New Telegraph

AEP: Rewarding excellence, building future leaders

The need to recognise the contributions of individuals to the development of their immediate communities and, by extention, the country, has become very necessary in Nigeria where all facets of social infrastructure have obviously decayed. Without straining too far, evidence abounds everywhere of how much various communities within the country have suffered neglect with each successive administration from federal, state to the local government level abandoning their primary duties of caring and protecting the people.

Public negligence

Infrastructures such as roads, hospitals, schools and other public institutions have been left to rot amid massive stealing of public funds by political leaders. However, despite the failure of government in this regards, individuals, who feel pained by the development, are making it a point of duty to restore hope, deploying their widow’s mite to fill the gaps left by government.

Strategic intervention

This has been the core value of highly rated Association of Esan Professionals (AEP), an association of respected professionals of Esan extraction both at home and in the Diaspora. Gathering under the umbrella of the association in Lagos, last week, for a N250 million Education Trust Fundraising/Award and Recognition Ceremony, the leadership of AEP used the occasion to honour some individuals who have distinguished themselves by way of contributing immensely to the various communities in Esan land. Delivering his speech, the President of AEP, Efe Akhigbe, described it as unique in the sense that it was the first award to be held both in-persin and virtually since inception of the group over 20 years ago. He said the dual nature was to bring inclusiveness to Esan people wherever they are in the world and allow Esan brothers and sisters anywhere they are to craft solution to problems bedevling Esan land. According to him, “this award and fund-raising event titled, ‘Securing the Future of Esan land and its People Through Education,’ is a follow-up to the workshop we had last year with the theme: ‘Enhancing Secondary School Education in Esan Land Through Teaching Intervention.’ “That workshop focused on the problem of secondary education in Esan land. The workshop and the research carried out by the Association brought to the fore the lack of teachers in secondary schools, which has become a major challenge to deliver quality secondary education in Esan land. From our research, most of the schools in Esan land do not have teachers and where they are available, they may just be one or two teachers including the principal.

“Having brought this problem to the knowledge of all stakeholders including the Edo State government, we expect government may be working out a way to addressing it. “However, because we do not want the future of our innocent children to be lost while waiting for Edo State government to staff the schools, the association decided last year to fill the gap in the lives of our children by intervening in the situation.”

Hiring teachers for public schools

He pointed out that to demonstrate commitment as an association to the need to get qualified teaching staff for the public schools in Edo State, and in Esan land in particular, “we started supporting the state government by intervening, in the first instance, in 15 secondary schools in Esan land, by providing and paying for three teachers per school; spread equally among the five local government areas. “Our intervention is in line with the Association, which is among others, to raise the standard of living of the Esan people in all spheres of life. We believe that a good secondary education for a child is a major step to preparing such child for Higher education and better future.”

Human development

Speaking specifically on the AEP 2022 Education Trust Fundraising, the Chairman of the Education Trust Fund-Raising and Award Organising Commit-tee, Emmanuel Ogbebor, said the auspicious occasion presented yet another opportunity to contribute to the development of humanity and make the homeland, Esan and the world at large a better place. He also recalled that the fundraising was a fall-out of the association’s teaching intervention programme in public senior secondary schools in Esan land. He said: “At the Association’s 2021 14th Esan Economic Empowerment Workshop, titled ‘Enhancing Seco dary School Education in Esan Land Through Teaching Intervention,” the teaching intervention commenced with fi us on providing, at least, three teachers each for pu lic secondary schools in Esan land to assist them in Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics (STEM) and other relevant subjects to enable our children compete favourably in WAEC/SSCE, NECO and JAMB as well as aid them to obtain the required minimum five credits for their admission to higher schools.” He noted that the teaching intervention was against the backdrop of the near non-existence of teachers in schools in Esan land, as nearly all public secondary schools have just a principal and one or two teachers to teach the students all the subjects across pure sciences, so I’ll sciences, arts, Mathematics and English.

Success story

“The first phase of the intervention project began in the 2021/2022 school session and it ended in June, 2022 with the Completion of the Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE). Fifteen public secondary schools (three per LGA) were selected across Esan land by ballot. “The association ensured the monitoring and evaluation of the intervention project periodically throughout the entire session. The independent monitors hired by the association and the principal of the beneficiary schools were made to submit to the association monthly reports on the programme.

“With the 2022 WAEC/SSCE results released, we are glad to report that our intervention programme has yielded positive result as the beneficiary students/ schools have performed better in the examination. Details of the score/appraisal of the programme will be presented in the course of this event,” he noted. The event had in attendance eminent personalities such as a titan in the oil and gas industry, Chief Ezekiel Ainabe, Air Vice Marshal Anthony Okpere (rtd), General Cecil Esekhaigbe (rtd), Chairman/Group CEO, Owel- Linkso Group, Rt Hon (Engr) Charles Osezua, who was the Special Guest of Honour, Prof Philomena Ejele of the University of Port Harcout, Special Adviser to Godwin Obaseki on Political Matters, Mrs. Philomena Ihenyen, who stood in for the governor, and Auditor-General of the Federation, Chief Aghughu Adolphus Arhotomhenla.

Others are a former Speaker, Edo State House of Assembly, Mr. Matthew Eigbadon, who represented the Chairman of the occasion, Chief (Dr) Leemon Ikpea, Chairman, Revelation Paints, Barrister Emmanuel Ogbebor, President of AEP, Mr. Efe Akhigbe, and the daughter of the late security expert, Chief (Dr) Ona Ekhomu, among others.

Roll call of awardees

Among those recognised with awards are Dr. Victor Agenminmen, Chief Aghughu Adolphus, Barrister Matthew Egbadon, Prof. S.E Eromosele, Major General Cecil Esekhaigbe (rtd), AVM Anthony Okpere, the late Engr. Paul Ehizokhale, the late Dr. Ona Ekhomu, and the late Barrister Emmanuel Obinyan. Others are Mr. Robinson Wilson- Iguade, Mr. Genesis Inibhunu and Prof. Sunday Onohaebi.

Read Previous

Ehingbeti Summit to unveil plan for 40m Lagosians by 2050

Read Next

Rotimi Jacobs, 61 lawyers bag SAN rank

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *