Isichei Osamgbi, a deputy director and Head of Public Relations at Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has been installed the 33rd president of the Rotary Club in Ikoyi, Lagos.
He succeeded Rotarian Oladele Ojogbede, promising to expand the good works of the Rotary Club Ikoyi, as it has done in the last three decades.
At the investiture ceremony at the weekend, former Petroleum Secretary, Chief Philip Asiodu, said that Nigeria would overcome most of her socio-economic challenges if the public servants adhere to 50 per cent of the Four Way Test of the Rotary Club.
Asiodu, a Special Guest of Honour noted that the Four Way Test of the Rotary International embraced by all its clubs deals with issues of principle and dedication to work and would be of great advantage in a developing nation, if applied in the delivery of service.
The Rotary Four Way Test is encapsulated in four questions: (1) Is it the Truth? (2) Is it Fair to all concerned ?(3) Will it build goodwill and better Friendship? and (4) Will it be beneficial to all concerned?
Asiodu said the questions address issues of incompetence, lack of dedication and quality service delivery which adversely affect the public service.
According to him, the country would be better off by 50 years if her public servants would adhere to the principles of the 4-way test of the Rotary Club in their day-day activities in the country. He argued that with the abundance of human and natural resources, most of which are yet untapped, Nigeria should have done better than she is doing currently.
“Nigeria has a unique geographical location, scores of untapped natural resources and 3, 000 miles away from the European market compared to her Asian counterparts, who are 11, 000 miles from the European market and yet she has not been able to utilise the advantage of this geographical location to the advantage of her citizens”, he said regrettably.
Chairman of the occasion, Ogbueshi Alban Ofili-Okonkwo, Chairman of Autobahn Technique Ltd, noted that applying the Rotary Four Way Test in picking leaders in the country the way Rotary does, will go a long in helping build a healthy nation of quality leaders.
Former Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and later Education Professor Viola Onwuliri who was the Guest Lecturer decried the vulnerability of the girl child in Nigeria, saying that proper education and training would go a long way in addressing this national problem.
Prof Onwuliri who spoke on the theme: “Empowering the Girl-“Child for Sustainable Development”, called for collaboration between Rotary Club and other relevant bodies to give the child her rightful place in society.
She said no nation will make any meaningful progress when it relegates its female folk to the background.