It’s my one year in office as the principal of the best secondary school in Nigeria and one of the best in the world; Government Secondary School Afikpo (GSSA). It is also my 24 years in the teaching profession.
Let me begin by praising God, the giver of life and the ultimate giver of positions of authority for finding me worthy to head the best secondary school in Nigeria and one of the best in the world, the most prestigious Government Secondary School, Afikpo in spite of all my imperfections.
Let me also thank the Almighty Father for giving me the life to witness my one year in office as the Principal of this great citadel of learning and for the wisdom to tackle all the challenges I encountered within this one year period and for the unprecedented massive support I received from individuals, NGOs, the Old Boys of our great school both at home and in Diaspora; the GSSA-OBA and the GSS-AAA and of course, the Ebonyi State Government.
Let me also exalt the name of the Lord for guiding and protecting me in the teaching profession to the point that I now count 24 years in the system from a journey that started in 1999 at the same great school; GSSA.
From Ugwulangwu Secondary School, Ugwulangwu, where I made an impressive debut as the school Principal, I was posted to head Government Secondary School, Afikpo in January, 2022, sequel to the retirement of my predecessor, Mr. Nnachi John Ulu, who handed over formally to me on 30th January, 2022.
This is my one year anniversary as the Principal of this great school; the school I so much love with great passion, the school I put in my very best as a teacher, the school I can boast of producing the greatest number of professionals, who are among the best you can find in the world, the school which I had always desired to head as her Principal, having been inspired by the generations of Principals I served in the school in the past.
God made it possible and today I mark one year in office with the greatest joy of accomplishments and fulfilments. I give God all the glory.
The past one year as the Principal of GSSA was indeed very eventful. When I look back at the past year and look forward to what the new year stands to bring to our great school, I consider myself so richly blessed by God.
For the records, let me highlight some of the good things my administration as Principal has attracted to our great school from individuals, NGOs, the OBA, the AAA and the Ebonyi State Government:
1. Scholarships
a. Payment of WAEC registration fee for five indigent students as sponsored by the then Ebonyi State Commissioner for Project Monitoring and Evaluation, Chief Oluchukwu Ukie Ezeali (P. Noble), an Old Boy of our great school in January, 2022. That was the first blessing on our great school under my watch as the Principal.
b. Payment of NECO registration fee for five indigent students in June, 2022 as sponsored by Ehugbo Unique Friends Foundation (women humanitarian group).
c. Ugona Memorial Scholarship for excellence in Physics as sponsored by the GSS Triple A on 3rd December, 2022.
d. Adube Memorial Scholarship for excellence in Entrepreneurship as sponsored by GSS Triple A on 3rd December, 2022.
e. The Chief J. N. Okonkwo (the Onyeukwu 1 of Enugwu-Agidi) memorial award for excellence in Chemistry as sponsored by the GSS Triple A on 3rd December, 2022.
f. Payment of WAEC registration fee for seven indigent students on 26th January, 2023 as sponsored by a philanthropist who pleads anonymous.
g. Award of scholarships for WAEC registration to the overall best student in sciences and the overall best student in arts in SS3 as well as cash awards to the Principal, the Principal (Junior), the most hardworking teacher and the most punctual teacher as sponsored by the 1999 set of the school Old Boys Association, the Eagles.
h. Oko Christian Ndukwe Scholarship Awards to six intelligent SS3 students of 2022 class for their JAMB registration.
Award of scholarship to best students and cash awards to the Principal, the Principal Junior and two other teachers on punctuality and hardwork by the GSSA-OBA 1999 class know as the Eagles.
2. Quiz and debate competitions
a. Our great school emerged the best in quiz and debate competitions, clinching two coveted trophies as a result in October, 2022 as sponsored by Afikpo Youth Leadership Forum.
b. Our great school again emerged Ebonyi South champions in the David Umahi Secondary School Quize Competition in November, 2022 as sponsored by the Ebonyi State Ministry of Education, Abakaliki.
3. Sports
a. Organized one of the best inter-House Sports Competitions in the history of the school in March, 2022.
b. Donation of two brand new Olympic ping-pong tables (table tennis) with complete sets of accessories in March, 2022, during the school inter-House Sports Competition by GSS Triple A. The Olympic Ping-Pong tables were commissioned by the Ebonyi State Honourable Commissioner for Education, Dr. Sunday Ziji Nwangele
c. Emergence of the school team as Ebonyi South representative in National Principals’ Cup football competition as sponsored by the Federal Ministry of Sports, Abuja.
d. Construction of a cricket training net for the school in August, 2022 as financed by the school Old Boy Cricketer, (OBA); Chief Chika Okoro.
Olympic Ping-pongs tables and their full sets of accessories donated to the school at her March, 2022 inter-House Competition by the GSS Triple A.
4. Solar electricity maintenance, ICT and Digital Teaching and Learning
a. Sponsorship of the school Principal, the Principal (Junior), the Vice Principals, the Bursar and the school library mistress on seven weeks intensive training in computer operations and Internet Communication Technology (ICT) in August, 2022 by the GSS Triple A.
b. Donation of two projectors and smart screens and the installation of same in the school Assembly Hall and WAEC hall for visual learning and ICT as sponsored by the GSS Triple A.
c. Donation of 56 laptop computers, bearing the Khan Academy for use by teachers in digital teaching and learning as sponsored by the GSS Triple A.
d. Construction of a computer training, diagnostics and repairs center in October, 2022 as sponsored by the GSS Triple A.
e. Upgrade of the Prof. Ndu Eke Library to e-library with the installation of laptop computers and 24 hours Reuters’ internet connectivity as sponsored by the GSS Triple A.
f. Extension of solar power to the school Sickbay as sponsored by the GSSA-OBA, Abuja Branch.
g. General maintenance with the assistance of the Principal (Junior) of all the solar facilities installed in the school by the GSS Triple A.
h. Regular zoom meetings of GSS Triple A overseas with students in all classes
5. Renovations, reconstructions, furniture and school band upgrade
a. Total renovation of the Captain of School’s lodge, re-electrification of the lodge, installation of a wall industrial fan, upgrade of the bathroom/lavatory facilities in the lodge and upgrade of all the furniture as sponsored by GSSA-OBA, Lagos Branch.
b. Total renovation of the Boys’ Quarters attached to the Old Principal’s Quarters as sponsored by Chief Chika Okoro of GSSA-OBA.
c. Upgrade of all the furniture in the reading room of Prof. Ndu Eke e-library.and donation of over 1000 textbooks as sponsored by GSSA-OBA, 1983 class.
d. Total upgrade of the school band and donation of a brand new Artech-USA trumpet to the band group as sponsored by GSSA-OBA, Abuja Branch and donation of over 2,000 exercise books (awaiting delivery).
e. Upgrade of the bathroom/lavatory facilities in the lodge.
6. Agriculture
a. The greenhouse
The greenhouse was built for our great school by the Ebonyi State Government through UBEB around 2018 when the past administration was in charge, but it became operational when I came onboard in 2022, following the posting of an agronomist to our great school to commence the planting of a special specie of pepper from Israel in the greenhouse by the former UBEB desk officer, Abakaliki, who is now demised (may her gentle soul rest in peace). The agronomist and the school Agric Department did a good job. Today, the school harvests this Israeli pepper in bounty and it also yields IGR for the school through which the school has procured a brand new giant generator and a borehole switch to help in pumping water from the available motorized boreholes in the school for dear students and staff. While I appreciate the Principal (Junior), Uro Patricia, whose office saw to the procurement of the generator and switch, I commend the HOD Agric Department of the school, Mr. Eze Gabriel (the Angel) and indeed my entire staff of Agric Department extract for their transparency in the handling of funds generated from the greenhouse. I also thank His Excellency Engr. Dr. David Nweze Umahi, Fnse, Fnate, CON, GSSRS, for siting the greenhouse in our great school. If he didn’t, I wouldn’t have been talking about the contribution of the greenhouse to the advancement of our great school. Therefore, Governor Umahi deserves all the accolades.
b. Under my administration in the past one year, the school cassava farm has produced several basins of garri used for the feeding of our dear students living in the school hostel. Many thanks again to the school Agric Department.
7. Instructional materials from the National Mathematics Center, Abuja:
a. My administration attracted a large size white synthetic marker board, a human skeleton for the biology laboratory and several mathematics kits from the National Mathematics Center, Abuja in December, 2022 as sponsored by Senator Michael Ama Nnachi, another Old Boy of our great school.
8. Fiscal policy and discipline
a. My administration introduced the payment of all boarding fees into the designated account to ensure accountability. The school chancellor of the exchequer, Rev. Nwenyi Ukpai Uka, who is also celebrating his one year in office, having been posted to our great school almost the same month I was posted, saw to the full implementation of this fiscal policy. Today, all boarding and other school funds go into the school account and for the past one year, we have not had issues of funds developing ‘wings’. Many thanks to the college exchequer, who aggressively ensured its full implantation.
b. My administration attracted the consensus of the school PTA on the payment of a supplementary boarding fee of N5,000 each by boarding students to cushion the effects of the hard times. My administration equally sought and graciously got the approval of the Ebonyi State Government through the Ebonyi State Secondary Education, Board, to the PTA consensus. As a result, the diet of the boarding students have improved considerably as eggs and other menus that were stopped so many years back have been reintroduced by my administration. I can’t thank the Ebonyi State Government enough for granting this approval through the SEB headquarters, Abakaliki. We can also access our school account in our offices, using our laptops and internet connections donated to us by the GSS Triple A. I can’t thank the college Exchequer enough for all his co-operation.
we appreciate the two education boards even as we expect more posting of teachers to the school in the supplementary transfers that would soon be released.
9. Students and staff discipline and improved teaching and learning
a. In our great school, bullying of junior students by senior students in whatever form has reduced drastically because of the punishment by expulsion of offenders, ditto in other acts of indiscipline under my watch.
b. Teaching and learning have equally improved because my administration put in place multifaceted monitoring mechanism that yields the best results.
c. The posting of new and brilliant teachers to the school in September last year by the Secondary Education Board, SEB and the Universal Basic Education Board (UBEB) equally reinforce effective teaching and learning, and excellence in extracurricular activities. We appreciate the two education boards even as we expect more posting of teachers to the school in the supplementary transfers that would soon be released.
10. Historic events
a. It is under my administration in October last year that OBA and AAA had a joint homecoming and world convention for the first time in the history of our great school.
b. It is also under my administration that the joint session of the OBA and AAA named the renovated Captain of School’s lodge after the first Captain of School, Chief Arikpo Ettah (1953-1958).
d. It is also worthy of note that it in my administration that the GSS Triple A celebrated 15 years anniversary. I led the staff to participate in the anniversary celebration by zoom. It was epochal. My anniversary speech was equally ground-breaking!
e. My administration has equally produced a duty principal in the person of Mrs Amadi Felicia, whom I appointed Vice Principal-Students’ Affairs when I came onboard. She was appointed duty principal by the Secondary Education Board headquarters, Abakaliki in September, 2022 and was posted out to head her new school.
f. I was conferred with a distinguished award of excellence by the corps members that served in our great school in 2022. The first of its kind. I appreciate them as I mark my one year in office.
11. Concepts
a. My administration introduced concepts that have never been heard of in the teaching profession. These concepts are: digital principal and 21st principal. These are very distinguishing concepts that now stick as my identity wherever I go. Some fans even admirably refer to me as the 21st Principal in the 21st Century. I’m greatly humbled by these plaudits.
The list is inexhaustible. I’ll continue to demonstrate my debts of gratitude to the school Alumni Association, the GSS Triple A, for throwing all her weight in their bulkiest support of my administration. I can’t thank enough the amiable President of the Alumni for all the assurances of the AAA and for always treating me as a son.
I can’t also thank the OBA enough for the association’s support and for always assuring me that the OBA will do more exploits under my administration, in spite of vicious propaganda from the pit of hell.
I can’t also thank the Ebonyi State Government enough under the leadership of His Excellency Engr. Dr. David Nweze Umahi, Fnse, Fnate, CON, GSSRS for all the good things he is doing for our great school and the administration’s gracious support, which I humbly enjoy.
The Honourable Commissioner for Education, Dr. Sunday Ziji Nwangele, deserves my encomiums for always lending himself as a fulcrum and phalanx as my overall Boss.
The Secondary Education Board headquarters, Abakaliki, you found me worthy and posted me to head such a great school, amidst insinuations here and there. One year after, I’ve not disappointed the Board. Ebullient Member Three, SEB headquarters, Abakaliki, Hon. Chief Donatus Ezeogo Aja (ZENTUS), I promise to keep making you proud for always sticking out your neck for me in thick and in thin. May God bless you and your lovely family.
To the Principal of the Junior section; Madam GSSA and Indeed to our great staff, I appreciate you all for your maximum co-operation in the past one year. Let’s keep on the progress in the new year and beyond as we take our great school to greater heights.
To our dear students, I appreciate you and pray you maintain that culture of discipline and academic excellence, which students of our great school are known for. Cerebral Captain of School, Master Chukwu Abraham Chukwudi, thanks for your goodwill message that ran thus:
“Congratulations the digital principal sir, you are a man of unequivocal qualities, you are a rare type and a father to all of us at G.S.S.A. God will continue to make lines to fall in pleasant places on your behalf, whether the devil likes it or not. Happy anniversary the digital principal, more grease to your elbow”.- Captain of School.
God bless all of us.
Love the Brotherhood!
Fear God!!
Honour the King!!!
Ogbonnia Nwachi is the 21st Principal of GSSA.