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Vera Wisdom-Bassey
An Alumna of Yewande Memorial School, Surulere, Lagos, Olasumbomi Iginla, who was conferred with the Member of the Order of British Empire (MBE) by the Queen of England has urged teachers to identify the potentials of their pupils.
The MBE award was presented to Iginla by Queen Elizabeth as part of activities to mark her birthday.
Iginla, an Alumna of Yewande Memorial School, who graduated in 1991 was bestowed the MBE award based on her numerous works in Nigeria, Africa and Europe.
She visited her alma mater recently and the pupils, teachers and the school management received her with a standing ovation for making the school proud.
The Alumna advised the teachers and parents to identify the potentials of the pupils and encourage them to excel.
Iginla also counselled them to see their potentials differently and treat them specially. She further urged them to make the pupils future champions of Nigeria and the World.
“See the genius in them and help them to tap it. I was a stubborn girl but my mother never gave up on me. Although she is not alive to celebrate me and take me around the world as she promised before her death, God in his own way has done it for me.’’
She revealed that her days in Yewande School, was one that whenever she is coming to school, the owner Yewande) would ask why she is late. Iginla said she also took the last position in class until one of her teachers discovered that she likes to play and began to teach her playfully in all the subjects, this marked her turning point in her studies and she took 5th position in the class.
According to her, when the mother saw that she took 5th position in the class, she promised to take her all over the world if she comes first, but she never lived to fulfil the promise as the mother died while she was 11 years old.
The MBE awardee said she was raised by her grandmother, who brought out the leadership quality in her. She showered encomium on her teachers for their efforts in moulding her to discover her potentials and academic excellence.
One of the directors of the school, Mrs. Iyabo Smith said the honour (MBE) has brought back the lost glory of the school and tasked the pupils to work hard and aim to attain high positions in the world, noting that Iginla honour was as a result of her works in the UK.
