Valentine Ozigbo, a Nigerian business mogul and philanthropist, encourages Nigerians to remain positive and find reasons to be grateful despite the past year’s sad events.
In a statement titled, “Walking into 2021 with Abundance of Positivity and Awareness” and signed by Mr. Ozigbo on Friday, January 1, 2021, the respected business leader declared that he was looking forward to an eventful year and provided insights to his governorship ambition in his home state of Anambra.
“So, we have closed the door on 2020. The year ushered in one of the worst pandemics the world has seen in decades and even as it comes to an end, the second wave of the pathogen in raging in many countries, and Nigeria is not exempt,” Ozigbo wrote.
He outlined the various challenges in Nigeria, including the unrest following the #EndSARS protests, insecurity in the Northern part of the country, and the economic recession.
“Indeed, this was one of the most tumultuous and challenging years,” he declared. “But, no matter how dark things get, there’s always a reason to be grateful.”
Ozigbo, who is the immediate past President and Group CEO of Transcorp Plc, recommended that Nigerians adopt the spirit of gratitude in 2021 and listed the scientifically proven benefits of giving thanks.
He also revealed that he would be publishing two new books in the first quarter of the new year and expressed excitement as he looked forward to “raising my people’s consciousness about the richness and profoundness of positive human connections”.
Valentine Ozigbo also mentioned that 2021 is a defining year for Anambra people as they would be going to the polls to elect a new leader.
“I am excited about the prospects before us to re-chart the trajectory of leadership in our state. I believe that by November when the governorship election will hold, the choices before my people will be clear,” he wrote.
“Either to cling to the same old dysfunctional, ineffectual, and divisive leadership that has crippled our social systems and stalled our growth; or to choose a brand new path by selecting a fresh leader with an abundance of competence and compassion to lead them into a brighter future.
“I am placing my bets on the collective intelligence of the Anambra people to choose right. It is this hope in our humanity that drives my quest to lead my people.
“It is my unshakable belief that we can do better as a people that keeps me fueled. It is my grand vision for Ndi Anambra that propels me in this quest,” he wrote in the statement in part.
Ozigbo, the founder of the eponymously named Valentine Chineto Ozigbo, VCO, Foundation, one of the leading non-governmental organisations in Nigeria, ended the statement by saying a prayer wishing everyone a prosperous year.
