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Governor Alex Otti of Abia State has disclosed that his administration will partner with the Anglican Church to ensure that Ngwa High School is operated effectively and efficiently.
According to a press statement issued by the spokesperson to Mr Otti, Ukoha Ukoha, the governor made the disclosure on Saturday, 8 March, when he hosted the Old Boys Association of Ngwa High School, Aba, mainly comprising the 1982 and 1983 sets.
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Mr Otti disclosed that his administration started the rehabilitation of some iconic buildings in the school like the Pollard House, the Engineering House, the Administrative Block, and some others, towards the end of last year.
“We intend to hold a discussion with the Anglican Church so that we can collaborate as a government to ensure that the School is effectively managed. If the school is not properly managed, people will look at us and ask, what are the old boys doing?”
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The governor explained that though the school has been handed over to the Anglican Church, it does not mean that the old boys or the government cannot do anything to help run the school well.
“There are a few things I saw that I wasn’t happy with. I had contacted the leadership of the Anglican Church to say it’s either the government takes back school or the government collaborates,” the governor stated amidst applause from the old boys.
“They are happy with the collaboration, and I’m expecting the bishop so that we can discuss,” he added.
Mr Otti encouraged the old boys to help the school if they were in a position to do so, as the school needed their help.
Responding to the old boys’ commendation for appointing their members to different public offices, Governor Otti said appointments under his administration are merit-based and have nothing to do with who you are or where you come from.
Turning to the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Sports and Youth Development, Nwaigwe Cyril Chibuike, the governor said, “Let me let the permanent secretary know that I didn’t know that he went to Ngwa High School.
“Our appointments are strictly on merit. You remember that you wrote an exam, and because you passed, that is why you proceeded to the level of oral interview that ended with me, and you passed.
“If you didn’t pass, whether you are from Ngwa High School or not, you would not have been made a permanent secretary. Everything we do is strictly on merit, and we do not discriminate.
“Once you have something to offer, the state has need of you.”
Otti declined award from old boys
Governor Otti politely declined an award presented to him by the Class of 1983, maintaining his stance that he will not take any award (chieftaincy titles, honorary doctorate degrees, or anything related to celebration) until he leaves office, as stated in paragraph 44 of his inaugural speech in May 2023.
The Ngwa High School Old Boys thanked the governor for granting them an audience despite his busy schedule and commended him for his effective leadership and visible achievements across the state, as evidenced by the already completed projects and many ongoing ones at different levels of completion.
They described Mr Otti as a “superstar governor”, noting that for the first time, knowledge and skills are being deployed in administering the state as he has assembled skillfully qualified and competent people to help him deliver the dividends of democracy to Abia people and residents.
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In their vote of thanks by the immediate past Mayor of Aba South, Uche Nwogu, who was of the class of 1983, they told the governor that his 2027 second term bid is no longer in his hands to decide whether to run or not as the people have decided that he must run because his good works across the state will make it difficult for anybody to challenge him in the 2027 governorship election.
Uzor Nwachukwu, the commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs of the class of 1985, joined Mr Otti in receiving his fellow Old Boys.
Boniface Uche, the chairperson of the state-owned Abia Comets FC, who was of the class of 1979 and the games prefect then, was among the senior old boys that attended the event.
