By Fred Ezeh
The quiet and serene neighborhood of Bama Street, Kubwa, Abuja, was held down last weekend. But it was for a good reason. The high and mighty gathered to witness the official opening of a new private basic education school called Diamond Scholars Royal Academy.
All roads to the school witnessed an unprecedented traffic. Sleek and Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs) conveyed dignitaries from diverse callings who were on hand to celebrate with the founder of the school, ex-beauty queen, Joy Osomiamhe-Onumajuru.
The presence of her family members, friends, colleagues, beauty queens and other well wishers were conspicuous, even as photographers struggled to capture the memorable event for posterity.
The arrival of the Catholic Priest of St. Luke, Kubwa, Rev. Fr. Innocent Jooji, signaled the commencement of the unveiling. He appreciated God for the life and vision of the proprietress who he described as a committed follower of God and a dedicated Catholic, hence the Grace of God for such a legacy.
He prayed for God’s protection and guidance on the proprietress and management, even as he handed over the school to God, with assurance that God and His angels have taken over the security and operations of the school, and won’t hesitate to unleash His anger on anyone that might try to sabotage the effort of the proprietress.
Chairman of the occasion, Mike Okiro, was impressed with the determination of the proprietress to contribute to human development through the provision of a formidable platform for the acquisition of quality and affordable education.
Okiro, a former Inspector General of Police and Chairman, Police Service Commission (PSC), expressed conviction on the capability of the ex-beauty queen to unleash her academic potentials and prowess on the children that would come under her care.
He encouraged her to be identified with a particular standard and maintain such in order to retain the trust and confidence of parents that would entrust the academic destiny of their children in her care.
The founder of the school and ex beauty queen said that inspiration for the school was born of her passion to provide quality education for children of the middle and low class families, giving them a platform to realize their God given potentials.
She informed the parents of a unique curriculum that would inculcate British and Nigerian education on the children, thus making of them global citizens that would provide solutions to world political, economic, security and other challenges.
She encouraged parents to entrust their children in their care, as plans have been concluded for the unprecedented transformation, academically and otherwise, in the lives of their children in no distant time.
Her close friend, Irene Onwuka, who was also an ex-beauty queen donated 50 pairs of male and female sandals, 300 moral instructional books and other items that would aid teaching and learning in the school.