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Daberechukwu Egbo and Chetanne Chinelo, Enugu

A media platform, AfriChoice News, formerly Isiuzo News, has held the maiden edition of her Public Lecture and Awards.

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Organisers of the event which was held in Enugu on Saturday, December 9, 2023, established their media platform in 2020. For three years, AfriChoice has been an online media platform untill it began quarterly prints publication in August 2023.

The Public lecture with the theme “Community Service: Unveiling the Future of Grassroot Development”, held at Justice Cordelia Chukwura Hall, Faculty Of Law, Godfrey Okoye University, Emene, Enugu had the Keynote Speaker as Rev. Fr. Prof. Christian Anieke, Vice-Chancellor Godfrey Okoye Uni, Enugu, represented by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Dean of Law Faculty, Prof. Gozie Ogbodo.

While delivering the lecture, Prof. Gọzie Ogbodo discussed the significance of collective community service in grassroot development.

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“We belong to various communities and as members of the community, it is our duty to identify and take note of the needs of the community.

“When we have identified community needs, the next step is the collective efforts to solve these needs, which is service to the community, service which is different from employment, selfless service”

“Growing up, I have always been fascinated by one quote by John F. Kennedy, ‘Think not what your country can do for you rather what you can do for your country’.”

“We should all begin to develop a paradigm change of attitude and cultivate the idea of selfless service”.

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He highlighted that community development begins with identifying community needs, addressing community needs and serving the community.

He concluded the lecture with charging everyone especially the youths to make a collective decision to serve and develop the community in other to make the community a better place for today and posterity.

Earlier at the event, Mr. Christopher Chidiebere Uwakwe, Director of Entrepreneurship Studies GO University, discussed the need for disruptive thinking in community development.

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“One of the biggest achievements I can boast of as a teacher is the ability to impact young ones with the hands-on training we give to them.

“These trainings turn their mindsets from job seekers to job creators, it gives them opportunity to learn disruptive thinking, how to think outside the box.”

He stressed that entrepreneurship is one way to be disruptive in thinking, market ideas to people and compel them to do things.

“Entrepreneurship is not complete if you don’t think about how to contribute to the growth of the society and the best way to contribute to the society is to solve problems in the society and not create problems.”

Other speakers at the event were the representative of the Spiritual Father of the Day, Ven. Dr. Emeka Eze; the Royal Father of the Day, HRH. Igwe Engr Sam Ogbodo, the Chairman of Isi-Uzo Council of Traditional Rulers and Mr. E.A Grahams, Founder of Foreign Language Speakers Society and Immediate past Enugu State Chairman, Association of Private School Owners, Nigeria.

The Publisher of AfriChoice News, Comrade Ebuka Onah expressed gratitude to the resource persons and guests.