Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson will speak at the 16th Anyiam-Osigwe Annual Llecture Series, it has been learnt.
The lecture series will hold on March 27.
Acting Coordinator-General of the Osigwe Anyiam-Osigwe Foundation, George Anyiam-Osigwe, said Johnson will analyse the central theme of the lecture, ‘Rehumanising Human Experience’, and proffer solutions to some of the global challenges afflicting the world, and local issues kindling citizens’ frustrations and hostility.
Anyiam-Osigwe said the choice of Johnson, though controversial, but was picked for his unconventional vigour and pragmatic knowledge in confronting world knotty domestic and global problems such as Brexit, COVID-19.
Also speaking, Charles Anyim-Osigwe said the event will be chaired by former Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, while Governor Sanwo-Olu would speak on how he intends to return the love and unity as it was before the 2023 governorship election. He noted that the ethnic and religious undertone which the just concluded election threw up requires healing for Lagos to be whole again.
“Well, this is the core essence of the 16th edition. Our choice of Boris is because of the essentiality of the topic. As important as being a complete and loving human with feelings for people and empathy for one another, it is the hot burner topic in today’s world.
“The recent experience of our recently concluded elections is even bringing to fore the lack of human empathy. Going up in the 60’s there was no iota of tribal identity. We were just young children growing up in love and peace.
“There were no issues of religious identity. Where have we lost it? It’s for this reason that the foundation thought it germane to look at these critical issues. This is a very important subject on how to take practical steps to Re-Humanize human existence,” he said. On the other hand, Kennedy Anyiam-Osigwe noted that though it is a tough decision for the family but the family decided to proceed in honour of the desire of the late imporant family member who was part of the planning before her demise.
“Peace was our only sister and the last of eight children. When our brother Michael passed on 8 years ago, we took a break because it affected us. For almost eight years, we tried to analyze a lot of things in our hearts.
“Our father was a philosopher but he never talked to us about death. He said life is life alone and that personality transcends death and that there is nothing like death. Peace, our dear sister of blessed memory was very involved in this.
“This lecture was meant to have been held last year November before she passed on this year January. She was a champion of going back to what we know how to do. It’s just barely up to a month since we laid her to rest but I can tell you it’s not easy without her. It’s not. She was a pillar and an important member of the family”.