By Christy Anyanwu
It was an evening of excellence, interaction, admonition and glamour as Universal White Hall Schools, Fagba, Lagos held its 18th annual dinner/award ceremony, during which 65 students were sent off.
The event with the theme: “The beginning of a New Crest 2021” took place at Blue Ribbon Event Centre, Abule Egba Lagos.
In his speech, the Managing Director, Universal White Hall Schools, Alexander Ogedengbe, thanked the guardian/parents for entrusting their children to the school`s care.
“For us to educate them, what we promised was to return the children better than they came and we have achieved that,” he said.
He urged the graduands to put into use all they have learnt in school as they go outside the confines of the school. Ogedengbe added that good attitude would open doors for them.
“The doors that your skills cannot open, your attitude would open them easily. Ensure you are educated by acquiring a university education and in a good university.’’
High Commissioner of Namibia to Nigeria, Humphrey Gelseb, congratulated the 65 students, noting that they should not take for granted their graduation as it was very significant.
He said: “When we gathered here a year before last, it was a different era and today too, it is a completely changed world because of the impact of COVID-19 pandemic. So in the midst of all the pandemics, it is really noble that the school authority has put extra efforts to make sure the graduating students had a fulfilling graduation ceremony.
“With respect to the proprietor, I really want to thank you for allowing our children from Namibia to attend school here. It is not easy when you have close to 200 million people in Nigeria and we know that your slots in WAEC and high institutions are highly sought after, yet you still accommodate Namibian students in your school. I really thank you from the bottom of my heart on behalf of their parents for giving them this education. It really means a lot to these parents.”
Gelseb commended the parents for the opportunity they have given to their children to become secondary school graduates. He also lauded the teachers for their hard work, adding, “without the roles of the teachers, many professions will not be possible.”
A parent, Chukwurah Carol, spoke on the topic, “Five Guidelines to Living a Successful and Happy Life. Most times people are carried away with the excitement, the aspiration and everything that we forget about the reality of life.
“The real life out there is much more different from what you have seen as students in the past 11 or 14 years of your lives because you have been in the close watch of your parents, your teachers, guardians and everybody. But you know what, freedom is what we all crave for and we do anything to get it.’’
However, you must know that freedom comes with its price. The reality is that if you are not ready for freedom and you don’t watch the things you do, the same freedom will destroy you.”
Speaking on the theme for the graduation, “The beginning of a New Crest 2021,”, Senior Pastor, Royal Seed Christian Centre, Remi Agbabiaka, said: “I would like to recapture the theme to something you will probably remember more, which is ‘Souring Higher’ because what we are trying to tell you through the theme: ‘The beginning of a New Crest 2021”, is that, it will get to a level where you would be expected to move to a greater height, which equally means souring higher.”