By Henry Akubuiro
Silent achievers don’t like the megaphone. Though its sound goes very far, they consider it a bit of a distraction. Ichie I.G. Aguowo, the manufacturer of Volic Diapers, has been investing in the future generation of Nigeria leaders from all parts of the country through the I.G. Aguowo Foundation by offering hundreds of scholarships and free medicare, away from public glare. Now he has upped the ante with a new initiative in the education sector, plus a new talent hunt. 
Ezike High School, Nibo, near Amawbia, Anambra State, recently witnessed an August visitor in Professor Ngozi Chuma-Udeh, the Anambra State Commissioner for Education, who came to flag off the latest government-private partnership involving the I.G. Aguowo Foundation, which would see the latter renovate some dilapidated structures in the community school.
The Traditional Prime Minister of Nibo, Ichie Robbins Obioha, who welcomed guests to the occasion, said the gathering was informed by the partnership between Anambra State Government and a private individual, I.G. Aguowo, who decided to refurbish some buildings in the school to make it one of the best schools in the state. He said the benefactor would have been present save for a pressing commitment in Lagos, hence, delegated him to represent him.
He noted that Aguowo’s philanthropy covered scholarships to students in Anambra, southeast of Nigeria and other parts of the country, adding, “The renovation project will involve two classroom blocks, and the principal/corper’s quarters. God will bless him for what he is doing for education and health in Nigeria.”
In his speech, the Anambra State Commissioner for Education, Prof Ngozi Chuma-Udeh, said she was delighted that I.G. Aguowo had taken it upon himself to renovate the school buildings.
“It has been long we have been receiving complaints from students about the deteriorating condition of the roofing, toilet and other facilities in the school, which the Ministry of Education hasn’t attended to all due to limited funds. It’s heartwarming that an indigene of Nibo with the spirit of giving has volunteered himself to remedy the situation. It’s not every well-to-do man who can do that for his community.”
The commissioner, who is a literary scholar, said, if other philanthropists would emulate Ichie Aguowo, there would be nobody living in the forests and welding guns. In the past, she stated, training a child in Igboland was the responsibility of all, as they would caution any child whenever he was going wrong.
“But, today, things have spoiled, which we have been trying to remedy. This is why it is a thing of joy that somebody like Ichie Aguowo has come out to lend a helping hand by renovating this school. On behalf of the state governor, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, I am thanking the benefactor for this effort,” she said.
The commissioner decried the disturbing talk among the youth that “education is a scam”, saying that education was important in the life of everybody, for “it serves as a link between the future and today”, needless to say, education would make one draw a line between good and evil, she added.
She, therefore, called on other philanthropists in the community to emulate the Aguowo gesture.
Restating the passion of the state governor for education, the commissioner said, “The passion by the state governor for education is legendary. In his home town of Isuofia, he has adopted several schools, which informed his crusade for adoption of schools by well-meaning individuals in Anambra.”
She informed the audience that the state government was determined to raise the standard of community schools in the state, “We want to raise public schools to smart schools. In the past, there was no proliferation of private schools, and it was a thing of joy to attend a public school with your certificate bearing the stamp of your community school. That’s why we want to restore the standard of public schools, as well as make them conducive for learning.”
In her speech, the Secretary, Anambra State Post Primary Schools Service Commission, Mrs Ndidi Oranusi, commended Ichie Aguowo for being a vessel chosen by God to put smiles on the faces of the students and authorities of Ezike High School, Nibo. She noted, “We are delighted at the Ministry of Education each time we are called upon that such developments by public spirited individuals are happening in our schools. It helps us.
“If we wait on the government to do everything, it will be difficult to solve every problem in our schools. If we see a few people in every community who will support the development of our schools alongside the government, you will see that things will be better.
“While thanking I.G. Aguowo for what he is doing here, we also call on other individuals from the area to take up other aspects to ensure there are new structures, lab equipment and other facilities in the school.
“What we are doing is not only for today but for future generations. It would be a thing of joy for our childrens’ children to look back with pride that their parents took part in building and modernising their schools. Anything you do for a school is an investment. God will be blessing you,” she said.
The President-General, Nibo, Professor Tony Nwokoye, in his remarks, recalled that the school was built by Nibo indigines in1977, but lamented there had been encroachments over the years on the school compound. He also said his administration as the PG of Nibo quickly arrested the rising cases of vandalisation in the school by employing security personnel.
He commended the partnership between Aguowo and the state government, which had seen the former taking up the responsibility of renovating some school buildings.
“I imagine, if schools like this didn’t exist, so many students wouldn’t have gone to school, because private schools are very expensive. Public schools like this have qualified teachers, unlike private schools,” he said, while calling on people to put their wards and children to public schools. He was also full of praise for the education commissioner for being present at the flag off ceremony of the Aguowo initiative, hoping the renovation would be finished within three months. The education commissioner was subsequently directed around the school premises by the PG.
Speaking to Daily Sun after the flag off ceremony, on behalf of Ichie Aguowo, Ichie Ozo Obioha, the Ikenga III of Nibo, the Traditional Prime Minister, described Aguowo as a benevolent gentleman. “Today, Ozo Aguowo called on the government of Anambra State that he would like to partner with them to renovate some buildings in Ezike High School, Nibo; that’s why we are here,” he said.
He reiterated that his generosity extended beyond Nibo, “This is not the first time he is doing something like this. He is not concentrating on Nibo or Anambra State or states in eastern Nigeria alone. His philanthropy extends to all the states in the federation.’
Giving a timeline for the completion of the project, he said, “On behalf of I.G. Aguowo, I am giving the assurance that, in the next three months, these buildings will be given a befitting face-lift. The dilapidated state of these buildings have been giving us great concern, which is why, when I broke the news to them on what I.G. Aguowo intended to do, the town has been in a jubilant mood and praying for him.
“I.G. Aguowo is a man with a large heart. The money he makes is not only for himself. He is always thinking of how to give back to society and impact it, from Lagos to Awka. He has invested so much on education and health through the I.G. Aguowo Foundation. Besides, he has mandated us to bring the best students from Nibo from JS1 to university levels to sponsor them in a new talent hunt campaign.”
Lending his voice, Cletus Ogene, the coordinator of the I.G. Aguowo Foundation, said the philanthropist loved education, and had committed resources to actualise the dreams of many who couldn’t afford it.
Continuing, he said, “He had been doing that before he finally set up the foundation. The foundation has awarded close to 300 scholarships so far from Nibo to other parts of the country. As far as you can perform well, the foundation sponsors your education.
“By November, we will still have another scholarship exercise for applicants. It’s a free exercise. We also take care of the health of many people. I. G. Aguowo wants Nigerians to know that, with education, the sky is your limit.”