“The Silent Engine” Roars: RSU Stands Still for Prof. Alikor’s Historic Clinical Inaugural Lecture

R-L, Vice Chancellor Rivers State University RSU Prof. Isaac Zeb-Obipi, Governor's wife, Lady Valerie, 4left inaugural lecturer Prof. Chizindu Alikor and other top officials and dignatries, in a group photograph shortly after the inaugural lecture.

Prof. Chizindu Alikor 123rd inaugural lecturer.

It was a convergence of town and gown rarely seen in academic circles. The Senate Building of the Rivers State University (RSU) was transformed into a carnival of intellectual celebration on Wednesday, November 26, 2025, as the university hosted its 123rd Inaugural Lecture. Marking a significant milestone in the institution's history, the event was the first-ever clinical inaugural lecture delivered at the university. The atmosphere was electric, with the main auditorium and overflow areas packed to capacity by a diverse audience ranging from top government officials and traditional rulers to medical consultants and students.

The man of the moment, Professor Chizindu A. Alikor, a distinguished Professor of Medicine and Cardiology and current Chief Medical Director of the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital (RSUTH), held the audience spellbound with his lecture titled, *“The Silent Active Engine: Bearing the Weight of Human Sufferings, the Battle to Stay Alive.”*

In a delivery described by attendees as masterfully crafted and deeply profound, Prof. Alikor demystified the complexities of cardiovascular medicine, employing mechanical analogies and biblical insights to drive home his message. He portrayed the heart not merely as an organ, but as the "engine room" of human existence—a silent agent that bears the brunt of physical and emotional stress. “If you must survive, you must pamper your heart like an egg; protect it, nourish it, and treat it with the utmost care,” Prof. Alikor urged the rapt audience.

Highlighting the critical centrality of the heart to all medical practice, he dropped one of the evening’s most memorable quotes: *“No heart, no Obstetrics and Gynaecology.”*

The lecture did not shy away from hard truths. Prof. Alikor raised an alarm regarding the changing demographics of hypertension, noting that high blood pressure is "no longer a sickness for the old." He presented sobering data indicating that even 18-year-olds are increasingly being diagnosed with the condition. To combat this rising tide, the Professor unveiled the *"Alikor Survival Network Model,"* a holistic framework designed to integrate individual responsibility, family support, and healthcare systems to improve cardiac care outcomes in the region.

The event served as a testament to Prof. Alikor’s decades of impactful leadership and service. The sheer caliber of dignitaries present turned the lecture into a high-profile state function. Leading the guests was Her Excellency, Lady Valerie Siminalayi Fubara, Wife of the Governor of Rivers State, who was warmly received by the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Isaac Zeb-Obipi.

The guest list included top government officials, traditional rulers, academic leaders, judiciary members, and medical professionals. The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Isaac Zeb-Obipi, praised the inaugural lecturer for his brilliance and for setting a high bar for clinical scholarship at the university. Attendees left the Senate Building not just informed, but challenged. The lecture was a powerful reminder of the fragility of life and the necessity of guarding the "silent engine" that sustains it.

As the ovation died down and the colourful dignitaries departed, the consensus was clear: Prof. Chizindu A. Alikor has not only solidified his reputation as a Titan of cardiology but has etched his name indelibly in the annals of Rivers State University.