaration that the “security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government.” Just like the Nigerian Constitution, the Church's dogmatic Constitution justifies the existence of the

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political community on the basis of the promotion of the common good. It even describes it as the meaning and source of its specific and basic right to existence. In the Church's Constitution, the common good means the totality of the factual conditions which facilitate the actualisation of the people's aspirations. On its part, this Constitution has been interpreted in the context of the Nigerian society which manifests binary polarities or tensions: tensions between might and right; the bitter struggle of the hoi polloi against economic recession; political tensions which now characterise partisan politics inducing some form of social instability in the country. The natural question would be: what should be the role of the Church: the Nigerian Church in the circumstance? My response is simple: just as the Judiciary is now espousing an activist approach through the judicialisation of politics, we invite attention to the prospects of what has been, aptly, described as “confrontational evangelisation.” In the first place, there is authority for the proposition that the Catholic Social Teachings recognise conscientious objection as a 35 legitimate means of resisting unjust laws and here, one may even include unjust and oppressive policies. Above all, events in some jurisdictions have provoked the question how “religion can provide an idiom for the articulation and mobilisation of public and popular resentment against injustice.” The courts have even described popular resentment through rallies and placard-carrying demonstrations as forms of expressions of views on current issues affecting government and the governed in a sovereign state. In my humble view, emboldened by the mandate of the dogmatic Constitution, the Nigerian Church should now espouse what a theologian once called “the evangelisation of human structures.” That is a new approach which should confront the injustices ravaging the economic, social and political lives of the people. The question now is: how can the Nigerian Church achieve this without embarking on political activism? As we noted elsewhere, political philosophers have identified corrupt political leadership as the ultimate albatross of political life in Nigeria. Should the Church not think seriously about the arguable proposition that Priests are in a better position to change the face of partisan politics in Nigeria since they would, most probably, show an exemplary model of incorruptible leadership? If Priests choose to remain aloof and indifferent to the corrupt leadership which has inflicted so much pain on the people, would they be acting patriotically by merely mouthing half-hearted condemnations from the pulpits? Perhaps, the Nigerian Church should be reminded that the Prophets of old: Isaiah; Jeremiah; Amos; Hosea; Micah etc did not play the ostrich with regard to the

socio-economic challenges that confronted the people of their times. Attention has, equally, been drawn to the drama of the King of Nineveh who jettisoned the splendour and pageantry of royalty as a mark of his solidarity with the problems of the people. It would, perhaps, be correct to assert that the dogmatic Constitution of the Church endorses the concept of evangelisation of human structures through confrontation with those factors that conduce to economic injustice. That, probably, explains why it encourages the faithful to identify with the grief and anxieties of the poor. Although the list is endless, it cannot be gainsaid that International Financial Institutions [IFIs] and Trans National Corporations [TNCs], considerably, accentuate the anxieties of the citizenry by the pressures they exert on emerging democracies, including Nigeria. Evangelisation can only make sense in such a context if the Church can question the legal basis of such policies, for instance, by engaging in “social struggle on behalf of the poor.” Now, there would appear to be substantial merit in the claim that most of the problems of the contemporary world stem from the crisis of truth. Somewhat, surprisingly, even many Church leaders, (in fairness, Catholic Bishops do not fall into this category) would appear to have been engulfed in this crisis too! Most of them no longer speak truth to power. This is surprising when the courts have declared that there is no constitutional ban against the publication of truth. Taking sides with the poor would involve the publication of accounts of abuse of oﬃce; mismanagement of public funds and corrupt enrichment so that the relevant anticorruption agencies could initiate criminal prosecution as they may deem appropriate. The issue of the source of wealth of politicians should agitate the minds of every patriotic Nigerian. The Church has a very great challenge here. There was the story of a member of one of the Pentecostal Churches who made a cash donation running into millions of Naira to his church. Incidentally, his father was just a security man on a very meagre salary in the establishment whose money was misappropriated. When the donation was made, the church was fulsome with praise for the donor. Blessings ﬂowed freely! Alas! When the EFCC, upon the complaint of the establishment, confronted the Pastor of that church, he promptly disclaimed any knowledge of such a donation! What should be the proper approach if such a scenario were to play itself out in any parish in the Roman Catholic Church? I think it should be more appropriate for moral theologians here to address that question! I shall now leave you with an assignment which has consistently been glossed over. It is simply this: when

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you return to your offices, universities or parishes endeavour to educate the electorate on their right to choose persons of integrity as their representatives. Enlighten them on how to invoke the provisions of the Constitution and the Electoral Act dealing with the questions of character; credentials and the antecedents of contestants. It lies within your power to stem the influx of persons whose credentials are of dubious origin; of candidates who had found themselves in conflict with the law, particularly, on matters verging on fraud and dishonesty, into the various legislative houses. Surely, only electoral constituencies are authorised under the Constitution to return candidates as duly elected into the relevant offices. It is doubtful if there is any constituency that does not fall within the geographical limits of one Diocese, parish or Local Government Area. Where, then, were the Parish Priests; university professors; Christians etc when all those who allegedly forged their certificates; who had been convicted for offences bordering on fraud etc were elected? Certainly, the constitutional provisions dealing with disqualification for elective offices, if properly utilised, would prune the share number of hoodlums and sundry miscreants vying for political offices! Mr Chairman; my Lord Bishop; Priests; Professors; Gentlemen of the Old Seminarians Association of Nigeria, permit me now to thank the organisers of this reunion for the opportunity they afforded me to share these reflections with this distinguished assemblage: this formidable concourse of great men who chose to hold their inauguration and re-union at this critical period in the country. IN LIEU OF CONCLUSION The concept of Age Quod Agis, the main thrust of this Keynote Address, in my humble view, captures the collectivity of the human efforts in the social milieu, in this circumstance, Nigeria. The admonition to do what we are doing or to focus on the work at hand and do it well for the benefit of posterity holds sway in the context of national cohesion and national integration. To focus on the good work, all the developmental measures enunciated in this treatise must be consciously upheld. While building the economy, the moral fiber of the society, severally, preached by the church must be placed very high. Most importantly, the prayer life of the nation must be ignited by true worship emulation of Christ and the saints, patriarchs of the church. God bless our country, Nigeria, has been severally repeated in our speeches. This should go beyond mere speeches. It should be reflected in governance and the relationship we have with one another as individuals.

THE SEMINARY FORMATION AND NIGERIA'S REALITY: THE PERSPECTIVES OF OLD SEMINARIANS. By Cyril Okeme and John Ichema Ajonye

he word Seminary is taken from the Latin word “seminarium”, meaning "plant nursery" which can be interpreted as, "breeding ground." Like a greenhouse that provides ideal conditions for seeds to grow into hearty plants, a seminary was first a place for young men to become priests. Seminary formation is a process of continuous personal growth and development of a man aimed toward the goal of a priestly ordination. It is a program of preparation and formation of the whole man in the context of the four pillars of priestly formation: Human, pastoral, intellectual, and spiritual growth. (Cf. John Paul II, Apostolic Exhortation: PastoresDaboVobis, Vatican City: LibreriaEditriceVaticana. (1992), Pp. 43ff) Each area, while distinct in itself, is looked at as a whole, whereby the seminarian continues to grow in all aspects of his person. In the real life, the Seminary tries to live the practical life with the values of all he has learnt in the seminary in his day to day life. Just as we see the fingers of a child's hand grow in proportion to each other as he matures into manhood, so too we see the human, spiritual, intellectual and pastoral aspects of a seminarian grow into the maturity of a man ready to be ordained to the Priesthood of Jesus Christ or to be a good follower of

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Christ in the world. Our Nation Nigeria has been faced with a lot of challenges which is bedeviling and threatening the essence of our being, as a nation. Never in recent memory of the nation, has there ever been such an air of helplessness and a profound sense of national failure like we currently face. The center of our national consciousness has been so twisted that nothing shocks anyone anymore. With a regime that not only grows autocratic each passing day, but is proudly wearing the moral garbage of reprehensible nepotism, the situation is indeed bleak; very bleak! What Nigeria faces today is gradual descent into chaos as armed bandits, Fulani herdsmen, have inﬁltrated all over the country, some say from other regions of West Africa. Of course, they don't come as peaceful settlers, but armed to the teeth and seemingly incapable of human feelings, go into villages especially the middle belt of Nigeria, to unleash unprintable atrocities on helpless indigenes. If you think the shock merely stops at such incidences of bloody massacres of innocent villagers, you are wrong. The marauding bandits simply occupy the ransacked communities while the surviving indigenes struggle for life in internally displaced person's camps, broken, grieved and despairing by government's failure to respond.

Meanwhile, government claim a nauseatingly hypocritical inability to do anything. In sharp contrast, few places where local champions arise to ﬁght for the rights of the oppressed people, the government is quick to respond with such overwhelming capability that one is forced to wonder what will have been the outcome of deploying just a fraction of such force and precision on the real trouble makers. Today, Nigeria is facing a very real hunger crisis as many farmers in the North and Middle Belt can no longer go to farm. Neither can kids go to school in some parts of the north as kidnapping is now a booming cottage industry by these Fulani bandits who are continually pampered and treated with kid gloves by the government. Prices of staple foods have gone more than double their usual prices. Our naira currency is depreciating weekin, week-out, and our inﬂation rate is on the raise on daily basis without a corresponding policy to checkmate. With the unprecedented brazen injustice by the ruling government of today, outright incompetence and obnoxious hypocrisy, it is no wonder that the threat to unity of Nigeria has never been so portentous and ominous. Bogged down by a terribly lopsided constitution that virtually gives it all to the North, a region that has pitted itself again the rest of the country's demand for restructuring, which to many,

opens the way for justice and progress, Secessionist agitation have since reached an unprecedented crescendo even as the government has remained totally deaf to cries for justice. Neither are they ready for dialogue. We only have arrogant and flagrant show of haughtiness against a tired, broken and disposed people who on their last tethers of tolerance. In the midst of this moral cesspool of a nation, two certain men have stood up to become a voice for the oppressed and a beacon of hope, raising the banner high for governmental justice and fairness: a glimmer of hope in tunnel of total darkness. The two men are Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah of Sokoto Diocese and Chief Femi Falana SAN, a renowned human rights lawyer. Where it becomes a quest for justice and fairness in the scenes of present Nigeria, you will be hard pressed to find two men close to them in the dogged fight for peace and social justice. Now, what do these men have in common? Well, they are both old seminarians, beneficiaries of the unique Roman Catholic Formation process. As a result of their educational training and exposure, the old boys gained a new perspective on adoption and have good interpersonal interactions, after the seminary four walls, which enables him to adapt and interact freely with people, and respect diversity of thought, become pioneers and thought leaders in the real life. It has produced sound intellectual minds that can compete with their fellows in real life in the society. In addition to contextual education, seminary products learn how to balance many competing priorities, creating that elusive work-life balance in real life. This great trait make them teachable, goal-oriented, and improvementfocused as a consequence they become more self-aware, more empathetic of others and great team leaders in real life. At the seminary,you are rigorously taught morals and codes of behavior to prepare you for the priesthood and if you don't go into the priesthood, you

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might grow to be a man very useful to the society. While Kukah typified one who took the priestly mantle, Falana typified one who found his own calling within the society. With both men, one sees a radiant display of those silent qualities that distinguishes a typical seminarian: moral courage, boldness, integrity, a noble sense of justice, and a heart that reaches out to the downtrodden. The seminary trained leaders who exemplify these intrinsic values and qualities are prepared to contribute to the flourishing of the larger society no matter where they serve. It is heartwarming to know that there are many old seminarians in all walks of life all over the country. Some are ambassadors, senators, judges, past and aspiring governors, a former inspector general of police and many more in the established private sector. A very intimidating list by all consideration. What is more, the unique formation process which is common to all seminaries readily assures that it is easy to bring such together and unite for a common purpose irrespective of their respective alma maters. A unification of all these unique individuals, bonded by a common formation process that looks beyond tribe and ethnic affiliation is surely a unique blessing for Nigeria at a time such as this. Thinking far ahead and seeing the immeasurable potential of such a group, Old Seminarians Association of Nigeria (OSAN) was

born. The group has continued to grow in leaps and bounds. This new association of old seminarians readily oﬀers the nation a unique platform to look at solutions beyond and above ethnic considerations and petty regional politics. It has all it takes to become a powerful and respected pressure group in the country, be a trans-ethnic platform for proﬀering solutions to Nigeria's problem of intractable ethnic division and a leading vanguard for the establishment of justice to the oppressed. It is destined to be one group of Nigerians cutting across all strata, bound and propelled with individuals imbued with a passion for excellence, hunger for justice and truth and a dedication for the common good of all. Our motto: “Ecce Frater Meus” (Behold my brother or Here is my brother) says it all. For Nigeria, the light in the tunnel may yet grow brighter. With a group like OSAN, hope may yet glimmer for Nigeria. Ichema John Ajonye is an Abuja-based architect and an Old Seminarian from the Class of 1996, St Joseph Seminary Zaria , while Cyril AdajiOkeme is a businessman and of the Class of 1996 St Kizito Minor Seminary Idah, SS Peter & Paul seminary Bodija (2001) Theology Faculty Fulda, Germany (2006) and Benue State University Makurdi(2010).

MEMBERS OF INAUGURATION COMMITTEE

(OSAN)

CHINEDU AKUBUEZE ESQ

MAZI AMBROSE OBIOHA KSM

CHAIRMAN

VICE CHAIRMAN

UZOWUIHE EMEKA .A.

UGO JIM NWOKO

SECRETARY

HEAD, CONTACTS AND MOBILIZATION COMMITTEE

(OSAN)

REV. FR. DR. MARTIN ONUKWUBA

VINCENT EGUNYANGA

HEAD, FINANCE COMMITTEE

HEAD, INFORMATION AND PUBLICITY

VICTOR EMBUGUSHIKI

NEWTON MOTOMBONI

MEMBER

HEAD, PROTOCOLS & LOGISTICS SERVICES

EPHRAIM STEPHEN ESSIEN

OKEY UGWU

MEMBER

IBRAHIM MOSES OBENDA

JOHNBOSCO AGBAKWURU

HEAD, WELFARE & SUPPORT SECURITY & SAFETY EXPERT SERVICES

MEMBER

(OSAN)

CHIDI HENRY EMERIBE

GABRIEL ENEMONA IBRAHIM

MEMBER

ICHEMA JOHN AJONYE

PRINCE BENEDICT ONYEWUENYI

MEMBER

(OSAN)

PETER IKPONMWOSA AGBONTAEN

UKATU CHIKE R.

MEMBER

CYRIL ADAJI OKEME

MEMBER (OSAN)

OLD SEMINARIANS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (OSAN) MEMBERS

(OSAN)

AMB MIKE KUFORIJI

SIR C.K ALABI

ST. THERESA MINOR SEMINARY, OKE-ARE

CLASS OF 1963

CLASS OF 1967.

RETIRED DIPLOMAT

LEGAL PRACTITIONER

JUSTICE AKAAHS KUMAI BAYANG

DIG UDOM EKPOUDOM (RTD)

ST. JOHN VIANNEY MINOR SEMINARY, B/LADI PLATEAU STATE

QUEEN OF APOSTLES SEMINARY, AFAHA OBONG

CLASS OF 1963

CLASS OF 1967

RETIRED JUSTICE OF THE SUPREME COURT

RETIRED POLICE OFFICER

(OSAN)

IFEANYI OBIBUZOR

CHIEF BARTHOLOMEW OKAFOR

ALL HALLOWS SEMINARY, ONITSHA

CLASS OF 1972.

RETIRED CIVIL SERVANT

ASIWAJU DAVID OLA ADETUYI

AMBASSADOR PAUL ADIKWU OGA

SACRET HEART AKURE

ST. PETERS SEMINARY YOLA

CLASS OF 1971

CLASS OF 1975

CHARTERED ACCOUNTANT

NIGERIAN AMBASSADOR TO THE VATICAN ROME, ITALY.

(OSAN)

PROF. MAXWELL GIDADO (SAN)

PROF. (FR) ICHOKU HYACINTH

ST. PETER SEMINARY, YOLA

ALL HALLOWS SEMINARY ONITSHA

GRADUATED IN 1977.

CLASS OF 1979

CHIEF OF STAFF TO ADAMAWA STATE GOVERNOR

VICE CHANCELLOR VERITAS UNIVERSITY, ABUJA

HON. CHRIS NONYELUM (JIMBAZZ)

AUSTEN PABLO EZENDUKA

ALL HALLOWS SEMINARY ONITSHA

ALL HALLOWS SEMINARY ONITSHA ANAMBRA STATE

CLASS OF 1982/83.

CLASS OF 1977

REAL ESTATE DEVELOPER (AWKA, ONITSHA LAGOS) PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONSULTANT, PUBLIC AFFAIRS ANALYST

(OSAN)

BUSINESS MAN / ENTREPRENEUR 33

FR. TOM EDOGBANYA

CHIEDOZIE LAMBERT AKALEFU

ST. KIZITO MINOR SEMINARY IDAH KOGI STATE

ST. PETER CLAVER SEMINARY OKPALA

CLASS OF 1987 A PRIEST OF ABUJA ARCHDIOCESE

EDUCATION AND HUMAN RESOURCES SPECIALIST, STATE OF MICHIGAN, USA

AWULU CHARLES ATTAH

AMADI PAUL ONUOHA

ST. KIZITO SEMINARY, IDAH

HOLY GHOST JUNIORATE IHIALA, ANAMBRA STATE

CLASS OF 1993.

PUBLIC SERVANT

(OSAN)

CLASS OF 1986.

CLASS OF 1991 RIGHT ACTIVIST CHAIRMAN COMMITTEE FOR THE DEFENSE OF HUMAN RIGHTS, RIVERS STATE

RALPH OFUM

REV. FR. PETER U EZEANI

IMMACULATE CONCEPTION SEMINARY, AKAMKPA

ST. PAUL’S SEMINARY UKPOR, ANAMBRA STATE

CLASS OF 1984

CLASS OF 1988

ESTATE SURVEYOR AND VALUER

RECTOR, ST. PAUL’S SEMINARY UKPOR ANAMBRA STATE

(OSAN)

MIKE A SOWE

EMMANUEL EZENWA OKERE

ST. PETER’S SEMINARY YOLA

ST. PETER CLAVER SEMINARY, OKPALA IMO STATE

CLASS OF 1977.

CLASS OF 1984.

DIRECTOR, CHAIRMAN’S OFFICE ICPC ABUJA

LEGAL PRACTITIONER 35

VINCENT UCHENNA DIKE

OSAN OKAFOR C. AMANZE

IMMACULATE CONCEPTION SEMINARY UMUAHIA

SMS UMUOWA ORLU

CLASS OF 1983

CLASS OF 1973.

SOLICITOR & ADVOCATE OF THE SUPREME COURT OF NIGERIA LEAD COUNSEL AT CAPSTONE SOLICITORS, VICTORIA ISLAND LAGOS

BUILDING / CIVIL CONTRACTORS GEN MERCHADISE

AGBO MICHAEL OCHE

ANTHONY MADUKA MODOZIE

ST. JAMES MINOR SEMINARY YANDEV, GBOKO. BENUE STATE.

ALL HALLOWS SEMINARY ONITSHA

CLASS OF 1994.

CLASS OF 1982.

NATIONAL SECRETARY/BENUE STATE COORDINATOR, CHUSSY GREAT GLOBAL LTD.

FACILITY MANAGER

(OSAN)

PAULINUS UDOH

DR. JOEL OKWUCHUKWU ORUCHE

QUEEN OF APOSTLES, AFAHA OBONG

ALL HALLOWS SEMINARY, ONITSHA

CLASS OF 1980

CLASS OF 1982.

BANKER

FEDERAL MINISTRY OF INFORMATION AND CULTURE ABUJA

JOSEPH WILLIE USANGA

JOHNBOSCO NKPADOBI Ph.D

IMMACULATE CONCEPTION SEMINARY MFAMOSING, CROSS RIVER STATE

ST MARY’S SEMINARY UMUOWA, IMO STATE

CLASS OF 1984

CLASS OF 1992.

CIVIL SERVANT

CEO OIL & GAS SERVICES

(OSAN)

EMEKA FERDINAND DURU

CHIEF (AMB) CHUKS AJAELU PHF, KSC

IMMACULATE CONCEPTION SEMINARY UMUAHIA ABIA STATE

CLASS OF 1983

CLASS OF 1983.

AM A NOLLYWOOD ACTOR/PRODUCER I ALSO DO DOCUMENTARIES AND PF

POLITICIAN

EMMANUEL IKECHUKWU IGBO

CHINATU DUNSTAN ORINDU

ST. AUGUSTINE’S SEMINARY (SASCO), EZZAMGBO

ST. PETER CLAVER SEMINARY OKPALA

CLASS OF 1992

CLASS OF 1993.

PUBLIC SERVANT

CEO DD ORINDU INTERNATIONAL LTD WE ARE TAIWAN AND NIGERIA BUSINESSMAN

(OSAN)

ENECHE PETER ENEMONA

ATTAI ANTHONY VICTOR (KSM)

ST. KIZITO MINOR SEMINARY, IDAH KOGI

ST. KIZITO MINOR SEMINARY IDAH

CLASS OF 1996

CLASS OF 1996.

PUBLIC SERVANT

BANKER

ENGR. EMMA EZE

AMINU JOSEPH CLEMENT

ST. AUGUSTINE’S SEMINARY, ABAKALIKI

ST. PETER’S SEMINARY YOLA ADAMAWA STATE

CLASS OF 1992

CLASS OF 2000.

CHIEF ENGR. NNPC BENIN

ENTREPRENEUR/CEO VERSE IT SERVICES LTD

(OSAN)

MARTIN OJONIMI ATOJOKO, ESQ

CHINEMELU A. UBA

ST. KIZITO SEMINARY, IDAH, KOGI STATE

ALL HALLOWS SEMINARY ONITSHA

CLASS OF 1993

CLASS OF 1994.

LEGAL PRACTITIONER

CAJETAN EBERENDU, KSM, FCILR

PETER IJAI EMMANUEL

ST. PETER’S SEMINARY OKIGWE

ST. PETER SEMINARY YOLA

CLASS OF 1992.

CLASS OF 1996.

THE NATIONAL PRESIDENT ST. PETER’S SEMINARY OKIGWE OLD BOYS ASSOCIATION CEO CLIMAX INSURANCE BROKERS LTD ABUJA

(OSAN)

RTD AIR FORCE OFFICIAL/FARMER 40

EMMANUEL SEH NJOKA, ESQ

BARR. ANIEFIOK IBAH

ST. PETER’S SEMINARY, YOLA

QUEEN OF APOSTLES SEMINARY, AFAHA OBONG, ABAK, AKWA IBOM STATE

CLASS OF 1996.

LEGAL PRACTITIONER

NNAJI JOHN OBINNA, PHD ST. AUGUSTINE, ABAKALIKI NASS

PUBLIC SERVANT

(OSAN)

LEGAL PRACTITIONER

PAUL OSAGIE ST. PAUL SEMINAR BENIN

CLASS OF 1992

ICT CONSULTANT

SIR NICHOLAS VALENS UKADIKE ALL HALLOW SEMINARY ONITSHA

PRINCE SIR JOHNPHILIP OKECHUKWU TABANSI (JP)

CLASS OF 1994 ENTREPRENEUR /EDUCATIONIST/ MUSICIAN

BUSINESS MAN/ ENTREPRENEUR

UKAH CHINEMEREM ALOYSIUS

COSMAS ASOGWA

ST. AUGUSTINE’S SEMINARY EZZAMBO (SASCO)

ST. KIZITO MINOR SEMINARY, IDAH

CLASS OF 1996

CLASS OF 1994.

NDIC LAGOS

PUBLISHER

(OSAN)

JOSEPH OLANGHIKOL

UGO MOSES OHAEGBUCHI

ST. JOHN VIANNEY SEMINARY BARKIN LADI, PLATEAU STATE

MATER ECCLESIAE SEMINARY AHIARA MBAISE

CLASS OF 2002.

CLASS OF 2002 SET.

REG. QUANTITY SURVEYOR & PROJECT MANAGER

DEVELOPMENT WORKER

NNAEMEKA CHISOM UGHA

ABUH EMMANUEL OKOH

ST. DOMINIC SAVIO SEMINARY, AKPU ANAMBRA STATE

ST. JOHN VIANNEY SEMINARY, BARKIN LADI, PLATEAU STATE

LEGAL PRACTITIONER WITH PRACTICE IN ABUJA AND LAGOS

ICT BUSINESS CONSULTANT

(OSAN)

CLASS OF 2004.

COLLINS OYINANE EDOGBANYA

ABUH EMMANUEL

ST. KIZITO SEMINARY, IDAH, KOGI STATE

ST. JOHN VIANNEY SEMINARY

CLASS OF 2003.

WORKS WITH JAIZ BANK PLC

CLASS OF 2004 ICT BUSINESS CONSULTANT/USER SUPPORT AND SERVICE DELIVERY MANAGER

ADEJOH AYEGBA SAMSON

SHADRACH DANKYANG

ST. KIZITO SEMINARY IDAH, KOGI STATE

ST. SIMON AND JUDE SEMINARY KUJE, ABUJA

CLASS OF 2007.

CLASS OF 2011.

INVESTOR AND TRADER OF STOCKS AND COMMODITY MARKET

(OSAN)

ENGR. LARRY OBASI

IKEM CHIGOZIE SEBASTINE

IGNATIUS IFEANYI EGENTI

ST. AUGUSTINE SEMINARY EZZANGBO (SASCO) EBONYI STATE

ALL HALLOWS SEMINARY, ONITSHA

CLASS OF 1983.

CLASS OF 1995

CLASS OF 1982

SECURITY TECHNOLOGY EXPERT

BANKER

BUSINESS MAN

IMMACULATE CONCEPTION SEMINARY AHIAEKE UMUAHIA

JOSEPH ANYANWU

FR. IMMANUEL ODIONG

BARR. TOCHUKWU UDO

ST. PETER’S SEMINARY OKIGWE IMO STATE

ST. JOHN VIANNEY SEMINARY, BARKIN LADI

ALL HALLOWS SEMINARY, ONITSHA

CLASS OF 1985.

CLASS OF 1999

CLASS OF 1996.

CONSULTANT/ ECOWAS ELECTION OBSERVER

PRIEST OF THE ARCHDIOCESE OF ABUJA AND CHAIRMAN, BLOBA ABUJA CHAPTER

LEGAL PRACTITIONER

(OSAN)

Message

ATIKU ABUBAKAR, VICE PRESIDENT OF NIGERIA (1999-2007) TO THE OLD SEMINARIANS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (OSAN) ON THE OCCASION OF ITS INAUGURATION ON 4TH OF SEPTEMBER 2021 IN ABUJA My Dear Old Seminarians and Compatriots, I greet you with great joy as you inaugurate your Old Seminarians Association of Nigeria (OSAN), a platform that gives you the opportunity to savour your cherished background and rich educational heritage in the Catholic seminaries across our dear nation and beyond. I have known about the Catholic Church and its noble educational legacies from my childhood through my youthful days to my later adulthood. In my local community and of Adamawa state, the indelible imprints of the Catholic Church and the footprints of its products are very visible in the areas of community health, education and other social services. The non- discriminatory practices of the Catholic Church in its social teachings and services make it more attractive to people who are broadminded and inclusive - values that I cherish a lot. The Catholic Church has done a lot in helping our Adamawa state to manage the humanitarian crises caused by the insurgency in the Northeast. As someone in public life, I believe in investments in human capital which education and health services represent. This is why I identify with the Catholic Church and have collaborated with the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria in the areas of good governance and inter-faith dialogue.

urge you to pursue your good dreams for our nation with the confidence that we shall overcome these prevailing national challenges and emerge a stronger and better nation. Don't forget, the future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams! On a personal note, I also congratulate my own friends and staff, Professor Maxwell Gidado, Chief of Staff to my State government of Adamawa, my media aide, Ugo Jim-Nwoko and others whom I understand are playing various roles central to the formation of this national body. These are great intellectuals and patriotic Nigerians who have worked with me for several years in their fields of specialty. I can attest to their capacity and diligence in whatever they commit themselves to. I am therefore not surprised they are products of the Catholic seminaries from both ends of our country. As you inaugurate your association, I charge you to use it to unite our peoples, build bridges across Nigeria and serve the interest of the poor in our society. You may be assured that my doors are always open to groups like yours that pursue noble values of unity, peace and religious tolerance. These are the core values and pillars of my life. Long Live Old Seminarians Association of Nigeria!

I am informed that the Old Seminarians Association of Nigeria has a vision to work towards national integration and cultural cohesion in Nigeria. That it is focused on using its members' intrinsic values and training to promote national harmony, good ethics and selﬂessness in public service. Above all, that you will work towards the fellowship of love and solidarity among all Old Seminarians in Nigeria irrespective of ethnic, religious and cultural backgrounds. These are noble goals. I congratulate you on espousing them and

Long Live the Federal Republic of Nigeria!! Congratulations once more and may your eﬀorts be crowned with success. Atiku Abubakar Vice President of Nigeria, 1999-2007

GOODWILL MESSAGES

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on the occassion of the inauguration of OSAN May the Almight God as always guide & protect you as you pilot the aﬀairs as the interim President of the Association

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ABUJA CHAPTER FELICITATE WITH

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ALL HALLOWS SEMINARY ONITSHA

The entire formators, Seminarians and staﬀ of All Hallows Seminary Onitsha, felicitate with Old Seminarians Association of Nigeria (OSAN) on its formal inauguration. We Pray God to direct you as you strive to achieve your aims and objectives. Congratulations! Rev Fr. Charles Onwumelu Rector

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GOODWILL MESSAGE Prince John Philip Okechukwu Tabansi happily congratulates Chinedu Francis Akubueze Esq, Clerk of House of Representatives and President of Old Seminarians Association of Nigeria (OSAN) on the historic inauguration of this great national body. BRAVO OSAN! BRAVO NIGERIA!! Signed: Prince John Philip Okechukwu Tabansi

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GOODWILL MESSAGE I happily congratulate my Alma Mater, the Great St Peter Seminary Yola and my fellow Old boys as we participate actively in the formation and inauguration of Old Seminarians Association of Nigeria. (OSAN). May God who has started this good work in us bring it to a fruitful end. SIGNED: Professor Maxwell Gidado (SAN) Chief of Staﬀ Adamawa State Government Yola. CLASS OF 1977 St Peter Seminary Yola.

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FELICITATIONS I, Mr Nuel Anosike (Onwa) hereby salute my great friend and brother Chinedu Francis Akubueze Esq, clerk, House of Representatives Abuja and President Old Seminarians Association of Nigeria (OSAN) as you and your members inaugurate your great association today. May God who gave you the initiative for this Old Seminarians Association of Nigeria, make it prosper for the good of our nation and humanity. Signed: Mr Nuel Anosike

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The Management of Tovist Integrated Service Limited felicitate with Old Seminarians Association of Nigeria OSAN on the suspicious occasion of their inauguration Uzowuihe Emeka MD/CEO

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Prince & Princess Estate

Frater Chris Nonyelum (The Great JIMBAZZ) Wishes to congratulate the Management Committee of Old Seminarians Association of Nigeria (OSAN) led by Frater Chinedu Francis Akubueze on the historical inauguration of Old Seminarians Association of Nigeria (OSAN) today. You have shown that OSAN is made of men of Character. God will bless us and increase the Capacity of OSAN ! I SALUTE YOU BROTHERS SIGNED: Chris Nonyelum

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OSAN ANTHEM Salve Regina mater miseri cordiae, vita, dulcedo et spes nostra salve Ad te clamamus, exsules ﬁlii Hevae Ad te suspiramis gementes et ﬂentes in hac lacrimarum valle Eia ergo advocata nostra, illos tuos miseri cordes oculos ad nos converte Et Jesum benedictum fructum ventris tui nobis post hoc exsilium ostende O clemens, o pia, o dulcis virgo Maria

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NOTE

Congratula ons

Engr (Dr) Epi Okoye C. Alex (JP), Akunedozi Obi na Alor Epi-Global Congratulates Chinedu Francis Akubueze ESQ, Clerk, House of Representatives and President, Old Seminarians Association of Nigeria (OSAN) on the historic inauguration of your noble association today. I and entire Alor are proud of your achievements. We say congratulations. Signed: Engr Dr Epi Okoye C. Alex

GOODWILL MESSAGE

It is indeed with great delight and excitement that I felicitate and rejoice with the Chairman of Old Seminarians Association of Nigeria (OSAN), Barr. Chinedu Akubueze, Ancestors, Patrons, OSAN Executives/Management and entire members of Old Seminarians Association of Nigeria on the occasion of our inauguration.May our good Lord continue to shower us with His blessings so that we can record more fruitful results in the future. Gratulationes fratribus.BARR. AFAM DAMIAN ONWUANYI.(Lawyer, Political Scientist, Corporate Consultant).New York (USA).Johannesburg (South Africa)

BARR. AFAM DAMIAN ONWUANYI