– Relaunches Clement Okonkwo Onyechi Foundation
The expansive events hall of Marriot Hotels, Ikeja, Lagos, was filled to the brim and reverberated with accolades, as dignitaries from all walks of life paid glowing tributes to Pharm. (Sir) Ike Onyechi, managing director of Alpha Pharmacy and Stores, as he marked his 70th birthday.
The colourful event, which began with praise and worship, was chaired by former Minister of Health and Chairman of Juli Plc, Pharm. (Prince) Julius Adelusi-Adeluyi.
Also in attendance were guests drawn from the pharmaceutical industry, the Abatete community, Full Gospel Business Men’s Fellowship international (FGBMFI), as well as friends, associates and family members of the celebrant from different parts of the world.
In his exhortation and opening remarks, Adelusi-Adeluyi, paid glowing tributes to the celebrant for his outstanding achievements in life, which, he said, had been made possible by dint of hard work and the special grace of God.
The chairman noted that, while the average life expectancy in Nigeria is 55, the celebrant had been able to attain 70 years, in good health, by the special grace of God.
Addressing the celebrant, he said, “Of course, we know that the Nigerian situation is far from the desirable. A country like Japan has 85; even Kenya down there has 67.
“Out of 193 countries, Nigerian ranks 190 in global life expectancy. So, we congratulate you. May that grace of God continue to reside with you.”
Stressing that a good life is better than a long one, the former health minister charged the celebrant to continue to live a good life. He also advised him not to rest on his oars but continue to set new goals for himself that will benefit not only his immediate community but the rest of humanity.
Adelusi-Adeluyi, who noted that the celebrant had blessed many people, prayed for more blessings of God upon him, his family and his business.
The founder of ST & T Regency International Schools, Lagos, Pharm. (Dr) Margret Ibru, in her remarks, paid glowing tribute to Onyechi for his integrity and consistency in business and religious life. She added that the celebrant was enjoying the grace of God which had led to succes in every aspect of his life.
Also speaking at the event, a close associate of the celebrant and former president of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa, quotating from the biblical book of Proverbs 22:29 described Onyechi as a quintessential diligent man, who believes in the dignity of honest labour and the ensuing rewards.
The former PSN helmsman particularly extolled Onyechi’s humility and willingness to learn at every stage of his life. This, he said, combined with the grace of God to make him excel in his personal and business life.
Speaking further, Ohuabunwa said, “Ike is faithful to God. He is one man who is not presumptuous about his standing with God. He wants to review and renew himself every day and be sure he is standing strong. He is constantly mirroring himself to be sure runs this race faithfully to the end.”
In his speech at the event, the celebrant, Pharm.(Sir) Onyechi appreciated all who came to identify and celebrate with him. He recalled, with nostalgia, his humble beginning in the rural community of Abatete, in Anambra State, and how the opportunity of attending a good school as a child helped him to identify his path in life.
He recalled the story behind Alpha Pharmacy and explained that the company was established during a period of national healthcare challenge, triggered by the scarcity some ethical drugs.
This challenge, he said, motivated him to go as far as possible in search of the much needed drugs. This, according to him, made Alpha grow to become the leading supplier of rare ethical drugs in Nigeria, providing the much needed solution for patients and healthcare practitioners.
“We did this with a heart of empathy because our purpose was to meet people at the point of their need, while embracing best practices,” he added.
Onyechi also noted that the opportunity of working with a German company, Hoesch, provided him the privilege of linkage with some parent companies abroad. He revealed that this, coupled with the grace of God and the commitment of his team, helped him to grow the company and achieve things which were seemingly above the company’s capacity.
He highlighted the important roles which Alpha Pharmacy played during the COVID-19 pandemic, through the supply of ventilators and incubators. He added that, apart from rare ethical pharmaceuticals and medical equipment, the company has also diversified into farming and real estate, in order to meet the needs of Nigerians and further stabilise Alpha’s operations.
Aside from the cutting of the glamorous birthday cake and the presentation of a video documentary in honour of the celebrant, a major highlight of the events was the introduction of the Clement Okonkwo Onyechi (COO) Foundation to the audience by Pharm. Chidi Okoro.
The Foundation, which was revealed to have been established by the celebrant, in honour of his father, started in 1989 as an unregistered company, called COET, before metamorphosing into COO, in 2009.
Okoro announced that, amongst other so many other achievements, the COO had provided scholarship to all cadre of students and had built a vocational centre, in Abatete, to empower residents through skill acquisition programmes and other forms of charity.
