AS Lancelot Anyanya turns 40 on April 26,2012, he should be pleased to know that those of us who know him are grateful for his exceptional leadership qualities.Anyone who has had any reason to encounter him would be surprised about the dexterity of his intellect, rigour of his thought and clarity of his articulation.Born in Port Harcourt, this truly amazing Nigerian from Ataba in Andoni Local Government Area of Rivers State, is no doubt, a beacon of hope when the nation is becoming hopeless.Anyanya's started his educational career at Army Children's School, Port Harcourt and later proceeded to the Nigerian Military School, Zaria, where he obtained the General Certificate of Education (GCE) Ordinary Level. He enlisted as a soldier in the Nigerian Army at age of 16. He later served at the then Corps Headquarter Company, Nigerian Army Intelligence Corps, Arakan Barracks, Apapa, Lagos.He later gained admission to study Law at the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, after passing the Joint Admissions Matriculation Board (JAMB) examination.Anyanya, who had earlier gained admission into the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), later graduated with a second class upper division in History, winning the Prize for the Best Graduating Cadet in History.He latter bagged Masters Degree in International Law and Diplomacy (MILD) from the University of Lagos. His commendably insatiable appetite for knowledge saw him pursuing a post-graduate certificate in National Security from Galilee International Management Institute, Israel; a Certificate in Seaport and Coastguard Management from South Korea as well as attending a Senior Executive Programme on National and International Security at the prestigious Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government (KSG).Anyanya has attended numerous seminars,which have boosted his professional military education. It was, therefore, not surprising that in 2011 the Commonwealth University of Belize conferred on him an honorary doctorate degree in International Security and Diplomacy.Highly respected by superiors, peers and subordinates, Anyanya is one of the finest officers that the Nigerian military institution has ever produced.During his military career, he had stints at different units and assignments within the Nigerian Army Intelligence Corps, the elite Guards' Brigade and Office of the National Security Adviser. He has also served as the pioneer Secretary of Presidential Committee on Maritime Safety and Security amongst others.Some of the notable assignments that earned him national and international awards include Member of the Committee on the Establishment of Nigeria's Presidential Command and Communication and Crisis Control Centre (PC4). He was also a member of the Nigerian Teamto the Tripartite Meeting(US, UK and Nigeria) on Gulf of Guinea Energy Security Strategy as well as Member/Secretary of the International Maritime Organization (IMO)/ Maritime Organization of West and Central Africa (MOWCA) Working Group of Experts on the establishment of an Integrated Regional Coast Guard Networkfor West and Central Africa.His extraordinary commitment to the discharge of his duties contributed immensely to Nigeria's compliance with the global deadline of July 1 2004with respect to the implementation of the provisions of the International Ship and Port Facilities Security (ISPS) Code.Upon voluntarily retirement from the military in 2007, Anyanya went into private enterprise, deploying his multi-faceted skills to great use, while still contributing to national development by serving on various occasions as resource person to diverse public and private sector entities. He also contributes as resource person to various fora on issues germane to Nigeria's security and development. Some of his writings and presentations include Enhancing Security in Post- Amnesty Niger-Delta-Alternative Roles for the Armed Forces and Transforming the Security Landscape in Nigeria:Driving Effective Security Sector Reform.Although Anyanya is happily married with three children to his wife, Yetunde, his love for people and passion to make a positive impact on society extends beyond his home.The generosity and philanthropic spirit in this remarkable man, who has ascribed to himself the 'national honour' of Ordinary Member of the Public (OMP), is evident to those who have come in contact with him; his charisma makes him a people magnet.His interest and involvement in not-for-profit service to community on multiple platforms is worthy of note. He is a Trustee of the Solomon Giwa Amu Foundation (SGAF) and Initiative for Diaspora Knowledge Transfer (IDKT) amongst others.In these times in our country where there is a dearth of good men, Anyanya stands out as one of the few remaining. As we join him and his family in celebrating his 40th birthday, we wish him good health, happiness and prosperity. We also urge him to do justice to the grace and gifting of greatness that God has bestowed on him by using his gifts and proven leadership qualities to effect a positive change in the socio-political climate of Nigeria in an increasing measure and in a more pronounced way.
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