GCU old boys seek improved funding for public schools 

Government College Ughelli Old Boys Association (GCUOBA) has called on governments at all levels to increase funding allocations to public secondary schools so that infrastructure and teaching standards are raised to be at par with the best of private schools.

President General Worldwide of the association, Dr. Charles Majoroh, made the call at the annual national dinner party held in Lagos recently lamenting the poor state of infrastructure in some public schools across the country.

“It is our consisted opinion that governments at all levels need to pay more attention to the funding of education, especially in public schools. These schools should not be allowed to deteriorate any further as it is the case now with many schools where the old students have not taken the initiative to intervene like we have done at GCH. Secondary school funding and administration call for new thinking about options,” he said.

Majoroh said the old boys association of GCU had spent over N1billion in upgrading infrastructure and teaching quality in the school even as he tasked past students of public schools in the country to make sacrifices to address the rot in their alma mater.

He said the 2022 dinner was his last as president of the group, calling on old boys to make financial contributions and support the incoming executives achieve the quest of taking over the management of the school from the state government.

Guest speaker at the event and Director General, Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, Lagos, Prof. Eghosa Osaghae who spoke on the future of public schools decried the situation where must public schools have become a shadow of themselves.

He therefore appealed to former students of these schools to partner with the government and resuscitate them.

The night witnessed the conferment of  lifetime achievement awards on some of old boys of the school, among them Rear Admiral Sunday Uguna, Prof. Fred Opute, Dr. Samuel Okpaku, Sir Joseph Arumemi-Ikhide, Prof. Festus Iyayi, Prof. Bankole Ako and Prof. Festus Ogisi.