From OKEY SAMPSON, Aba
The Old Boys of Bishop Nwedo Memorial Boys’ High School (BNMBHS), Umuahia, Abia State who see their alma mater as their place came together recently to become agents of development for the school that raised them.
In taking the stance, the Old Boys known simply as Nwedomites are looking beyond their alma-mater to the larger society.
Bishop Nwedo Memorial Boys’ High School is a Catholic Missionary School established in August 1993 at Ossah Umuahia, the Abia State capital. It was formerly called Loretto Boys’ High School, but later renamed after the founder, Bishop Anthony Gogo Nwedo who was the first Catholic Archbishop of Umuahia Diocese.
Not wanting to queue behind those who believe that everything should be left to government to do, Nwedomites during her Annual Convention held in Aba the commercial hub of Abia State, came up with so many projects it would embark on to bring the needed development and change to not only to her alma-mater, but the society.
Speaking at this year’s convention, the president of the association, Chief Chinedu Ezeokoronkwor, said Nwedomites as integral part of BNMBHS has concluded arrangements to renovate some structures in the school which include the library, some classroom blocks and the principal’s quarters. This he said will bring the needed development and change in their alma-mater and make the environment conducive for teaching and learning.
“We have concluded arrangement to begin the renovation of some classroom blocks, the library and the principal’s quarters and this we believe apart from changing the aesthetics of our alma-mater, but will also enhance teaching and learning.”
The old boys are also looking at ways of encouraging students of the school to get the best out of them and this would be done by instituting scholarship for the best students in due time.
To ensure that it extends her benevolence beyond their almamater, Nwedomites in the words of Ezeokoronkwor have been visiting Motherless Babies Homes to make donations and this year alone, three of such homes would be visited. For him, this is his association’s little way of making contributions to better the society.
“People cannot just sit on the fence and do nothing and yet claim the society is bad. We must make a change. We the Nwedomites visit three Motherless Babies Home every year and this year will not be left out. When we go there, we give them hope, we impact on their lives immensely so that they too can become somebody and impact on others. That’s how life should be. For our alma-mater, we obliterate the anomalies in society and entrench what should be.
In his speech, the Vice President of the association, Mr. Egechi Chinonso, said it will be inhuman for a group made of men endowed with such bountiful knowledge to sit and do nothing having gotten the best high school education.