‘Why I chose my teaching job over political appointments’

CHAIRMAN of Rimax Institute of Computer Studies, Lagos, Livinus Okwara, has explained why he did not accept to take up any political appointment at both the state and federal levels.

He said he was at different times in the past offered political appointments but turned down the offers because he is more comfortable and fulfilled being a teacher; directly imparting knowledge and skills on the youths than to be a political appointee.

Okwara, a chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State, made this remark at a recent news conference in Lagos.

According to him, it is not until somebody becomes a public office holder before he/she can impact humanity and society.

He said as a specialist in computer studies and operational research, he had impacted so many lives, who are doing well today in computer and other disciplines both at home and in the diaspora.

Okwara said he was particularly motivated and encouraged to be a teacher by the huge number of Nigerian youths who showed interest in enrolling with Rimax Institute for computer studies when he first returned to Nigeria from the UK in 1975 to establish the school.

He said: “Then, computer studies was not all that popular in the UK let alone in Nigeria and I wondered what could have aroused such consciousness among the Nigerian youths at home.

“So, I was overwhelmed to see about 2,000 Nigerian youths coming forward on a single day at that time to enroll with us for computer studies,” he stressed.