Education: Nigerians Must Complement Efforts of Government, Says Oberabor

• FGC Warri old students donate bus to school

By Omon-Julius Onabu in Asaba

In apparent response to the lamentations by the alumni association during the school’s golden jubilee in February, Federal Government College, Warri, Delta State, set of 1988 at the weekend donated a brand new 18-seater bus to the school as part of its contribution to development of the school.

The Chairman of Parents Teacher Association (PTA) of Federal Government College, Warri, Dr. Mike Oberabor, urged more Nigerians to complement the efforts of the government to save the country’s education sector from further decay and boost excellence among students.

Specifically, he called on individuals and groups to support infrastructural development efforts in schools and colleges across the country.

According to Oberabor, “We want more class sets to donate materials and cash to the school. Things have changed, the government is unable to take care of all the responsibilities in this school. It behoves on us as individuals and as old students, parents, to contribute to what the government has to offer, in order to make this place conducive and produced students who can compete favourably with their counterparts all over the world.”

He said it would be the second time a class set was making such substantial donation to the school in Warri.

The National Secretary of the alumni association, Mr. Ayodele Oke, while thanking the set for the donation, promised that the association would give the school a facelift by next year.

Receiving the keys of the vehicle from the donors on behalf of the school, the Principal of the school, Mr. Abiodun Fabiyi, expressed delight that the set of 1988 returned to their alma mater with a donation of a bus.

He said the donation would go a long in spurring “the younger generation of the school to keep the flag flaying,” adding that the gesture would remain one of its kind in the history of FGC Warri.

“It is not what you have that determines what you can give”, the school principal said and called on other old students to take a queue from what the set of 1988 had done by contributing their quota to the school’s development,” he stated.

Fabiyi had earlier lamented the decay of infrastructure in the school and called on all old students from the school to always look for ways to give the school a face-lift.

“When I was first transferred to this school, I wept when I saw the level of decay of infrastructure in the school. In order to bring the school back to its old glory I started a public and private partnership, which has enabled us to renovate some of the dilapidated buildings in the school,” he observed.

He also urged Nigerians to stand up for their rights by confronting those he called the “organised minority leading the disorganised majority in the country.”

Speaking with journalists during the presentation, Mr. Austin Egbemhonkhaye, who led the Class of 1988 Set, noted that it took them about two years to be able to raise the funds with which the body purchased the bus due of their limited resources.

He said the bus was “part of the priority needs listed by the school three years ago” as well as the need to provide conducive learning environment for students of the school.

“The school has done a lot for us over the years and we have decided to give back to the school.”

“This is a small token, this is just one of the many things we are planning to do for the school. This is just the beginning because we are going to do more. We are very happy with the way the school has received us and this will spur us to do more,” Egbemhonkhaye said.

Nevertheless, outgoing head boy of the college, Digbori Oghenetega, described the donation as an encouragement to the students.

“It gives us hope and inspiration that someday we will be successful and do such for our school,” he said.

Dignitaries at the occasion were Mrs. U. Okafor of Unity School Division, Federal Ministry of Education as well as Messrs. Austin Egbemhonkhaye, Femi Akinseloyin, Romanus Onwujuba, Pakribo Darego, Patricia Okerenta, Dorcas Ayeni (members of Set 1988) and vice-principals of the school.

The highpoint of the event was the presentation of the keys and documents of the bus to the principal of the school, Mr Abiodun Fabiyi by Mr Pakribo Darego , on behalf of the Set of 1988, FGCW alumni association.