Admin l Friday, Dec. 17, 2021
ABUJA, Nigeria – The Chairman of United of Bank of Africa (UBA) and Heirs Holdings Ltd, an investment company with interests in various sectors, Mr. Tony Elumelu, has vowed to support Start-Rite schools, Abuja, in the area of entrepreneurship and empowerment.
Elumelu, African foremost entrepreneur and philanthropist, made the pledge while speaking at the maiden memorial lecture of Amaka Ndoma-Egba, wife of former Senate Leader, Distinguished Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba held at Start-Rite schools.
Start – Rite schools was founded by the late Amaka Ndoma-Egba who died in a ghastly motor accident on the Ore-Okitipupa Road in Ondo State last year.
The renowned economist who was the chairman of the occasion and guest speaker at the memorial lecture with the theme: “Leadership, Legacy and Change”, revealed that Amaka had worked with him as a pioneer staff of Standard Trust Bank which later merged with UBA.
In the words of Elumelu, “Amaka and I worked together. She was one of the pioneer staff of Standard Trust Bank. For those who don’t know, today’s UBA was Standard Trust Bank before. What we have today as UBA was made possible by our pioneer staff, and the late Amaka Ndoma-Egba was one of them. So we can’t have an event like this in her honour and I will not be there. She unarguably lives forever in our mind because we love her.
“Late Amaka Ndoma-Egba did not only work with me closely but demonstrated something that was uncommon during her time. She pushed hard for result. There was no impossibility in her dictionary.
“I could still remember when I needed to interview her myself immediately she took night bus from Onitsha to Lagos for the interview. And for me that was early signs that she had determination and would go far. So, I’m not surprised with what I’m seeing here today. My only regret is that she’s not here to conduct me round the school and other facilities. I am particularly happy that Start-Rite school participated in the recent Microsoft examination, and one of the students scored 100 per cent. That’s wonderful and impressive.”
Continuing, he added: “At Tony Elumelu Foundation, which is my personal commitment to leadership and entrepreneurship development, we try to catch talents and potential at young age. Once that is done, we educate, empower and expose them to necessary opportunities so that collectively, we would make a great society.
“We believe that the best thing for people is to teach them how to feed and not to feed them. So, we would work together to see how Tony Elumelu Foundation and the UBA Foundation, which are committed to education and economic empowerment, can support the legacy of late Ndoma-Egba to turn these young ones into entrepreneurs, thereby, creating future billionaires out of them. This is because the future of Nigeria and the world belong to them, and we would support them.”
Unveiling the Victor & Amaka Ndoma-Egba Foundation (VANEF) at the event, the former Senate Leader said: “My wife was a builder of human beings; she built more human beings than structures. In our house, nobody is called house girl or boy. Everyone who entered our house became part of the family and all of them were graduates in the end.
“Soon after she was buried I asked for the list of those Amaka was training – because I know that she used to pick children. She loves roasted corn and pears. She will stop to buy roasted corn and pears and she will end up picking a child. The young lady who sang this evening is one of the girls Amaka picked and she is a member of our household. So, you can imagine the talent that otherwise would have been wasted.
“They brought the list of four typed pages of those that Amaka was training. Amaka as you know was very full of life. But in spite of that, she died suddenly. I could die suddenly. Then what happens to the names on the four sheets of paper.
“Their dreams would also have died. And I said no! I know we could do something to ensure that the names on the four typed pages get the kind of education Amaka wished for them whether I’m alive or dead and the only way to do so is to institutionalize the support. And the only way to institutionalize that is by creating the Victor and Amaka Ndoma-Egba Foundation which we believe would survive both of us.”
A memorial mass was earlier held on the same day at the Church of Assumption Asokoro where the late Amaka was described in glowing terms by the officiating priests led by the Auxiliary Bishop of Abuja, Most Rev. Dr. Anselm Umoren.
