NEWS
Otti Sets Up Committee to Fast-Track Renovation of Ngwa High School
Otti Sets Up Committee to Fast-Track Renovation of Ngwa High School
…Advocates Equal Access to Quality Education for All Children
Abia State Governor, Dr Alex Otti, has constituted a Five-man committee to coordinate the completion of ongoing projects and address infrastructure gaps at Ngwa High School, Abayi, Aba.
Governor Otti announced the committee at a Grand Civic Reception organised in his honour by the Ngwa High School Old Boys Association on Wednesday, under the theme, “From Foundation to Greatness: Celebrating Transparent and Quality Leadership”.
Every second brings Nigerians closer to exercising their democratic right and shaping the future of our nation.
Exercise your democratic right responsibly, peacefully and lawfully.
Channel
The Governor, who acknowledged the contributions of the Old Boys to the development of their Alma Mater, said the committee would review the school’s outstanding needs and determine how best to address them.
Gov Otti
He named Dr. Reginald Stanley as Chairman of the committee while himself, Prince Uzor Nwachukwu and two others would serve as members of the committee, assuring the Association that the Rev. Pollard Resource Centre project would be completed.
“We are going to meet within this week so that we can take the projects one after the other”, Governor Otti said,
The Governor, an alumus of the institution, disclosed that his administration had already renovated three major buildings at the school but acknowledged that more work was required to bring the institution’s facilities up to the desired standard.
Gov Otti
He said the committee would also examine other pressing needs, including fencing the school, paving its roads and adequately stocking its libraries.
Governor Otti, who described the reception as deeply meaningful because it was organised by his own people, said he did not take the honour for granted and commended the old boys for their efforts in putting the event together.
The Governor who argued that every child deserved a solid educational foundation regardless of economic circumstances, noted that equal access to basic education must come first before efforts to distinguish schools as centres of excellence.
He noted that his administration’s policy of free and compulsory basic education was designed to ensure that every child, irrespective of family background, had access to schooling.
Governor Otti explained that the policy, which covers education up to Junior Secondary School Three, had led to a significant increase in enrolment and necessitated the recruitment of additional teachers in the state workforce.
The governor also referenced the scholarship programme of the Alex Otti Foundation, which supports academically gifted students from vulnerable backgrounds, stressing that leadership required balancing competing needs to ensure fairness.
“We need to start from democratisation of rights for everyone. Whether your father is rich or poor. Whether you are the son of a driver or you are the son of a big man, you should be entitled to have an opportunity to go to school.
“If it is about money, my father didn’t have money. But if he had the opportunity to become who I am today, then the son of a driver, the son of my driver should have the same opportunity to become somebody like me tomorrow. And that is what governance is about”, he said.
Governor Otti announced a N10 million contribution to support students, in addition to matching a N1 million donation by Prof Jasper Jumbo for the benefit of vulnerable pupils and thanked the Old Boys’ Association for their commitment to the institution, expressing the hope that their efforts would continue to yield positive results for current and future generations.
In their goodwill messages, Chief Chibuike Achigbu, the Bishop of Aba Ngwa North Diocese, Rt. Rev. Nathan Kalu, and Professor Jasper Jumbo described Governor Otti as an outstanding student whose brilliance was evident from his secondary school days. They expressed pride in his achievements, noting that his administration had demonstrated that transparency and accountability were attainable in governance.
The President-General of the Ngwa High School Old Boys Association (NHSOBA), Rt. Rev. Christian C. Ugwuzor, in his welcome address said the Association was proud to welcome Governor Otti back to his alma mater, describing his visit as the return of a son to the institution that nurtured him.
He commended the Governor’s performance in office, citing road infrastructure development, improvements in the health and education sectors, and discipline in public service adding that the Governor has demonstrated the school’s values of excellence, integrity and discipline in governance.
The Association’s President-General disclosed that the old boys had invested more than ₦50 million in the construction of the Rev. Pollard Resource Centre, which is expected to house a modern e-library, ICT hub, computer-based test centre, conference halls, a career counselling unit and the school’s archives.
He appealed to Governor Otti to support the completion of the project, describing it as a fitting legacy in honour of the school’s founding principal and an investment in future generations.
The Chairman of the occasion, Dr Reginald Stanley, in his remarks commended Governor Otti for his achievements in office, describing his journey from a successful banking career to the governorship as a demonstration of discipline, determination and commitment to public service.
Dr. Stanley, who said his experience of more than four decades in the oil and gas industry had taught him the importance of vision, sound judgement and long-term planning, noted that these qualities were reflected in the governor’s development agenda, particularly in infrastructure, education, healthcare, transportation and public sector reforms.
The Chairman also expressed support for Otti’s re-election bid, saying the growing calls for a second term reflected public recognition of his administration’s performance and urged the state government, the Anglican Church and the old boys’ association to collaborate in restoring and modernising Ngwa High School, with improved classrooms, functional laboratories, digital learning facilities and other essential infrastructure.
He described investment in the institution as an investment in future generations and called on alumni to contribute their experience and resources towards preserving the school’s legacy.
Earlier, the Chairman of the Planning Committee, Prince Uzor Nwachukwu, expressed pride and nostalgia as the association gathered to honour Governor Otti, an alumnus of the 1983 set, describing him as one of the institution’s outstanding products whose achievements reflect the values and ideals of Ngwa High School.
Related
DO YOU WANT TO WHISTLEBLOW, REPORT FRAUD, THEFT OR INJUSTICE OR INTIMIDATION? SEND US YOUR STORY/REPORT TO NEWSDESK@MEDIATODAY.NG
