The Convener of Ihe Abia, Ichie Dr. Emeka Okpara has felicitated with Prof. Ihechukwu Chiedozie Madubuike, former Minister of Education in the Second Republic under President Shehu Shagari on the occasion of his 80th birthday celebration. According to Dr Okpara Prof. Madubuike contributed immensely to the growth of our education as it was during his tenure as Minister that so many giant strides were made. “Significantly, it was under his Ministership that the idea of universities of science and technology was conceived and he supervised the establishment of the first sets of universities of technology in Nigeria, notably; Federal Universities of Technology in Owerri, Minna, Yola and Makurdi. It was also under his watch that the idea of the National Open University of Nigeria, NOUN was conceived but it did not materialise at that time because of the abrupt end of the Second Republic arising from the military intervention in civil politics. Thankfully, the NOUN was later established to close the gap in higher education deficiencies in Nigeria”.
According to the statement Professor Madubuike would be honoured as part of his 80th birthday with a “compendium of literature on Igbo land by literary giants like him titled, REBUILDING IGBOLAND AND THE IGBOS IN NIGERIA: Essays in Honour of Professor Ihechukwu Madubuike at 80, edited by Professor Chinedum Nwajiuba, would be unveiled this July to highlight his unwavering and unrepentant commitment to the Igbo cause in a greater Nigeria.
“An accomplished author and academic, Prof. Madubuike has played very significant roles in the growth of education in Nigeria. He joined the faculty of Alvan Ikoku College of Education as a Principal Lecturer in 1973 after his return from the US and Canada where he studied and earned various degrees, including a doctorate degree. In 1979, he contested and won election to represent Okigwe State Constituency in the Imo State House of Assembly under the Nigerian Peoples Party, NPP and was appointed as Minister for Education following the NPN/NPP accord, but was to return to Imo State in 1981 when the accord collapsed. He was later appointed as a Commissioner in the Old Imo State and served until the end of the Second Republic in 1983.
“When General Sani Abacha became the Head of Government, Prof. Ihechukwu Madubuike was again appointed as Minister to head the Health Ministry and his stint in the ministry helped midwife the first Nigerian Health Summit which gave birth to a lot of innovations in the health sector that Nigerians are enjoying today.
Prof. Madubikue also served in the media following his appointment as Executive Director and Chairman, Editorial Board of Champion Newspapers; positions he used to uplift the practice of journalism in Nigeria and impart skills on the younger generation who now hold forte in the media industry”.
He established Ihechukwu Madubuike Institute of Technology in Isuochi which trains hands-on manpower for Nigeria’s industrial sector.
In recognition of his immense contributions to the growth of education in Nigeria, the Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu Alike, Ebonyi State conferred on him an Honorary Doctorate degree in 2018 and he was also conferred with the Officer of the Order of the Niger, OON in 2022 by the federal government of Nigeria as an honour for his contributions to the growth and development of the country.
Source: Drumnewsonline
