Enugu State Governor, Barrister Peter Mbah will be leading other eminent personalities, to grace the investiture of Rotarian Emeka Ibe as the 56th President of Rotary Club of Ikeja and induction of the Board of Directors for the new 2023/2024 Rotary Year.
Other personalities included Chairman of Ikeja Local Government, Dr. Mojeed Alabi Balogun; former Managing Director of First Bank Merchant Bank, Chief Chilo Offiah; former General Manager of the then Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Barrister David Ogbodo; Dr. Jeff Nnamani; and Prince Okenna Afamefuna.
The investiture, which is scheduled to take place on Sunday at the Oranmiyan Hall, Lagos Airport Hotel, Obafemi Awolowo Way, Ikeja, is targeted at raising funds for humanitarian services. Pro-Chancellor/Chairman of the Governing Council of the Enugu State University of Medical and Applied Sciences, Igbo-Eno, Prof. Obiora Ike will be the Guest Speaker. A Monsignor, he is also a scholar and philanthropist.
In a statement by the club’s Director of Public Image, Rotarian Segun Adebowale, the club would also confer honorary membership and bestow awards of recognition for commitment to humanitarian activities on Chief Kingsley Eze, Balogun, Dr. Offiah, Major General Vic Ezugwu (rtd.), Dr. Ogbodo, Nnamani and Afamefuna.
While identifying his focus areas in the new Rotary year, the club president said he would concentrate on the seven areas of focus of Rotary International, including mental health, which was recently introduced by the 2023-24 President of Rotary International, Mr. Gordon McInally.
According to Ibe: ‘’The seven areas of focus plus one will be weaved around the Rotary themes for each month. Rotary gives succor to the needy and within this year we would use our talent, time and treasure to give a hand to the needy in the society.
“More importantly, we would key in to the primary areas of focus of our District Governor, Rotarian Ify Ejezie, which are fortifying the Rotary Foundation and telling the Rotary story in a beautiful manner”.’
He further said: “Again the RI President, Mr. Mclnally introduced the eighth area of focus which centers on Mental health. This topic is apt because recent research has shown that we have far many people with mental challenges that require urgent attention other than the mad people we see daily on the streets. We would also delve into that within the Rotary year via seminars to educate the populace on the ways of managing issues that adversely affect our mental health”.’
Ibe, a quintessential chartered accountant, financial consultant and tax expert was born to the family of Papa Anthony Jideije Ibe (of blessed memory) and Mrs. Cordelia Udegbu Ibe in 1964. He started his academic journey immediately after the civil war in 1970. He had both his primary and secondary school education in Enugu.
He obtained his West African School Certificate at Christ High School, Abor, Enugu State in 1980, and passed many of the subjects with distinction obtaining a Grade One. He studied accountancy at Federal Polytechnic, Idah where obtained a HND certificate with flying colours. He served his fatherland at Cross River State in 1987. He later bagged an MBA in Business Administration from the University of Calabar and later an MSc in Accountancy from Enugu State University of Technology Business School. He has been offered an admission by the same university to commence his doctorate programme.
Ibe has had an exciting career in both the public and private sector of the economy. He is the Managing Consultant of Valid Points Consulting, a firm that plays crucial roles for its clients in accounting system automation and e-gov. He is also a Principal Consultant to African Capital Market Consultants, a firm that consults for players in the Nigerian Capital Market and Cross Boarder Listing.
He is fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, and also a member of Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria, and Enugu State Professionals Chapel. He is a member of Knights of Saint John’s International, Ikeja Golf Club and currently the Chairman of Hilltop Club 1972, Lagos, an elite club that comprise quintessential sons of Enugu State who are captains of industry, technocrats and business tycoons in Lagos State.
The new Rotarian president holds the chieftaincy title of Ezenwata, is a member of the Igwe cabinet in his town, Aguobu Owa, Enugu State. He is happily married to Mrs. Ifeoma Joyce Emeka-Ibe and they are blessed with lovely children.
