By Lawrence Nwimo
Good reading habits and quality attitudes were among the key messages conveyed to students that participated in the 2021 Uga Professors vacation programme in Uga, Anambra State.
The message was delivered by scholars and professors who are indigenes of Uga community at the closing ceremony of the 2021 edition of their annual extra moral programme for SSI and SSII secondary students, held at Uga Boys Secondary School, Uga, Anambra State on Friday.
Speaking at the event, the scholars including first female Professor of Mass Communication in Nigeria, Professor Stella Okunna, charged the students to embrace hard work and positive attitude as they are the driving forces to achieving success in life.
Prof Okunnna described the programme as an avenue mapped out to contribute to the training of younger generation to embrace education from the tender age and train them for future academic success.
She said “the criteria was to encourage secondary students in Uga” who are at the point of choosing their career paths and to train future professors that would contribute meaningfully to the development of the society.
Earlier, Chief Edwin Okolo who chaired the event, said the programme of Uga professors is equipping the students with the intensive coaching classes and career talks that guides them with the knowledge and skills to excel in their academic pursuit.
While Okolo attributed many changes of the society to loss of values and illiteracy, he said adequate knowledge of direction to maximize talents will lead the society out of shells and ugly situations. He further reminded the beneficiaries that quality education guarantees knowledge that will help live an accomplished life.
Again, he urged the students to cultivate learning attitudes, morals so as to maximize their potential, stating that the first step to learning is learning how to learn. He also advised them to maintain, self value, leverage on that personal values and work to improve their image in the society by wearing the ornaments of education.
In his remark, Retired Professor of Surveying, University of Lagos, Prof. Christian Ezeigbo said the essence of the Programme was to prepare the student for their future careers.
Ezeigbo who is the Chairman, Uga Professors, commended the sponsor of the programme Mr Nonso Okpala, for toeing the path of charity to humanity. He called on the rich in the society to emulate his style and consider putting efforts to sustain the growth of education that will lay the success foundation of their communities and country at large.
The retired university don decried many challenges that had threatened the continuity of the programme and maintained that the programme had provided rare opportunity for many students who benefit from the opportunity since its 9 years of existence to gain admission to universities in the country.
Also speaking, Joseph Okonkwo representing the Secretary, Anambra Post Primary School Service Commission, Awka, Josephine Onuorah, lauded Uga Professors for the programme and urged them not to relent in modeling the student to be future stars. He linked Nigeria to be a nation without guidance but said with what the professors are doing, there seems to be hope.
Meanwhile, the programme sponsor and founder of Chude and Ego charity Foundation, Mr. Nonso Okpala said his decision to sponsor the programme was borne out of interest to providing everything possible in education and healthcare delivery to better the lives of the people and society.
He promised to sponsor the university programme of any product of the centre who is able to achieve highest performance in the subsequent University entrance examinations and encouraged the students to take their studies serious to leverage from the opportunity. He also advised them to read to be providers of help in the future and to give back to the society when they are established.
” The motive behind the sponsorship is to provide opportunity for students to attain success. We are planning ways to put people up and and support people who are planning to be greater in their careers. It is good to do well by giving back to the society.
” My foundation which is Chude and Ego Foundation, built in memory of my parents would provide best university support to the best the student that would get the highest in JAMB and if they get admission on the basis of that JAMB result, we would offer full sponsorship. We will also buy jamb form for the best 20 students that would emerge from the programme.”
Speaking on the event, he said, “I’m quite positive about the event of today and I’m very optimistic that in 10 to15 years, the children we train today will come back to train others. If you do not contribute to the people in the society, that means you are a failure, ” he said.
Also speaking, the programme’s pioneer sponsor, Chief Azubuike Okpalaoka, said education is vital in the life of any individual irrespective of profession, class and trade and charged the students to strive for excellence in any life endeavor.
He reassured continued support of the annual vacation programme and promised to help best twenty students of the programme in obtaining the upcoming application form of the Joint Admission and Matriculation Examination among other supports as may be deemed useful to the students.
Speaking on behalf of the students, Chioma Oluoba, an SSI student of Immaculate Hearts secondary school, Uga, charged the her fellow students to rise to leverage from the bountiful opportunities presented at the programme.
Another Student, Chika Chukwukesiri of St. Augustine’s Model secondary school, Uga, said the one month programme availed him the opportunity to obtain more knowledge in addition to what he obtains in his school and advised fellow beneficiaries to take the message home, buckle up in their studies and rise to the challenge to leverage from the opportunity the programme presents.
The teachers at the event reassured their readiness to devote their time and energy in training and preparing the students for success. They also assured to guide them in their respective career paths.
Award presentations to best performing students from SSI and SSII as well as distribution of gifts to the participants were the high point of the closing ceremony.