By Onuchukwu Hamilton
In consonance with the famous moral and biblical principle, that we should give honour to whom honour is due( Romans 13:7) the Orlu LGA chapter of the School Based Management Committee,(SBMC), Imo State, had during its awards/ inauguration ceremony last thursday, bestowed a prestigious award of honour called ” THE PHILANTHROPIC AWARD” to Hon. Prince Joseph Okwara ( Akajiugo of Umuna Ancient kingdom) for his generosity and corporate roles towards the development of education in his community and Orlu LGA at large.
The ceremony was held at the Orlu LGA Council Hall and it succinctly captures the phrase ” Building Stronger Schools through Community Partnership” as its thematic lessons and it was well attended by eminent personalities across various fields of occupational endeavors.
The ceremony featured; Prof. Mike Okoro of the Imo State University as a guest speaker, Pastor Dr. Emeka Enyinnia as Chairman of the occasion, the State Hon. Commissioner for Primary & Secondary Education, Prof. BTO Ikegwuoha as special quest of honour, the SBMC state Chairman, Dr. Ukachukwu Esirim as Host, the Orlu SBMC chapter chairman, Hon. GOC Nwadike, the Executive Chairman, IMSUBEB, Dr. Mrs. Stella Ukagba as a guest of honour, HRH, Eze Emeka Francis Ujagba, Eze Otundub (1) of Amanator Okporo Autonomous Community, as Royal Father of the day cum the Executive Chairman of Orlu LGA, Hon. Pastor Chris Mbarie as the Chief Host.
Having lucidly addressed his guests at the ceremony, on the mandate of the SBMC, from the National level to the local communities, the Orlu Chapter Chairman, Hon GOC Nwadike, went further to reveal the processes through which the awardees like Prince Akajiugo Joseph Okwara emerged. He explained that Prince Akajiugo and other awardees were painstakingly assessed and the results proved that they have sincerely distinguished themselves in the aspect of education development in Orlu LGA.
According to the assessment impact results, Prince Akajiugo has through his famous Charity Foundation, empowered many families to train their wards,” his charity foundation has resurrected ailing schools, renovated school buildings in his community, made huge financial donations for the procurement of teaching facilities and given scholarships to prospective students.
Earlier , the National Chairman School-Based Management Committee (SBMC) Alhaji Abdullahi Umar, had urged members of the committee at the state levels to work as a team , with the school administrators, teachers, parents and government agencies to create a conducive learning environment where every child has the opportunity to thrive.
On her part, the Executive Chairman Imo State Universal Basic Education Board ( IMSUBEB) Dr.Mrs. Stella Ukagba thanked the National Chairman of the School-Based Management Committee (SBMC) Alhaji Abdullahi Umar and other key officers for working assiduously to ensure that the SBMC mandate is achieved. Dr Ukagba, noted that the development of education in the state, requires a collaboration with every stake holder to secure the future of Imo Children and eulogized Governor Hope Uzodimma for the upliftment of Imo educational sector by prioritize teachers salaries and provision of some basic infrastructural requirements.
Accepting the merit award as a mark of appreciation
and making his own donation to the SBMC , Hon. Prince Joseph Okwara ( Akajiugo) described the SBMC as a carefully designed national educational mechanism that is expected to greatly assist in the advancement of the county’s school settings to a fruitful height. He confines that the merit award him and others , is an indirect task for more responsibilities.
He expressed gratitude to God and the Orlu Chapter of SBMC for the legacy award which he said , will spur him to do more.
