Ogbonnaya Ikokwu, Umuahia
Indigenes of Umuosu Umunna Nsulu in Isiala Ngwa North Local Government Area of Abia State have urged Governor Alex Otti, to remember the Umunna Comprehensive Secondary School, Umuosu Umunna Nsulu in his efforts to reposition the education sector.
Chief Chijioke Ozems the protocol officer of Umunna Nsulu traditional council of chiefs made the appeal on Wednesday shortly after the inauguration of two blocks of ten classrooms renovated by the Cromaria Care Foundation, a non profit making organization—founded by Dr and Mrs Obioma Reuben Orji.
The titled man lamented that the school which was the first secondary school in the area has been left to detoriate by successive administrations in the state.
He revealed that the institution which was built solely through community efforts forty-five years ago had once lost its accreditation as a West African Examination Council exam centre due to poor infrastructure, low number of students and lack of teachers.
He said, “I shed tear each time I remember how our fathers and mothers toiled to build this school through direct labour and what the school has become as of today.
“That is why we are calling on the state government to come to our rescue. We need their help. We don’t even have teachers in the school again. The situation is affecting so many families that cannot afford to send their children to private schools.
“We are calling on the government to help restore the glory of this school that has produced many professionals including doctors, accountants, lawyers, engineers and others.
“We also appreciate our son and his wife Dr and Mrs Obioma R. Orji,
for renovating two classroom blocks in the school and we believe that having brought the wife of the governor today, help will soon come our way”.
In their separate remarks the founders of Cromaria Care Foundation, Dr and Mrs Obioma R. Orji, said they ventured into the charity work in appreciation to the goodness of God in their lives.
Orji said, “this program has been a yearly ritual, when you know where you are coming from and how faithful God has been to you, one will start thinking of how to appreciate God? He doesn’t eat food nor drink wine, so the only way to appreciate him is by giving back to the society.
“We will keep looking up to God and do all we can to give back to our people and assist our youths to acquire good education”.
Our correspondent reports that the foundation also constructed a new 3 bedroom flat to serve as Corps members’ lodge and awarded scholarship to 20 student in addition to the existing 400 students under its scholarship scheme.
The group equally distributed 1600 bags of fertilizer to the women of the 8 autonomous communities that made up umunna Nsulu.