By Juliana Nwachukwu :
The National Chairman of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Mr Sly Ezeokenwa has commissioned a water borehole dug by the old students of Agai Primary School, Fegge Onitsha, his alma mater.
Ezeokenwa, prior to the commissioning of the project at the school premises during the graduation of the primary six pupils, expressed his deepest appreciation to the management of the school for restoring the lost glory of the school. He lamented that the school, due to years of negligence, had been turned into a soccer pitch.
According to him, “I started my afternoon primary school here with my mother who was one of the teachers then, I read classes one, two and three here and as a child of a teacher, she goes to any school she was transfered with me.
“I later followed her when she was transfered to Niger City Primary School Fegge, so I still have the memories of Agai Primary School, the fact is that Agai Primary School is the foundation of my primary education, if I didn’t get that foundation, I wouldn’t have been where I am today.
“And God through the instrumentality of the Old Boys/Girls Association, the greatest thing we can do to the next generation is to give our modest contribution, to make sure that the institution that moulded us continues to mould the future generation.
“We are going to make sure that our Alma Mater is the best. My being here today reminds me of how I used to play around during the breaktime,” he recalled.
He lauded Governor Charles Soludo for his resolve to take education to the next level with the aid of free education in the state.
He appreciated his fellow Old Students for the borehole, stating that, “in recognition of the fact that this is our foundation, it is the reason the borehole was dug, we will make sure it runs 24 hours water supply”.
He further said that “One of the basic tenets of education is the ICT, “we are going to put innovation district in the school so that children in Fegge will acquire the ICT training”
“You all know that anybody that was bred in Fegge was never given a chance because people looked at Fegge brought ups as a cursed person, but it is our duty and responsibility to change the narratives.
“We are going to institute scholarship for the first, second and third positions from the outgoing pupils to secondary school level and to provide the school with all their needs”, even as he directed the Headmistress to compile and forward to him.
The School Headmistress, Agai Primary 11, Mrs Nkiruka Ezenwamma, in her vote of thanks appreciated the Old Boys/Girls of the school for the borehole, lamenting however that it has been one of their challenges.
She lauded Governor Charles Soludo for his cordial relationship with the teachers and pupils of all the schools in the state.
On her part, lady Olivia Ezeokenwa, mother to Sly Ezeokenwa, appreciated the Old/Boys of the school, saying that they are the reason she attended the occasion and advised other primary schools’ old boys/girls association to emulate the kind gesture of the old boys/girls of this school .
The president of the old boys/girls association, Mr Victor Onyeka, appreciated Governor Soludo who took education to the next level, stating that the borehole they dug is to support the governor’s infrastructural development in the state.
He also advised the pupils of the school to respect the teachers, elders and their parents as there are blessings attached to it and to also be dedicated in their studies, noting that they found themselves in their present condition because they adhere to what their teachers, and parents impacted in them.
The vice president of the old boys/girls, Mr Onyeka Anyacho, noted that it is very rare for Old Boys/Girls of primary schools to come together and carry out projects in their Alma mater as they are doing, as people are more concerned only on secondary and tertial institutions thereby neglecting primary schools.
The Secretary, Mrs Nkiru Odina stated that they have done a lot in the school which included, repairing of their staircase, refilling the school compound with stones, digging of borehole, culvert at the entrance road, building of security house, among others.
Highlights of the event included, the commissioning of the borehole project by Mr Ezeokenwa, presentation of cash gifts to the senior citizens who were teachers in the school,( the headmistresses of Agai 1& 11 ), and display by the pupils of the school.
* Nwachukwu is of the Ministry of Information, Anambra State *