By Henry Akubuiro
It never rains but it pours. Anambra State Commissioner for Education, Ngozi Chuma-Udeh, has spent less than a year in the office, but a string of awards for students and teachers under her ministry and innovations has characterised her early days.
Hardly had the buzz created by her students’ heroics at the recently concluded Southeast ANCOPSS Quiz Competition ebbed when the winning streak showed again on a bigger scale.
On Wednesday, October 5, 2022, five teachers in the Anambra State school system won the 2022 President’s Teachers and Schools’ Excellence Award, held at the Eagles square Abuja, which was part of activities lined up for World Teachers’ Day by the Federal Government of Nigeria.
Dr. Sabina Ijeoma Chukwunedum of Abbot Girls Secondary School, Ihiala, won the overall best administrator in Nigeria among public junior secondary schools, while Mrs. Marilyn Uchenna Ugokwe of SUSU College Nkpor was adjudged the best private senior secondary school teacher.
Similarly, Mrs. Eucharia Ikegwuonu of Nigeria Science and Technical College, Nnewi, won the junior secondary schools category, as the first runner up. Mr. Hope Chekwube Ifetike of Government Technical College, Onitsha, won as first runner up, in the public senior secondary school category. The Federal Government College Onitsha received the best Science Teacher award.
Reacting to the development, the Commissioner for Education, Prof. Ngozi Chuma-Udeh, stated that the exploits by Anambra State teachers resulted from the commitment of Governor Chukwuma Soludo to ensure teachers’ welfare and to provide value and skill based education, as well as raise a generation of digital citizens.
The awardees who were presented with a bus, a Kia brand of car, a Salti Lady motorcycle and generating set, expressed their appreciation to Governor Soludo for his empowerment that enabled them achieve the feat.
In appreciation of the remarkable feat, Nnewi indigenes in Abuja on Thursday, October 6, gathered to celebrate with Anambra State awardees of the 2022 President’s Teachers and Schools’ Excellence Award.
Addressing the gathering, the Commissioner for Education, Prof. Ngozi Chuma-Udeh, appreciated the Nnewi community for her critical role in Igbo land, with particular reference to being brother’s keeper. Prof. Chuma-Udeh renewed her call on Anambra indigenes to identify with Governor Soludo’s programme of transforming all community schools in Anambra State into smart Schools
Commissioner Chuma-Udeh argued that, if all indigenes of Anambra State keyed into the adopt-a-school programme of the Soludo administration, schools in the State would have the enabling environment required to provide value and skill based education and meaningfully engage Anambra youths.
Earlier, Chief Onwa Nwafo Orizu, who hosted the event, stated that the action was motivated by the need to rejoice with the awardees, appreciate the state government’s strides in education and encourage teachers for further exploits. Chief Orizu promised to discuss with Prof. Chuma-Udeh on how to partner with the Education Ministry to transform the schools.
The eldest Old Boy of Nigerian Science and Technical College Nnewi, Col. Onyejegbu (rtd) underscored the importance of education in the production of quality human resources. He announced a donation of N1m for the fuelling of the generator won by the Nigeria Science and Technical College, Nnewi, for emerging the first runner-up best public school at the 2022 President’s Teachers and Schools’ Excellence Award. Col. Onyejegbu also announced a donation of N50,000 to each of the other four awardees.