AS both Primary and Post-primary schools set to reopen on Monday in Enugu State for academic activities, Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi has called on youths to shun cultism, and other other anti-socio vices, saying education remains the best legacy parents and guardians can bestow on their children/wards.
Ugwuanyi who gave the advise yesterday while receiving a Security building and two giant school gates erected and donated by the old by Old Boys Association of Boys High School, Ozalla in Nkanu West Local Government Area of the state, urged every parent to keep close watch on the activities of their children as well as being security conscious so as to safeguard lives and property.
The governor who spoke through the Chairman of the Post-Primary School Management Board (PPSMB) Nestor Ezenwe, also lauded the Old Boys of the College for paying attention to their Alma Mater.
“There is need for the youths to embrace education with vigour for national development. Education remains the positive way to overcome poverty and ignorance”, he added.
He appealed to other associations and well meaning individuals to support good projects in their communities, adding that his administration would continue to give democracy dividends to the people despite the harsh economic situation in the country.
On the encroachment, the Government representative said, “We have put machinery in place to make sure that the community does not encroach on the school property. Ozalla community is a friendly community that loves this school as the only school they have and they ate doing everything possible to secure it”
The President-General of the Association, Mazi Obiora Michael Nweke had explained that the gesture worth over millions of naira was as a result of the porous security nature of the school which allows strangers to enter the school at will thereby placing the lives of teachers and students in the school at risk.
“We thought it wise to set up gates for the entrance and exit of the school not only because of the issue of security which we had as a challenge, but because there was sometimes in the past when some Youth Corps members who were living here were attacked. And it was because of the porous nature of the school that it happened. So we thought it wise to give the school a befitting gate, entrance and exit as you can see. So this is borne out of the eventual take-off of the organization. There have been efforts in the past but last year, we had a reunion and there we made up the decision that we were going to set up a gate and thank God it is successful today.
The Principal of the school, Mrs Nkiru Ochinawata who was present at the formal presentation of the structure, said she was overwhelmed with joy with the project the Old Boys Association has given to the school.
“Today is a very great day for me and the school at large. The issue of security is one of our major concern and challenge here as there are in-roads for trespassers and strangers but I’m happy it has been addressed today with this project. This will help us to curtail the problem of insecurity in the school,” she said.
She further said the issue of encroachment of the school’s property has been observed, adding that she had informed the School Base Management Committee (SBMC) who are members of this community with a view to addressing it.
Also speaking, the founding President-General of the Association, Mr Patrick Obiora Okaibe said the import of the AGM of the Association is to discuss issues concerning the school and how to initiate projects that will better develop the school.
“What we have when I was here was different compared to now because you have dilapidated structures all over the place and the boarding facilities are no longer there. But recently some individuals and the Enugu State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) have started erecting new structures, donating laboratory equipment which is giving the school a facelift. And that is the main reason we formed the Association to initiate and execute projects that will be beneficial to the school,” he said.
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