STUDENTS EMPLOYABILITY & ENTREPRENEURIAL DEVELOPMENT SUMMIT 2022: Hon. Ikechukwu Ezeugwu Speaks On "The Realities Of Life After School"

Graduating from higher institutions comes with a lot of excitement and joy, but still abounds with a lot of uncertainty, as daily activities of school work give students purpose and illusions of life beyond college walls. This was the thrust of Hon. Ikechukwu Ezeugwu's lectures and interactions with the students of  both campuses of Peaceland College of Education Enugu and Peaceland College Of Health Emene assembled by the STUDENTS EMPLOYABILITY AND ENTREPRENEURIAL DEVELOPMENT SUMMIT'22 with the theme: "Concepts And Career Paths For Sustainable Development Of Enugu State Students" held at Mama Pia Auditorium, Peaceland College Of Education Enugu.

The Leader of Enugu State House of Assembly who served as the Special Guest Of Honor of the summit, Hon. Ikechukwu Ezeugwu PhD, made intriguing revelations on post-college life, hitting his illustrations on real life stories in simplest terms for the students consumption. As a modern day scholar, Hon Ezeugwu hinged his lectures on:

*Career Discovery

*Self-development 

*Discipline 

*Patience

*Integrity 

*Humility 

*Creativity

*Politics and etc.

Hon. Ezeugwu commenced his interactions with the students with questions such as "What do you want to do after school? Where do you see yourself in 5 years from now?" Students who came up with impressive answers were encouraged with instant cash prices from him which made the event become more interesting as students were eager to listen attentively, learn and come up with useful questions for the  honourable which made the session very interactive. 

According to Honourable Ikechukwu Ezeugwu, "When you're used to college life, transition into life after school can be difficult. Between transition phase, new adulthood difficulties and the shift from  college activities can be very disastrous when unprepared. Education is meant to shape you  into the  right direction, mold you  into a better person and prepare you for the realities of life after school. It's necessary that students discover their purpose earlier in life as this will eventually make them better employers  or employees,  husbands or wives  which would in the end bring about a better society.

"For Career Discovery; the youths should first of all, have a dying passion for what they want do, they should choose career for the joy they derive from it rather than the money attached, this will sustain them especially in trial times and inculcate discipline into them. They should also see beyond University Dichotomy, vis a vis Polytechnic stigma and explore their inner potentials molded by education through good morals, discover yourself and don't follow what others do".

Disagreeing slightly with employability thesis; Honourable Ezeugwu enjoined the students not to go to school with the sole aim of getting employed by anyone but rather to be able to solve  problems in the society and employ people to work for them, using himself as a case study and encouraging the students that they too can do it. "Dream to Employ not to be Employed as real men DON'T Earn Salary but Pay Salary".

Using the equilibrium of SUPPLY & DEMAND; Honourable Ezeugwu tasked the students to be hardworking as it will earn them a long run result. In his words; "there is no such thing  as luck per say, you can only have  gooduck if you're prepared when there is an opportunity . The preparation  starts by taking your studies and every of your dialy engagements very seriously and honestly"

About POLITICS; Honourable Ezeugwu stated boldly "Politics is not a Profession, you must have a  second address, this is my 11th year in active politics, I was long self-employed before venturing into politics, you need self-development which is birthed by quality education, good morals, financial freedom and experience to ascend public office, without the above, then what are you bringing to the table? Zero Experience? If you venture into politics empty and succeed in picking up a public office, you will bring  disaster into the system and the society will suffer it. Very importantly, you should also have an exit plan which implies leaving when the tempo is high and falling back to what you have accomplished before joining politics, without this, you will develope the  tendency of sit-tight-syndrome instead of leaving when the ovation is highest. 

"After today completely reevaluate your goals if you are yet to do so  as you prepare for life-after-college"

After his lectures, Honour Ikechukwu Ezeugwu was presented with Award Of Excellence For His Humanitarian Contributions in the Students Community by the Coalition Of Private Tertiary Institutions in Enugu State.

In His remark, the SUG President of Peaceland College Of Education Enugu, Comr. Prince Chukwudubem Aneke gladly stated "Ladies and gentlemen, my fellow students and valued guests, please permit me to briefly enlighten us with some of Honorable Ikechukwu Ezeugwu's Humanitarian Contributions to the Students Community .

His foundation is currently hosting over fourty Students on scholarship, some of these Students from his Scholarship Foundation have also been sponsored to postgraduate studies abroad. Ikechukwu Ezeugwu Foundation Sponsored and Donated a Bus to a Student-Volunteer Medical Outreach (The GburusCare Initiative). His Foundation also Donated a bus to NANS South East Zone. Hon Ezeugwu has recently extended it's Scholarship program to the entire southeast and Nasarawa State. He renovated a dilapidated Science Lab of his almer-mater, Ovoko Boys into an ultramodern standard Lab".

"These are just few of the things we can list from his support to Nigerian Students. The list is just too long and we don't have time to enumerate them"

"Beyond Students Community, Hon. Ikechukwu Ezeugwu has; Built a house for a widow.

Built a hall for his age grade and several other palliative support to widows.

Other guests at the summit included, Honorable Chima Obieze, Hon. Chukwuma Euphraim Okenwa , Mrs Okeke, CEO, AutoEase, Chuks E Okolo, CEO EbeanoMarket.Com, Engr. Paul I. Basil, CEO Horizontal, Hon. Mark Onuoha and many other leaders and entrepreneurs.