Obi, who spoke to the students during their 2020 graduation ceremony, reminded them that with the basic education they have so far acquired, they are well equipped for success in life.
The former Anambra State Governor explained that tertiary education, though equally important, is not compulsory for an individual to succeed in life. He maintained that basic education, which remains the right of every child, is enough to propel one into a successful future.
Obi told the students: “As you journey on in life, I wish to remind you that you already have the basic education you need for success in life. Some of the greatest inventors and achievers we know only had basic education. People like Mercedes Jellinek and Karl Benz, the founders of Mercedes-Benz; Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple Inc; Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook; Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft, never had university education before they achieved global recognition for themselves. You have no reason to fail now.”
Obi reminded the graduands of the need to always give back to society by supporting others in any way they can. He said it was his passion for education that made him visit their school to encourage them, just as he had done in many other schools.
In his words, “Always try to support one another on your way to the top. Help anyone you can help and be a blessing to your generation.”
Appreciating Obi for his kind words of encouragement to the students, the Executive Director of Grundtvig International Secondary School, Oba, Dr Kachi A. Ozumba, confirmed that Obi had always been passionate about education. He said Obi’s landmark achievements as the Governor of Anambra State, in area of education are laudable. Dr Ozumba recounted Obi’s support to the school for which they remain grateful.
“Obi has always been a blessing to our school and to education in general. His support to us, both financial and otherwise, have helped us a lot. We appreciate him today, as always, for finding time to share his knowledge with our graduating students,” Dr Ozumba said.
Grundtvig International Secondary School was inspired by the Danish Education-for-Life philosopher, Bishop N. F. S. Grundtvig (1783 – 1872), and founded in 1998 by Dr Kachi E. Ozumba.