Dr. DeWayne Frazier is the new President of American University of Nigeria (AUN), Yola, Adamawa State. In this interview with FRANK IKPEFAN, he speaks about his dream of making the university a global institution. Under him, he said the university will train quality nurses and doctors for the Northeast and other parts of Nigeria.

How has it been coming to Nigeria and AUN?

I can’t say I was surprised, but I was very happy with the reception that I’ve received traveling around Adamawa State and right now it gets a really bad reputation from Western media and from quite a few entities around the world saying this place is unsafe. I was urged not to come and when I got there, it was like I feel much safe there than I feel in Chicago, New York and other places.

I have three adopted children that are from Eastern Congo and so Africa has played an important part in my life, and the children had been home for 13 years.

It’s been a blessing so far. I found the reception great and I will say again, Nigerians certainly can make any food spicy. I mean, I didn’t know that you can get white rice and it would be spicy. Some of these dishes are so authentic, you won’t find them anywhere else in the world and I won’t lie Nigeria has the best Jollof rice I’ve ever had in my life and I’ve had Jollof rice from a lot of places.

What are your plans to further increase the competitiveness of AUN among other rising universities in the country?

 We’re not a Nigerian and American University only, we want to be a global university. So, I’m actually working with things like Times Higher Education, which is the British outfit that does rankings. I’m talking with them about, maybe, hosting a conference in the future to bring African colleges and universities there.

I’ve been enticing the faculty to do that, finding ways that they can do research and also to host international conferences on our campus in Yola. It will bring in business and revenue for my people in Adamawa.

The governor has been great in supporting us there and so I want to do the international conferences, but the linkages with international universities will be something at a different level.

I’m also going to meet with a couple of the largest research institutions in America, the University of Louisville in Kentucky, which has one of the best engineering schools in the world. We’re going to link with them and their Pan African Studies department.

We’re going to link with the Carver School of Medicine, which is at the University of Iowa. They do research on diabetes; we’re actually getting ready to work together.

We’re going to start a study on long-term chronic illness in the region of the Northeast, and we’re looking at applying for larger grants when we find what is the most prevalent, like if it’s diabetes or heart disease or what’s out there and then I’ve been connecting also with a lot of churches and mosques and groups in America that can be of assistance.

I’ve already got some groups that want to help work with us. So, what I want to do is get as many international groups and a lot of them will be Americans because we’re an American University working alongside the Nigerians because if I get them to visit one time, they’ll fall in love with your country, because you guys are so hospitable.

Recently, the university got approval for new courses like public health. How do you intend to make it different from what is obtainable in other universities?

Our programme has its resource visit next week, so we’re not fully approved yet. We’ve paid all of our fees and turned in every document through the faculty. We have all the positions being posted. I expect within a week or two that we’ll get that approval but I don’t want to foreshadow and say the NUC has already approved it.

They have approved quite a few of our other programmes but I have no doubt because of the resources we’re putting into public health with the WHO and then with nursing. For nursing, we have the former leader of Adamawa State for nursing who helped start some of the diploma programmes because we’re going to do the full bachelors which is the most needed, but what’s going to make it vastly different is a couple of things. We are working with the University of Northern Iowa where the top nurse used to work with me when I was running nursing programmes.

He’s actually coming to look at our curriculum and we’re going to follow what your country requires. But we’re also going to add some of the American-style curriculum to it. So not only will they take a lot of the general education courses you have to take, but they’ll also have programmes where they have to do work in our little clinics, either on campus or out in the communities. So the nurses are going to get so much real-world experience, which is required, at least in the U.S. model.

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I don’t know the Nigerian model much yet but I’m learning about it. We call them practicums and so that type of practicums is going to not only help these nurses have a passion for this but also understand it’s important. It’s not a job, it’s a career because if you don’t love it, you can’t do it because it’s super difficult. Public health is not for everybody. You have to get the right person to do it.

We’re going to try to teach them about stress, anxiety and everything about the career and they’ll have American nurses come to teach them at times, and Nigerian nurses, so that’ll make the programme different.

Instead, what we try to do is know what the community needs by listening and accepting what people bring to us and saying we need this for the region. We struggle all across the world, especially in the northeast part of Nigeria with having nurses and quality health care.

What would happen if we have people that appreciate the area, that can work in Yobe and Borno states and we eradicate things like malaria maybe? Do you have any plan for resource exchanges between AUN and others in courses like ICT, and engineering?

Each academic programme has to be a little bit different because of how available they are even in the U.S. One of the most difficult programmes to start in America is engineering because it’s very costly. It’s costly here too but in America, most small private schools do not have engineering. So, that’s why I’m working with a big institution like the University of Louisville, where they’ll guarantee admissions for our students into their bachelor’s degree; to do their master’s degree in one of the top engineering schools in the world.

The other thing that they’re going to do is Zoom lectures with us, where they’re going to come in and you’re going to have Americans teaching sometimes a lecture on a specific topic of their research interest and vice versa.

We do this kind of exchange with engineering because they already have to go to school for five years; they do that extra year where they’re going to do their internships.

I am working on how you will do three years with us, let’s say political science or business, and then you go do the last year at one of my three or four partners that I’m going to have as close private school partners.

Now why is that so important? Because it’ll bring in more international students, they can come and study with us for two or three years and then try to go after their studies.

So, I get excited about it because we’re going to have more international students. I don’t want my Nigerian students being on campus and being that you know 90 per cent of the students, I want to see a quarter of the students being from around the world, because then Nigerians will grow in their thoughts of being global citizens and they’ll understand what it means to operate in a global economy better.

AUN introduces courses that are not studied in other universities. How do you get your lecturers?

I do a lot of begging, a lot of praying and know we have a lot of people who have had education in western schools. A lot of Nigerians that we have are people that come from the United States and others and so they’ve either had the course or they’ve got close enough academic discipline that we can say here’s an example of the course, here’s an example in America and here I’m sure it is the exact same thing, we have the syllabus.

That syllabus says the suggested textbook, it has the learning outcomes, what type of assessments we use in the course and then it kind of gives a breakdown of what we’re doing in there. What we try to do when someone’s developing a new course and I’ve done this in America for years, is you give them a copy of the syllabus and I can get them a copy of the syllabus from any school in America we share with each other all the time.

It probably takes in real-time, a good six months to prep a new course that you haven’t taught. So some of those disciplines in specific courses are difficult but if we start a whole new programme that doesn’t exist, say here in West Africa or something, then we’ll have to source it from someone in the West.

 Any plan for medical school?

The dream of having a medical school is in our plan. We want to have a medical school just like we need more nurses in the area. I mean in Adamawa, just in that region alone, we could employ every medical doctor that we graduate, no doubt in my mind.

• Three schools win ‘Clean Our World’ project

An independent charity, Oando Foundation, and its partners have urged teachers and pupils to act as proper citizens within their environment and ensure they embrace new methodology tools to promote conscious climate actions.

Addressing teachers and pupils at the finale of this year’s “Clean our World (CoW) project in Lagos, Head of Oando Foundation, Mrs. Adekola Adegoke, said the project was designed to promote environmental education and responsibility by creating awareness and empowering children and teachers in public primary schools and their host communities with the knowledge of plastic recycling and waste management.

Read Also: Oando, NCF partner on clean up

The foundation and its partners declared three primary schools as winners of the project, also aimed at promoting environmental education and sustainable action for pupils in some schools and host communities in Lagos State.

The winning schools are:  Oluwalogbon Primary School in Kosofe Local Government (first position); Dele Ajomale Primary School in Oshodi-Isolo Local Government (second position) and Isaga Close Primary School in Mushin Local Government (third position).

The project was supported by the Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board (LASUBEB) and Sumitomo Chemicals, a Japanese chemical firm.

An environmental syllabus and work plan was also launched for those who would be training the children.

Mrs. Adegoke said through the CoW project, the pupils, teachers and their communities have been made to know that waste management, recycling, understanding why and how climate change would ultimately affect them.

“And in the long term, understanding what kind of jobs they might have to undertake in the future to ensure the world’s sustainability at large.

“The foundation has always developed initiatives based on evidence. So, for instance, when we started the education programme, we started with eight schools and, then, replicated the lessons we learned, provided the evidence we learned across those schools, to understand how a holistic approach could improve the learning outcomes of any one school.’’

Read Also: Oando, NCF partner on clean up

So, we’ve just translated that to the environmental education space.

“Today, we launched a syllabus and we launched a lesson plan and notes related to the syllabus,” she said.

Board Secretary, Lagos SUBEB, Mr. Hakeem Lamidi, underscored the significance of environmental sustainability education in shaping responsible citizens.

He lauded the COW initiative for using education as a powerful awareness strategy and urged everyone to embrace it in understanding environmental issues better.

His words: “Globally, we talk of the depletion of ozone layer, which of course are basically as a result of the activities of human being in the environment. What the Oando Foundation has done, because this is the third in the series of their collaboration with this board on ‘Clean Our world’, which is simply referred to as ‘COW’, is  highly impressive and encouraging that children are now being taught on how to move from waste to wealth.

“That all those products being used at home can as well be transformed into valuable products and that’s what we have witnessed over the years. They have not stopped at that. They have also moved a step further to institutionalise that effort through syllabus and work plan for those who will be training these children. Not only minding that we also have some of the components in the existing curriculum of the state government.”

The Presidency yesterday explained that there was no increment of tuition fees in federal universities and that the Tinubu administration was coming with more innovations to expand the access to education by Nigerians. Bola Olajuwon, Bolaji Ogundele, Damola Kola-Dare and Victoria Amadi report.

To many parents, since a few days ago, two issues were seen as signposting a likely increment of tuition fees they would be paying for their children when most universities resume between September and October.

One was the increment in the University of Lagos (UNILAG) fees, which was the major outcome of a meeting of the varsity’s management team, led by the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Folashade Ogunsola and the non-teaching staff unions, comprising the Senior Staff Association (SSANU); Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) and the National Association of Technologists (NAAT), which took place on July 20. The second issue was the recent increase in the school fees for Federal Government’s colleges, also known as Unity Schools.

Ogunsola, following the increment, explained that the university did not charged tuition fees despite the new charges. She claimed that the university embarked on the fees increment following the non-availability of funds to finance projects. According to her, about N1.2 billion is incurred yearly by the university since 2020.

Under the new fees regime that will take-off from next academic session on October 3, returning students are to pay between N100,750 and N190,250, per academic session, depending on courses of study. Undergraduates in medical and dentistry will pay the highest.

With many stakeholders linking the UNILAG’s fresh increment and the new fees for Federal Government’s colleges as an indication of what to expect from many tertiary institutions, the Federal Ministry of Education came out, explaining that the recent increase in the school fees for the unity schools was done by the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari and not President Bola Tinubu.

There have been serious public agitations over the decision of some universities, including the UNILAG and University of Abuja, to increase their charges.

Some stakeholders came down hard on UNILAG and other universities, which might have considered increment in tuition, while calling on the Federal Government to find approach to sort out the situation. They cited how it would worsen the already harsh effect of the economy on parents.

A soothing balm

But, the Presidency yesterday debunked rumours that the Federal Government had increased tuition fees in federal universities, explaining that government has not even introduced a tuition fee for its universities.

In a statement yesterday by the Special Adviser to the President on Special Duties, Communication and Strategy, Mr. Dele Alake, the Presidency said federal universities remain tuition-free, adding that Tinubu’s administration is working on other measures to make education reachable to all, besides the Student Loans Scheme.

Reacting to the wrong understanding of what recently happened in some federal universities, where fees have been hiked, the Presidency explained that the tuition item on the list of payable fees of such school remain without a price-tag.

The statement reads: “It was widely reported earlier this week across some news media outlets that the Federal Government had increased tuition fees in federal universities in the country. These reports are inaccurate and not correct.

“We are aware that some universities have in recent weeks announced increase in the amount payable by students on sundry charges.

“However, the fact remains and we have confirmed that these are discretionary charges by each university for hostel accommodation, registration, laboratory and other charges.They are not tuition fees.

“Authorities of these universities even made this fact clear enough in explaining the rationale behind these new fees.

“For avoidance of doubts, federal universities in Nigeria remain tuition-free.”

It also assured Nigerians that Tinubu remains committed to his resolve to make education reachable to youths, promising that more innovative solutions were still being planned to make the resolve achievable.

“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu remains committed to his promise of ensuring that every Nigerian, regardless of the economic situation of their parents, has access to quality tertiary education.

“In addition to the Students’ Loans Scheme, under the Student Loans Bill signed into law by President Tinubu last month, which will go into implementation ahead of the next academic session in September, the Federal Government will also strengthen other mechanisms to support indigent students.

“Parts of the government’s plans to make sure all diligent students complete their education on time, notwithstanding their parents’ financial situation, include work-study, merit-based scholarships and grants,” the statement said.

Stakeholders to Fed Govt: intervene over the fees’ increment

Before the statement by Presidency, many stakeholders interviewed by The Nation yesterday urged the Federal Government to intervene to make life bearable for parents and  students.

 Citizens’ interest paramount, says ASUU-UNILAG

Chairman Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), University of Lagos branch, Prof. Kayode Adebayo, noted that it is not about whether the hike is justifiable or not, but if the interest of citizens was put in mind before the decision was made.

In a chat with our correspondent, he said: “ASUU is not a party to those who hiked the fees. The position of the union on such issues is always clear. Why shouldn’t citizens be made to smile? Citizens dig their boreholes, buy their transformers and buy generators and all that. It is not about if it is justifiable or not, but if the interest of citizens was considered.”

NAPTAN seeks hike reversal

Deputy National President, National Parent Teacher Association of Nigeria (NAPTAN), Chief Adeolu Ogunbanjo, in a telephone chat with The Nation, urged the Federal Government to reverse the fees hike across Federal institutions.

He said: “It’s unfortunate that it is not just University of Lagos that the Federal Government has increased tuition fees. It’s a general situation and even the unity schools have been included.The subsidy removal is quite okay, but it shouldn’t extend to other things, whereby it begins to affect us. For example, the UNILAG tuition fee was increased from N19,000 to N190,000. The electricity officials also want to increase the tariff, foodstuff has also increased. I mean, they shouldn’t make life unbearable for individuals. The Federal Government should, please, intervene and ensure that people don’t suffer. The government should see to it.

When told it was erstwhile Buhari, who ratified the hike and not Tinubu, the NAPTAN chief said: “If it was Buhari who ratified it, it could be reversed by Tinubu.”

UNILAG students distraught

Deborah Bidemi, a 200-Level Chemistry student, said the majority of students would drop out because not every parent could afford the new fees.

She said: “I think these whole increments weren’t supposed to be if not that the lecturers and workers are not getting their salaries and wages. I feel so sad about the increment for real. The majority of students are actually going to drop out because not everybody or everybody’s parent can afford to be paying that amount. From N21,000 to N140,000, it is too much and I am actually speaking for myself.

“The Federal Government should reconsider the fees hike. We are not saying they shouldn’t increase, but to double the amount being paid before is enough. Let them be considerate too. Something should be done about it.”

Adedoyin Adeyinka, a 300-Level Biochemistry student, said: “My parents have been complaining about the increment. My twin sister and I will be paying close to N300,000, hostel fee not included.

“How does the Vice Chancellor expect my parents to get that amount within two months? When we resume, we pay for feeding, handout and textbooks.

“The VC should be considerate. My younger brother is trying to process his admission, but my mom said him, he had to wait. He scored 275 marks in Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME). This is because of the UNILAG fee increment.”

Glory Adaise of the Department of English wants UNILAG’s authorities to consider students sponsoring themselves.

“They should, at least, consider those sponsoring themselves and those whose parents are not working because things are hard.

“Students who cannot afford even state university fees will be left with a decision to either drop out or be involved in illegal act to get money.’’

For Samuel Ejekukor, a 400-Level student, though the hike is an opportunity to provide more facilities for the university, it should not have come at a time the economy is  bad.

He said the hike should have been implemented gradually to enable people prepare well.

“It is very sad that the harsh economic situation of the country was not considered before the decision was made. It should not have come at a time like this when prices of commodities are rising. Gradual increment should have been done. It should have been taken bit by bit to enable people prepare well for it and at least pay gradually,” he said.

CONUA: issue should be addressed methodically

National President, Congress of Nigeria University Academics (CONUA), Dr. Niyi Sunmonu, has urged that issues revolving round fees increment should be addressed methodically. He however, urged government to give universities the autonomy to operate fully.

According to the president, government should endeavour to work out the amount to train each student.

“All stakeholders associated with tertiary education should be involved and all issues, including the amount to train each student, be laid bare. Solution agreeable by all stakeholders be reached, taking into consideration global best practices,” he said.

Increment in tuition fees the best way out

President of Association for Formidable Educational Development (AFED), Mr. Emmanuel Orji, described the initiative as a welcomed one because of the current inflation rate.

AFED’s head noted that UNILAG Vice Chancellor did not do anything out of ordinary, as the institution needs to run maintenance, welfare and pay wages.

His words: “With the current inflation rate at 22.04 per cent, which is at its jump for the third time in 2023, for any organisation to stay afloat, it must begin thinking a way of keeping their workers.

“Higher inflation rate means that people with fixed wages or salaries cannot afford what they could before. In order words, their purchasing power would drop.

“UNILAG VC has done the right thing, considering the current turn of events in our nation. It is important to think that the university is doing this to help with its survival as an institution that is financially independent and autonomous, as that is the only way to improve our tertiary education.”

To enable graduates relevant in the 21st century, a reality TV show, “Teach N Win: My Teacher, My Pride”’ has been unveiled to inspire and reward teachers.

According to the organisers, the competition will witness the best 20 teachers in West African camped in the house for four weeks to contend for the ultimate prize, while the show will be broadcast on AIT and streamed on social media.

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO), EIN Educational Services, Adebare Egunjobi, said pupils in the classrooms would be the greatest beneficiary of the contest.

“The competition is geared to reward competence, passion and technicality in teaching in Africa. We have seen a number of reality TV shows that have rewarded entertainers, but this programme is set to shed light on what the teachers are doing in the class. Our vision is to reward competent teachers and see how they will bring their teaching to the fore.

“We are tired of our graduates spending almost 16 years in school and coming back to learn bead-making, hairdressing or tailoring. Many of them are not doing it out of entrepreneurship but because they could not secure the job of their dreams. The majority of our graduates are not employable and many of the courses that they are teaching in the classrooms cannot sustain the jobs of the 21st century. So, to make a change, our teachers need to be exposed to the latest and contemporary trends in education. Interested teachers are encouraged to apply for this life-changing educational show as our portal is open for registration,” he said.

On the selection, Egunjobi explained that during the competition well-experienced judges would appraise and evaluate housemates, adding that the top five would be rewarded and trained by professional bodies.

“The judges are going to be educating, judging, and accessing the contestants to come up with the best teachers that will move our education forward, not only in Nigeria but in the whole of Africa. This, we believe, will enable our graduates to be globally competitive and relevant for the 21st century that we are in.

“It is going to provide a resource hub where students can go on the platform to source for the best teachers in Africa, giving exposure to teachers to global best practice, enlightening teachers on innovative information about teaching, and leveraging international partnerships outside the shores of Africa.”

The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) has extolled the Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun for his commitment to the promotion of technical education in the state.

The NBTE’s Director of Academic Programmes, Nkede Ogoh, architect, staed this during a visit to D. S. Adegbenro ICT Polytechnic, Itori-Ewekoro, Ogun State, for accreditation.

Ogoh stated that quality technical education would result into improved service delivery, particularly in the manufacturing sector.

He said: “On behalf of the board, I will like to appreciate the Ogun State governor for paying deserved attention to technical education. Just yesterday, I signed some papers giving the board’s approval for an institution in Ogun State to become a polytechnic. This is a good step in the right direction as technical education is indeed the future of improved productivity”.

Read Also: Edo poly secures NBTE full accreditation

The institution’s Governing Council Chairman, Ambassador Toye Okanlawon, stated that Abiodun is truly a “listening governor who is committed to the provision of quality and affordable education for our teeming youths”.

Acknowledging that there were  challenges confronting the D. S. Adegbenro ICT Polytechnic, Okanlawon assured the board that the institution would ensure that both the staff and students operate in an ideal environment.

Education Secretary of Mushin Local Government Education Authority, Princess Olufemi Akinlude, has stressed the need for parents to properly train their wards to make them better people.

She also advised pupils to take their studies seriously to enable them achieve their goals.

Akinlude spoke at the Professional Leadership Summit/Valedictory Service for Basic Six pupils in the 77 public primary schools in Mushin at Birch Freeman Secondary School, Mushin, Lagos. Akinlude noted that the programme was aimed at preparing graduating pupils for the future.

“This programme is organised as a way of giving the children hope for a bright future, so that they can be focused on their future ambition. So, it is always a day they look forward to, because it inspires the children and the parents to be prepared for the future. And what we do every year is to impact the children. “However, parents should follow up their children; help them pursue their dreams because after this period they are left alone with their parents. Parents should ensure that they mound them into becoming better people. And if all these are done, the children will definitely achieve their dreams,” she said.

President of All Nigeria Confederation of Principals of Secondary Schools (ANCOPPS), Mr. Olusola Abayomi Maseyi, stressed the need for the pupils to continue to learn for their overall development.

“Today’s event is to encourage our pupils who are graduating from the public primary schools to take up the various disciplines.

“So, I lectured them on how to be effective teachers in future. I told them it is necessary to know themselves, their capabilities, their weaknesses, and they must know that a teacher is a career builder. A teacher is a community leader. A leader of opinion, and they must satisfy academic requirements.

“Learning is a continuous process. So, they have it on their minds that it will form part of their overall development. I believe this kind of programme will yield a positive result in the emancipation of their society,” he said.

Medical Director of Mushin Local Government, Dr. Odufuwa Kayode, noted that brain-drain would be addressed by the Federal Government and as such, there would be no need for anyone to go anywhere because better days are ahead for medical professionals.

He urged the pupils to join the medical profession, adding that it would ensure health security if there were enough health personnel in the country.

A non-governmental organisation, Junior Achievement Nigeria (JAN), has partnered with Union Bank to implement the 22nd edition of the LEAD (Leadership, Empowerment, Achievement, and Development) Camp. 

The LEAD Camp program is scheduled virtually from July 24th to 26th, and aims to inspire and empower young girls to become high-achieving leaders leading a global economy. 

A statement by JAN explained that this year’s LEAD Camp will unite 400 female senior secondary students from 16 schools nationwide. 

Participants will include students who have previously participated in the JA Company program, where they learned about entrepreneurship and leadership, and other high-achieving students from diverse geographical and cultural backgrounds.

The three-day camp will feature interactive workshops, panel sessions, and skill-building activities to equip the participants with valuable leadership skills and knowledge. 

Notable speakers; including Simi Nwogugu, Morenike Molehin, Solape Akinpelu, Vivian Imoh-Ita, Vanessa Ojekwe, Olande Adekunle, Dr. Gbonjubola Abiri, Jennifer Ikechiuku, Koromone, Haoma Worgwu, Ruth Etudaiye, and many others, will share their expertise and insights with the students.

Throughout the camp, the students will have the opportunity to be coached by experienced mentors who will guide them in developing their final presentations. 

A panel of judges will evaluate the presentations, and the winners will have the chance to win prizes and further enhance their leadership skills. 

This year’s LEAD Camp will take place in Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Cross River, Enugu, Kaduna, Kano, Lagos, Nasarawa, Ogun, Ondo, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers, and the FCT.

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Speaking about this year’s edition, Foluso Gbadamosi, the Executive Director of Junior Achievement Nigeria, emphasised the significance of the LEAD Camp program.

Also, the Chief Brand and Marketing Officer at Union Bank, Olufunmilola Aluko said: ‘‘This is our ninth year supporting LEAD Camp, and Union Bank is pleased to extend our long-standing partnership with Junior Achievement Nigeria for this programme. 

“As a Bank, we are committed to enabling success for the communities we serve, and this partnership reinforces our commitment to the push for gender equality and our focus on supporting the girl child. 

“We are proud to see the programme’s impact on young girls across the country, and we commend the efforts of the JAN team, who work tirelessly to impact them.”

Trinity High School, Oguta in Imo State was primus inter pares in the old Eastern Region when it was founded in 1951. Sadly, its fortunes nosedived after the civil war following years of neglect after government takeover. But, determined to change that story, the Trinity Old Boys Association (TOBA) Worldwide pooled resources and restored the school’s glory. CHINYERE OKOROAFOR reports

Trinity High School, Oguta (THSO), Imo State, was the darling of the who’s who in the old Eastern Region when it was founded in 1951.

Children of the high and mighty passed through its four walls, located in a serene, uphill part of Oguta, with cashew trees and other vegetation in its lush surroundings.

Such was the high esteem in which the school’s graduands were held that if you didn’t attend or finish your school certificate examination at THSO, you would feel the need to re-enroll there for another secondary education.

At its inception, THSO’s founder and proprietor, Chief Philip Udom (now late), employed expatriate teachers from Ireland, The United Kingdom and India, among other countries. For instance, an Irishman, Rev Father Walsh, was the pioneer principal.

The school’s facilities were also top-notch.

But THSO’s fortunes took a downward turn after the civil war when the state government took over its administration.

The once Ivy League-rated school soon became a shadow of itself, its facilities desolate and dilapidated.

But, thanks to the Old Boys who came together to rescue and restore the school’s glory. Their intervention began in 2016 and the school buildings have now been renovated.

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When The Nation visited the school on June 2nd, the atmosphere was electric as proud old boys gathered to inaugurate projects. It was reminiscent, they said, of the good old days. They shared why they felt the compulsion to restore the glory of their once high-flying school from inception until after the Nigeria civil war when things started to fall apart.

According to the President, Trinity Old Boys Association (TOBA) Worldwide, Godwin Achunine, all appeals to successive Imo State governments for the renovation of the school fell on deaf ears after its reunion meeting in 2016.

“It was against this backdrop that our old boys decided to take the bull by the horns and embark on the renovation,” he said.

Achunine added: ‘’Today, the renovated buildings include five science laboratories, a computer classroom, a Youth Corpers Lodge, the principal’s office and toilets, among others. Structural integrity tests and reinforcements were done on the Science and Administrative blocks.

‘’There was also woodwork, roofing, reflooring electrical wiring, and installation of ceilings, steel doors and windows of the buildings, among others.”

Recounting some of the past glory of the school, Achinine said that the school also did well in sports by winning the 1965 Phensic Cup.

He explained that “The Phensic Cup competition could be likened to the world soccer cup for schools in the 60s for all secondary schools in the then Eastern region”.

Recalling the period when the school’s fortunes began to nosedive, Achunine said it was after the Civil War when the government took over administration of all schools.

“Things rapidly began to change. Standards fell. Dilapidation of buildings, lack of qualified teachers and ill-equipped laboratories became the order of the day.”

Achunine, who also undertook the renovation project, explained that instead of the school getting better, it got worse.

“The academic and infrastructural decay of our alma mater became an eyesore. The old boys were not happy with the state of the school. All appeals to successive governments to renovate the school fell on deaf ears. It was against this backdrop that our old boys decided to take the bull by the horn and embarked upon the renovation.

“A worldwide reunion of Trinity old boys took place at the school assembly ground on the 30th of December 2016. Our old boys wept at the sorry sight of their alma mater. We didn’t want to see the school that produced us go out of existence and into oblivion. We resolved that day to embark on a sacrificial contribution towards the renovation, and in 2017 we received a permission letter to carry out the renovation,” he said.

Similarly, the Principal, Mr Samuel Nwanedo said he met a dead school on his resumption.

According to him, the total number of students in the school was not up to 50.

“Imagine seeing only four students in the Junior Secondary School class one; that was the situation I met when I resumed as principal of THSO.

“If not for the intervention of the old boys, I don’t know what could have become of here by now. Most of the teachers I met here when I came said they were waiting for their posting out of here. You can see the place now. If I start mentioning all the facilities that they have fixed, they are many.

“I thank TOBA for all that they have invested in this school. I want to appeal to the Imo State government to post more teachers to us because we are lacking teachers in some subject areas so that the effort of TOBA in putting all these facilities wouldn’t be wasted,” he said.

Imo State Commissioner for Education, Prof. Johncliff Nwadike said that alumni associations have a great role to play in educational development.

He added that educational development requires collective efforts.

“Every person should be a critical stakeholder in the educational sector. The truth is that the government can’t do it alone. TOBA has intervened and shown good examples of giving back to the school that made them what they are today.

“We can’t be in a community and our schools are collapsing and we are keeping quiet. The school belongs to us and we should try as much as possible to do the little we can. When one roof goes off and we are watching it, waiting for the government to come, even when the government was unaware a roof was blown off, the whole thing will deteriorate.

“Communities should be partners in progress. Please, if something is happening intervene, but when the intervention is beyond your capacity, there is a need to report and inform the appropriate authorities. Government can’t be everywhere, but when you report, something will be done,” he said.

In his remarks, the Ezeigwe of Oguta, Eze Chinedu Nzeribe said it would be better for the government “to see whether they can at least have a Catholic-administered school because they can’t do everything.

“There is no way the government can do everything, the schools are too many for the government and the resources are not there, so the best advice is to return most of these schools, especially the mission ones. Trinity used to be run as a mission school, so it will be better for the government to see whether they can at least have a Catholic-administered school.

“We are very happy that this school has been renovated and happening in our time. It was one of the top schools in the then Eastern region.”

An English teacher, Mrs. Chioma Ozeke while speaking on the sidelines, recalled that the government had asked the school to write its needs but after a few years, nothing changed.

“I remember when the former principal was asked to write the needs of the school by the government and I believe the principal did so but nothing happened afterwards. When our present principal Mr Nwanedo came in and met the bad state of the school buildings, he wrote to the old boys who intervened and came to our rescue.”

Against all odds, Ozeke said she stayed because of her passion for teaching and that, “the students are like my children and I can’t leave because of the poor facilities. What we used to have was scary. We were always scared of going inside the building to teach, and the classrooms were taken over by grasses but thank God for Old Boys who have renovated the school and we are full of joy. They did, not only in this building, even in our administrative quarters, they made sure the building, classroom and staff room are conducive for teachers and students for effective teaching and learning. We pray that God will replenish their pockets,” she said.

A JSS2 student, Daniel Ụkwụogunna, said that he was happy and proud of the school now unlike before when he joined from another school.

“I’m so happy that our school has been renovated and it looks brand new; now I can call my friends to visit me. We have fans, whiteboards and good seats in our classrooms and my friend’s schools don’t have that. We have running water and solar lights also, I’m so proud of my school now.”