Anioma Forum honours Odogwu, commends entrepreneurship, philanthropy
The Anioma Professionals Forum at the weekend honoured renowned industrialist and elder statesman, Chief Sunny Iwedike Odogwu, with the Lifetime Award as outstanding personality of the decade. The honour was bestowed on Odogwu for his pivotal role in promoting enterprenurship, philanthropy and nation building.
Speaking at the ceremony in Lagos, the Forum’s President, Ikem Nkenchor, said the organisation, which is made up of professionals of Anioma origin in Delta state, said Odogwu was chosen for the honour after a careful study of his unique achievements in industrialization, philanthropy and nation building.
Nkenchor further stressed that Odogwu’s over five decades dominance in business, covering Insurance, hospitality ,manufacturing, Real estate and human capital sectors, has made him a world class industrialist of repute,adding that Odogwu is a pioneer and doyen of the Insurance industry in West Africa having started his career in the sector.
The association’s President, however, frowned at a recent advertisement in the Guardian of Monday , December 5, 2016 where a property of a company Odogwu has shares in ,Robert Dyson &Diket was put up for sale over a controversial debt that was still a subject of litigation in the Appeal Court, Lagos.
He, however, commended the counsel to Robert Dyson &Diket Limited , Chief Anthony Idigbe(SAN)for promptly countered the advertisement on Friday, December 9,2016 in the Guardian that the said property at Ikoyi , Lagos was not for sale, with a warning, Caveat Emptor(Buyer Beware)
He disclosed that it was learnt that the parties in the suit, Robert Dyson & Diket Limited and Diamond Bank were already ending talks to resolve the issues and shame detractors.
Nkechor added: ”Let it be stated without doubts that Chief Odogwu is a man of integrity and honour who has over 50years built a reputation as a trusted and responsible businessman and has businesses spread across Asia, Europe, Africa ,America and assets abroad are valued at over one billion U.S dollars.
“More importantly, his business dealings are also guarded by best ethical practices. Moreover, Odogwu is building a five star hotel in his home town Asaba, Delta State, valued at about 160 million U.S dollars which will create jobs for the teeming unemployed youths when opened in April 2017.Moreover, at over 85 years Odogwu is still investing and helping people. In all these business ventures, Odogwu’s companies have continued to meet their financial obligations with honour and abhor debts of any form.”
He continued “In the area of philanthropy having initiated scholarship and health care schemes in the past three decades for indigent students and the sick where more than 5000 persons have benefitted from the schemes.”
Nkenchor said, instead of being envious of Odogwu who has contributed immensely to the economic development of Nigeria and beyond, people should learn from his unique entrepreneurship and enduring legacies.
