By Everest Ezihe, Owerri
As part of his age long philanthropic gestures of giving back to the society and advancing humanity, Chief Leo Stan Ekeh, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Zinox Computer Technologies Limited has opened and commissioned over N500m AI/ICT Center which he built for his Alma Mater, Holy Ghost College, Owerri, Imo State.
The dedication and commissioning ceremony held last weekend at the school premises by the metropolitan Archbishop of Owerri Catholic Archdiocese, Most Rev. Luscious Iwejuru Ugorji, was equally part of the program marking the 2026 annual one week home coming of the secondary School’s Old Boys Association.
The Old Boys commenced their home coming event with a Holy Mass officiated by Archbishop Ugorji.
This was preceded with a Tech Workshop at Assumpta Cathedral Auditorium, in which the ICT icon, Chief Leo Stan Ekeh was the Special Guest Speaker.
According to him, “I am an Igbo man, a very proud one indeed, from Ubomiri community in Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State. I am here to talk to the students, teachers and parents. I have done different projects in about 123 schools in Nigeria.”
He pointed out that he philanthropically brought the project to Holy Ghost College, Owerri not just as ICT Center but as an AI Center and it is the first of its kind in the entire Eastern States of Nigeria.
He enjoined teachers to be mindful that their profession is a vocation of privileged service to humanity, and it’s equally a special opportunity to improve on their knowledge, inorder to be a global personality.
“I passed through this school and the school also passed through me. I was a mass servant and a member of the choir.”
The technological business mogul also disclosed that he was the first desktop to launch computer in Nigeria and introduced same to the majority of Newspaper houses in Nigeria and even beyond.
In passionately advising the students, he reminded them that, “as you know, many are called, but few are chosen. I want you to be the chosen ones. For you to succeed in life, you have to read books. The only luck you have today is online teachings. We didn’t have these privileges but you have them today. My son finished from Oxford University. He is 32. He is running multi billion Naira businesses.
“The AI ICT project is not a political project because I am not a politician, even though I have big friends in politics. It is something straight from my heart, it’s something am so compassionate about, as part of my candid philanthropic gestures of advancing humanity through improved knowledge and services.
” To demonstrate my commitment, despite my busy schedule, I supervised it from block laying up to its finishing. From now to December, I will again philanthropically refurbish one of the schools dormitory into ultra modern student’s hostel. I will put light and other facilities there. I will equally furnished it with beds and mattresses.
“I was 70 years on Monday 2nd of February, 2026 and by His grace I will live for 120 years. I work for 22 hours on daily basis. I provided scholarship for 1,000 Nigerians, complete with full school fees, full boarding and allowances every year. The scholarship is for indigent students only and the course allowed is computer Science, Computer Engineering and computer related courses. I hope that Imo State will have 100 out of the 1,000 scholarships.”
He also patriotically advised parents on the need to educate their children so as to become global personalities.
The Computer icon lamented over insecurities and lack of peace, unity of purpose and unemployment in the South East
“There is no peace in the South East because, after graduation, the graduates look for cheap means to make money. Reset your minds to be progressive than retrogressive.
” I will pay teachers for extra mural classes for all the SS 3 Students of the school. I will put students with high intelligence quotient in that dormitory in order to make others envy, jealous and aim at being a beneficiary by qualifying to also live in that special dormitory.
“From September this year the school teachers will be getting a token every month from my Foundation, as a motivational encouragement. By 2027, the student that records the best result in SS 3, in Holy Ghost College, Owerri will have all expenses paid trip with his or her parents to Lagos. I will accommodate him and his parents and they will travel in my private jet. That child will work in our company for one week and will be specially paid for that one week.
“I am not a politician. I don’t need your votes. My prayer is that Imo State should go viral in technological advancement. I specifically supports all governments in place in Imo State to succeed. What I am doing is not for political reasons. I don’t need any refund for doing them.
“I am also building four 2-bedroom structures for teachers and one 3-bedroom structure for the Principal of a Secondary School in Ideato South Local Government Area of Imo State.
“I will send some money to retrain the teachers in Holy Ghost College. I will send one AI instructor to spend one week in Holy Ghost College. I am supporting Sacred Heart Secondary School in Obowo. This is my little gift to my State.”
Earlier, the Archbishop of Owerri Catholic Archdiocese Most Rev Lucius Ugorji, while declaring the workshop open commended Chief Leo Stan Eke popularly known as Iyi Mbaitoli for all his unrelenting philanthropic gestures and specially thanked him for the building and donating the AI ICT Center, to his Alma mater and enjoined other privileged individuals and corporate organizations to emulate him.
The Archbishop who was overwhelmed with excitement recalled that the global philanthropist said that he was laid in spirit to come and build the Center and the project has equally been completed.
“He is an Old Boy of Holy Ghost College, Owerri. I, therefore, challenge the students to appreciate his sacrifice of love by ensuring that the School becomes one of the leading Schools in ICT in Nigeria.
He canvassed the need for the students to make maximum use of the Center and also protect the equipments jealously.
“Please take good care of the Center. We are grateful to him. I thank other schools who have converged here to have a workshop on ICT. Definitely other schools will benefit from the Center” he assured.
