…..Harps On Academic Excellence, Moral Rectitude
By Martin Opara
Golden Friends Association an affiliate of the Old Boys Association of Mbieri Secondary Technical School in Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State recently organized a sensitization seminar for students of the school with a view to encouraging and inspiring them to look beyond their current challenges and focus on attaining great heights in future despite the apparent abandonment and dilapidated facilities that are not conducive for quality teaching and learning.
Speaking at the occassion, the National President of the Association, who also doubles as the Coordinator, Electricity Consumers Protection Advocacy Center, an affiliate of the National Association for Public Policy Analysis (APPA) Chief Princewill Okorie, said the essence of the semunarbis to sensiitize the students on the need to imbibe the culture of academic excellence, cleanliness and shun examination malpractice. He also stressed the need for the students to keep their shoulders high while interacting with their mates in private schools without feeling inferior, adding that the public schools have more qualified teachers. The proprietors of private schools can neither employ nor pay the salaries of the calibre of teachers in government schools because most of them are Directors on Grade level 16.
He also noted that most prominent members of the society today, attended government owned schools, including their alma mater. He however expressed dismay over the level of infrastructural decay in the school occasioned by the insensitivity of the government, the leaders and stakeholders of the school’s host communities comprising Achi, Awo and Ebom. He wondered why the leaders and their traditional rulers could not put security measures in place to prevent the vandalization of school property, leading to the deroofing of most of the buildings by hoodlums. Chief Okorie also berated the current Chairman of Mbaitoli LGA who, according to him is an Old Boy of the school, for doing nothing to ameliorate the pitiable plight of the school and it’s students at least as a way of giving back to the system he benefitted from.
Chief Okorie berated traditional rulers of the host communities for keeping silent while the school’s large expanse of land is being encroached on by unscrupulous individuals.He expressed delight that crude oil was found within the school premises but expressed disappointment that the leaders of the host communities have been questionably silent insteading of insisting that those extracting the oil should be alive to their corporate social responsibility to the host community, as it is done in other places where crude oil is found
He commended the outgoing principal of the school for doing a good job. According to him, “what is the job of the Police, Civil Defence and other security agencies in the area if the school’s property can’t be protected?”
The principal of the school, the chairman, Parent Teacher Association and others, in their seperate speeches, said the greatest challenge the school has is lack of security because it is not fenced and there are no security men,
Speaking in the same vein, a member of the Old Boys Association, Edwin Okwara, whose youngest son is currently a student of the school, recalled with nostalgia, their days in the boarding school with functional well equipped libraries, staff rooms, etc. He urged the students to take their studies seriously and shun all kinds of anti social behaviour, conduct and attitude.
Speaking to this reporter shortly after the event, the school’s Welfare Chairman Amukamara Sylvester Ugonna, commended the Old Boys for finding time to come and sensitize the students with a view to inpiring and motivating them to aspire to greater heights. She, like the outgoing principal, thanked them for their periodic interventions and urged them not to relent.
The Association later made cash donations to the principal, the Vice Principal and the teachers through the Welfare Chairman. There was also cultural dance by the students who were visibly elated
