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Being a Rotarian President: The Beauty of Our Dreams! By Max Amuchie
Valedictory Speech Delivered By Rotarian Max Amuchie On the Occasion of Handover & Award Night of the Rotary Club of Abuja CBD on July 1, 2023 At AGNL Events Centre, Gudu, Abuja
Dear CBD Icons,
District officers present,
Past Assistant Governors,
Synergy Presidents, guests and friends of Rotary
I welcome you all to this occasion to mark the end of one Rotary Year and the beginning of another.
I am the 6th president of our club and today I will hand over to President Aisha Ali, who becomes our 7th president. In doing that we are following the tradition put in place by our founding father, Paul Percy Harris, when he brought together three of his friends (later a fourth friend joined) in Chicago in 1905 to start what has turned out to be the largest humanitarian organisation in the world with a seat in the United Nations.
It is true that we act locally in our communities but as Rotarians we are global citizens united in the ideal of service, service to humanity, service to mankind, service to our communities, service to impact lives, service to ensure sustainable social progress.
Rotary as we know is a non-religous and non-political organisation that emphasises diversity, equity and inclusion. However, personally, my interest in Rotary after I stumbled on the Four-way Test, has been largely influenced by my background as a Catholic, where Corporal Works of Mercy is a doctrinal requirement.
Just as Rotary has Seven Areas of Focus, the Corporal Works of Mercy is made up of seven acts of charity: to feed the hungry, to give drink to the thirsty, to clothe the naked, to give shelter to travellers, to visit the sick, to visit the imprisoned, and to bury the dead. Are these not what we do in Rotary?
We can, therefore, see that Rotary and one’s faith find a nexus in humanitarian causes.
I have also often wondered if the paths of Paul Harris (1868 -1947) and St. Josemaría Escriva crossed. St. Josemaría was a Spanish Roman Catholic priest, who lived from 9 January 1902 to 26 June 1975.
He founded Opus Dei, an organisation of lay people and priests dedicated to the teaching that everyone is called to holiness by God and to discover sanctity in their ordinary lives. He was canonised in 2002 by Pope John Paul II.
The essence of Josemaría Escriva’s teaching is that you don’t necessarily need to be a priest to be called to holiness, that whatever vocation (in Rotary we say classification) you have you can be sanctified by it, you can be called to holiness by it.
For us in Rotary our membership is on the basis of our classification, which identifies us by the work we do, through which we can give our treasure and even our talent in service to humanity.
As one got deeper in Rotary and found a connection to one’s faith the passion increased and I took it as an article of faith that if I ever became club president I would use the position to impact lives in our adopted community, Gidan Gimba.
Gidan Gimba is a small, serene, almost sleepy community located on the stretch where you have a popular rendezvous called Zimbabwe on the expressway that leads to Keffi, Nasarawa State from Abuja. Since our club was chartered in 2016, apart from annual outreach programmes during which time we donated food items, used clothes, did Polio immunisation and funded skill acquisition scheme, the only visible project we have executed there is construction of a borehole, which was started by our Charter President, Salome Garba and completed by Past President Yelwa Abubakar, our third president. In our strategic plan as a club we were to build a health centre and classroom block at different times.
However, following a needs assessment we undertook in the community shortly before the Imagine Rotary Year commenced, it became clear that an intervention was urgently needed in the Central Primary School, Gidan Gimba, the only public primary school in that community. Only a block of two classrooms was standing to serve the whole school the day we visited. There was no toilet in the school. Both the pupils and staff including the headteacher, a lady, had been practising open defecation.
With the authority of the Board, we declared as our star project for the 2022-2023 Rotary Year the construction of a block of two classrooms, a headteacher’s office and a block of three toilets in the primary school.
On 17 September 2022 we performed the groundbreaking ceremony of the project. I was personally touched by the kind words of the Sarkin Gidan Gimba and the people of the community and the pupils and staff of the school. We got to 60% completion of the main school project and decided to focus on the toilets when it became clear that we wouldn’t be able to complete the entire project before the end of the Imagine Rotary Year. The school now has a block of three modern toilets, which was commissioned on 23 June 2023.
I personally took something away from the completion and commissioning of the Gidan Gimba toilets. Tenacity of purpose pays. Inspirational leadership is also key. In May 2023 our Board had approved that an outreach programme be undertaken in Gidan Gimba and June 10 was fixed as date. Shortly after, a discussion ensued as to the propriety of having an outreach programme in the community when the people never said they needed handouts. We had raised a little over a N100,000 in donations for the outreach project.
All through the night I thought about it and decided that building the toilet for the school would be more impactful than having just an outreach project. I consulted some members of our Community Service Committee and the first two people I spoke to said they would double their donation if we were to do the toilets. That was the motivation I needed. We went back to the Board and got approval to do the toilets. We went on fund drive and within two weeks we were able to bring the donation to nearly N800,000. Now the school has toilets to serve the girls, the boys and the staff. We have ended open defecation in Central Primary School, Gidan Gimba, Karu LGA, Nasarawa State.
I must specially thank Rotarian Eucheria Ekweozoh, a Past Assistant Governor of our District, who first made initial donation for the construction of the toilets; our Foundation Chair, Past President Tina Okhumhale, whose unflinching support made a difference and PAG Evelyn Onyilo, the Community Service Director, who started the fundraising effort and made the first donation.
I believe President Aisha Ali already has her job clearly cut out for her. Our club members will expect the completion of the block of classrooms and headteacher’s office before the end of the 2023-2024 Rotary Year.
Since 1905 when Harry Ruggles introduced songs at Rotary meetings, songs have become a constant feature in Rotary fellowships. We launched our club’s first songbook on 2nd December 2022 to coincide with our 6th anniversary and it has since become a reference songbook among other Rotarians who have visited our club. Before then we had just copies of an information booklet that contained Rotary information and few songs.
With a view to building an institution we honoured the five past presidents who were my predecessors. Rotarian Salome Garba, now a Past Assistant Governor, is our Charter President. Rotarian Martins Odeh, whom we call General, was the second president. He was followed by Rotarian Yelwa Abubakar, who graciously agreed to serve as my Vice President and in the 2023-2024 Rotary Year, has been appointed Legal Officer for District 9125 by our District Governor, Rotarian Ahmed Sagab.
Past President Yelwa Abubakar was succeeded by Rotarian Ganiyu Daramola, under whom I first served as treasurer combined with the position of President-nominee. Rotarian Anne Uche Obi, who I took over from as president and under who I also served as treasurer for the second time consecutively even as President-elect, was our fifth president. She is now an Assistant Governor in our District 9125.
They were honoured in appreciation of what they have done individually and collectively to get the Rotary Club of Abuja CBD to the level it is now.
At the occasion three eminent Rotarians were honoured with Lifetime Achievement Awards. They are Rotarian Evelyn Onyilo, who started our club and has continued to give valuable advice; Rotarian Leke Adepeju, doyen of music in Rotary and Rotarian Joshua Hassan, a Past District Governor, who played a major role in the chattering of our club.
We started the Imagine Rotary Yearbwith 53 members. We were strategic in looking for members. We got nine new members and lost two old members. Rtn Sarah Ogunsanya, PHF, passed on and was buried in Abuja in December 2022. Another member voluntarily quit Rotary for personal reasons, bringing our current membership to 60.
We are leaving the Rotary Club of Abuja CBD better than we met it. For the first time in the history of our club we initiated a project in a Rotary Year, completed and commissioned it before the end of that Rotary Year. We have refocused our club in the direction of meaningful service projects that have great impact on the lives of the community we serve. That is Paul Harry’s vision which Rotarians are called to uphold.
The duty of president of a Rotary club is onerous but the task is always easier if the president enjoys the suport of Board and club members. I benefitted immensely from the co-operation of both my Board and our club members. I will like to thank Past President Yelwa Abubakar, who agreed to serve as vice president because of the implicit confidence she had and still has in me. In very testing situations her experience became very valuable. Rtn Lauratu Yenwan, PHF, the secretary, learnt quickly as a new Rotarian and proved to be a dependable and loyal board member. Another new Rotarian, Patricia Yakubu, PHF, whom we all call Delegate, did so much to support us. I’m also grateful to Rotarian Kate Sambo-Adamu, PHF, who is now President-elect; Rtn Ezekiel Zang, PHF, Rtn Debbie Usman, Rtn Teresa Ameh, Rtn Dan Ayegba, all our board members and indeed all our club members and friends.
My predecessor, Anne Uche Obi, was very helpful very early in our Rotary Year. Our investiture on 22 July 22 would have been a very challenging engagement but for her intervention at a critical time.
I thank our President of Presidents, Rtn Emeka Iloegbunam, for his inspiring leadership; and Past President Nimi Lawrence of the Rotary Club of Karu Housing Estate, who always made himself available anytime I needed his help.
One cannot succeed in any undertaken if they don’t have the blessing of family. My wife, Mrs Vivian Amuchie, has been a huge pillar of support in my Rotary journey. Without her support I don’t think I would have been able to carry on.
Eleanor Roosevelt said “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams”. Rotary is an organisation that believes in the beauty of its dreams. It just doesn’t dream, it goes further to actualise those dreams, reason why for instance polio has almost become history in the world. In the Rotary Club of Abuja CBD we believe in the beauty of our dreams. We dreamt that we would end open defecation in Central Prinary School, Gidan Gimba and we made it happen. Our dream equally finds expression in the fact that in 2022-2023 we Imagined a World filled with possibilities and in 2023-2024 we are Creating Hope in the World. There is no person whom the cap fits better to take us to that world we envision than President Aisha Ali, a tested hand. She has served our club in various capacities and knows her way around the District. I have no doubt that we are leaving our club in safe hands.
Thank you
Rtn Max Amuchie,
Synergy President, 2022-23,
Rotary Club of Abuja CBD
News
Why Prominent Individuals Pay Premium for Online Credibility in the Digital Age – Ayobami Eruobami
As the global economy becomes increasingly digital, Eruobami Ayobami, Chairman of Erumedia Group & Charity Trust who also doubled as the founder of Pressford , has shared a bold perspective on the rising demand for online credibility and why individuals are now investing significantly to build it.
In a world dominated by platforms such as Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok, first impressions are no longer made in rooms but on screens.
“Credibility today is no longer something people wait to discover about you. It is something they search for instantly,” Ayobami stated. “If your digital presence does not validate your value, you are already at a disadvantage.”
This shift has transformed credibility into a high value digital asset one that professionals, founders, and public figures are now actively building through media exposure, strategic storytelling, and search visibility.
Erumedia Group: Building the Narrative Behind Credibility
As a Public Relations, communications and media company, www.erumediagroup.com focuses on shaping the foundation of credibility helping individuals and organizations define, structure, and communicate their stories with clarity and authority.
“Before visibility comes narrative. Many people struggle not because they lack value, but because they lack structured positioning,” Ayobami explained. “At Erumedia Group, we help clients refine their voice, their message, and the way they are perceived before they ever go public.”
Through brand development, storytelling strategy, and reputation positioning, the company ensures that credibility is not just visible but meaningful and consistent.
Pressford: Distributing Credibility at Scale
While narrative builds the core, Pressford plays a different role amplification.
As a press release distribution and digital PR platform, Pressford enables individuals and organizations to translate their credibility into verifiable public presence across media channels.
“Pressford exists because credibility must not only be built it must be seen, indexed, and validated publicly,” Ayobami said. “It gives individuals the infrastructure to show up in search results, in news mentions, and in conversations that matter.”
By making media visibility more accessible, Pressford addresses one of the biggest gaps in the digital credibility cycle: discoverability.
The Business of Being Seen
Ayobami notes that the increasing willingness to pay for credibility is not driven by vanity, but by necessity.
“Opportunities today are often given to those who appear prepared, visible, and validated. The market responds to perception before it investigates performance,” he stated.
However, he also warns against mistaking visibility for substance.
“If credibility is only built on aesthetics without real value behind it, it will fail. The goal is not to look credible it is to be credible and ensure that credibility is visible.”
A Shift That Cannot Be Ignored
As digital ecosystems continue to shape human interaction and business decisions, Ayobami believes the importance of intentional credibility building will only grow stronger.
“The future belongs to individuals who understand that credibility is not accidental. It is designed, positioned, and distributed,” he concluded.
Eruobami Ayobami is a Professional Public Relations Executive, Media Entrepreneur, Personal Brandinf Expert and communications strategist.
He Chairs Erumedia Group and Charity Trust and Founded Pressford. His work focuses on helping individuals and organizations build, structure, and amplify their digital credibility.
From Goodluck Jonathan, Nigeria’s former President, came a mild rebuke to Atiku Abubakar, former Vice President, who in assessing the quality of his six-year tenure as Nigerian leader, all but dismissed him as “inexperienced.”
Atiku, a guest of Prime Time, a public affairs programme on ARISE NEWS Television, last week, told his host that Jonathan was inexperienced, saying his tenure was marked by notable missteps.
“I know Goodluck Jonathan very well. He is a decent young man, but also inexperienced, and I believe that contributed to his inability to manage the affairs of the country, particularly when he was faced with challenges,” Atiku, currently chasing the number one job the former President exited in 2015 for the seventh time, said.
But in a measured riposte at the 2025 Association of Retired Career Ambassadors of Nigeria awards ceremony in Abuja on Monday, Jonathan, while acknowledging that he must have made some mistakes, argued that errors were inevitably with human beings as only God could be perfect,
Reacting to Atiku’s remarks, he told his audience: “So not too long ago, a very senior politician said, ‘Oh, Jonathan was too young and probably that’s why he made mistakes.’
“If I made mistakes, yes, nobody who becomes a governor or a president will say you did not make mistakes. Even when you promote yourself to the level of a god, you become a deity.
“All human beings must make mistakes. I became president in 2010 at the age of 53. I left in 2015 at the age of 58, and they say I was too young. Must it have been 100 years before I ran the affairs of the state?
“I’m talking to diplomats, so I can say that during my period, I knew what I did for us to appear in the UN Security Council two times… If I were so naive, I don’t think I would have been able to navigate through that process.”
Jonathan also spoke on regional affairs, warning that political instability remains a major obstacle to economic growth across West Africa. He stressed that without stable governance systems, meaningful development in the sub-region would remain elusive.
“We cannot progress economically if we are very unstable societies politically,” he said.
Jonathan noted that while the founders of ECOWAS envisioned strong economic cooperation, persistent political crises have hindered progress, particularly in enforcing democratic standards among member states.
“That means that ECOWAS must interfere with the internal affairs of the states, and the issue of sovereignty becomes a problem,” he said.
Jonathan urged leaders in the region to work collectively towards stability, saying, “The heads of states of ECOWAS must continue to work together and agree on concrete terms and make sure that the sub-region is politically stable.”
He added that economic integration efforts would falter without solid democratic institutions and called on Nigerian diplomats to properly document foreign policy experiences for future leaders.
Paying tribute to ECOWAS founders, including former Head of State Yakubu Gowon, Jonathan described the creation of the bloc in 1975 as a bold and necessary step toward regional unity and economic integration.
Gowon, who was also honoured at the event, recounted the origins of ECOWAS, linking its formation to post-war diplomatic engagements across West Africa.
According to him, “It was as a result of the various efforts of all Nigerians when we went through a very difficult period, and I had to go to the various countries to say thank you.”
He said discussions with regional leaders at the time led to a shared vision for broader cooperation.
“Why don’t we also think about having something that we can at least have in agreement for all of us when we are working together?” he said.
Gowon emphasised that ECOWAS was the product of collective effort rather than individual ambition, crediting government institutions and civil servants for its success.
“This would not have been possible without the support of all the staff of the Ministry of External Affairs and the Ministry of Economic Development,” he stated.
He added that the recognition bestowed on him should be shared widely.
“The honour that is being done to me today should really go back to all the staff that worked so hard to make sure that this became a reality,” he said.
Also speaking, the President of the Association of Retired Career Ambassadors of Nigeria, Joe Keshi, highlighted the importance of honouring excellence in diplomacy, noting that the awards celebrate dedication and service to Nigeria and the continent.
“Diplomacy is one profession where success is often invisible, reflected not by news coverage, but by maintained stability, prevented conflicts, cultivated partnerships,” he said.
Keshi noted that the event coincides with the 50th anniversary of ECOWAS, describing the organisation as “a bold experiment in regionalism,” and urged diplomats to adapt to evolving global challenges.
The Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Waheed Shaibu, also praised Gowon, describing him as a symbol of national unity and visionary leadership.
He said the recognition offers a chance to reflect on a legacy “defined by visionary leadership, courage, and unwavering commitment to the unity, stability, peace, and progress” of Nigeria.
Shaibu added that Gowon’s leadership reflected “patriotism, resilience, and a profound sense of duty,” while commending ARCAN for its continued contribution to diplomatic discourse and Nigeria’s global engagement.
After months of official hiatus, the Federal Government, on Tuesday finally got on the way with the trial of those fingered in the alleged plot to oust President Bola Ahmed Tinubu through a coup, including Timipre Sylva, former Minister of State for Petroleum.
The move, which apart from the former Governor of Bayelsa State, came with the filing of a 13-count charge before the Federal High Court, Abuja, against the alleged plotters including Mohammed Ibrahim Gana, a retired General in the Nigerian Army, Erasmus Ochegobia Victor, a retired Naval Captain, Ahmed Ibrahim, a serving police inspector, Zekeri Umoru, Bukar Goni, and Abdulkadir Sani.
Sylva, whose name surfaced as one of the plotters when the news first broke and believed to be the major financier of what would have led to another military government in Nigeria after the last ended in 1999, was listed as being at large – on the run.
The charge, filed on Monday by the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and signed by the Director of Public Prosecutions, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), accuses the defendants of offences ranging from alleged treason and terrorism to failure to disclose security intelligence and money laundering linked to terrorism financing.
The prosecution alleged that the defendants conspired in 2025 “to levy war against the state to overpower the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria”, an offence punishable under Section 37(2) of the Criminal Code.
The Federal Government further alleged that the defendants had prior knowledge of a planned treasonable act involving one Colonel Mohammed Alhassan Ma’aji and others, but failed to alert authorities.
Furthermore, the defendants were also accused, according to the charge, of, while “knowing that a treasonable act was intended to be committed, did not give information thereof with all reasonable despatch to either the President… or a peace officer.”
They were also accused of failing to take preventive steps and “did not use any reasonable endeavours to prevent the commission of the offence”.
Beyond treason, the defendants are facing terrorism-related charges of conspiracy under the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, as they “conspired with one another to commit an act of terrorism in the Federal Republic of Nigeria”.
Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim and Zekeri Umoru were specifically accused of attending meetings linked to the alleged plot “in a bid to further a political ideology which may seriously destabilise the constitutional structure of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
The charge also accused the defendants of providing support for terrorism, alleging that they “knowingly and indirectly rendered support” to facilitate acts of terror.
The prosecution alleged deliberate suppression of intelligence, stating that the defendants “had information which would be of material assistance in preventing the commission of the act of terrorism but failed to disclose the information to the relevant agency as soon as practicable”.
Financially, several defendants were accused of handling funds linked to terrorism financing, in violation of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
Bukar Kashim Goni allegedly “indirectly retained the aggregate sum of N50,000,000, which forms part of the proceeds of an unlawful act, to wit: terrorism financing”, while Abdulkadir Sani allegedly retained N2m from a similar source.
According to the charge, Zekeri Umoru “without going through a financial institution accepted a cash payment of the sum of N10,000,000″ and also retained an additional N8.8m suspected to be proceeds of terrorism financing.
Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim was also accused of taking possession of “the sum of N1,000,000, being part of proceeds of terrorism financing”.
Alleged Coup Plot, Protests
After the Federal Government cancelled the parade to mark Nigeria’s 65th independence anniversary on October 1, 2025, reports had claimed that the move was linked to an alleged coup attempt.
The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) dismissed the claims, however, saying the parade cancellation had nothing to do with the alleged coup attempt.
In January 2026, the DHQ confirmed that there was an attempt to overthrow President Tinubu.
The DHQ Director of Defence Information, Samaila Uba, said investigations showed some military personnel were involved in the alleged coup plot.
According to Uba, the officers have been detained and would be arraigned before military judicial panels.
Last month, families of the military officers detained over the alleged coup plot appealed to Tinubu to allow the suspects to be tried in an open court.
Human rights activist Omoyele Sowore protested alongside the detained officers’ families. They also asked for access to the alleged coup plotters.
Why Prominent Individuals Pay Premium for Online Credibility in the Digital Age – Ayobami Eruobami
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