St Saviour’s: From Berlin Conference to Umuaka Conference.
5 min read
There is something highly intriguing about the month of November. On 15 Nov 1884 – 26 Feb 1885, 14 European countries, Austria-Hungary, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Ottoman Empire, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Sweden-Norway and Britain sent their representatives to Berlin on how to divide and possess Africa.
Close to 200 years later, Federal and Imo State governments in far away Nigeria sent their own representatives to Umuaka on how to divide or perhaps, take over and possess the famous St Saviour’s Secondary School in Umuaka without proper consultations. On Sunday, November 8, 2020, the President General of Umuaka Committee of Presidents-general Hon Maxwell Kelechi Ezike sent a special announcement across several platforms of Umuaka people on the internet. The message was short and simple and the content was urgent. According to the message, the governor of Imo State was coming to Umuaka the following day (Monday 9, Nov 2020) where he had been scheduled to visit St Saviour’s Secondary School Umuaka and change the name of the great institution that was built in 1958. End of message.
Despite this short notice, many Akalites still tried their best to attend what is now known as “Umuaka Conference.” The Imo State Governor, never came as was contained in the special invitation circulated a day before. Instead, the deputy governor of the state represented the governor. People gathered alongside with government officials and the school was renamed Federal Government Science and Technical Collage. Already, a man who was presented to the cross section of Akalites at the event was said to be the new principal of the school alongside with the new bursar and another man who would take up the finance department. The whole scenario looked like a Nollywood film to most of the critical minds who attended the event while some others were expressing their happiness that Umuaka community has arrived.
This event sparked up a lot of controversies in the community which in the words of Chief Nick Okpara, the president of Old Boys Association of SSSS, while addressing some old boys of the school who met last week at Greenland Hotel to discuss the matters arising from the takeover of SSSS. Chief Okpara said that the takeover event has given birth to four different dimensions: First dimension is the church which says it does not mind sharing the school with the proposed technical school after negotiations. Second dimension is a group of typical Umuaka man who sees the proposed technical school as a good thing coming to the community. Another dimension to this development is the political class who is interested to use this move as a political achievement while the Old Boys Association is the 4th dimension. President Nick Okpara bluntly announced it at the meeting of Old Boys Association of SSSS that nobody is against the attraction of good projects to Umuaka but the fact remains that some consultations must be made with the relevant stakeholders before the deal is sealed.
The principal of the school Rev Father Charles Anagwo who came to the meeting to address the old boys told the meeting that indeed there was a time the governor of the state called the bishop of Orlu Diocese about the taking over of the school but no concrete agreement or resolution was reached. He expressed some reservations that what happened on Monday 9 November at SSSS was nothing to be taken seriously because it was 100 percent political. “No consultations and agreements of any sort were established between the Orlu Diocese and Imo or Federal Government of Nigeria to the effect of taking over the school.
While speaking on phone to the old boys, the traditional ruler of Ulano Ndugba, HRH Eze Boniface Egwuogu who is also an old boy of the school encouraged the Old Boys Association to do anything they can and make sure that the whole investments made so far in the school does not go in vain because if such is done, “the old boys will be like people without any address”. He showed optimism that the matter would soon be resolved amicably.
The meeting which had the likes of Dr C. Orjiako, Dr Austin Agbahiwe, Chief Sokondo, Comrade Emeka Onyejiekwe, Sir Peter Larz, Hon Tony Duru and many others in attendance had only one purpose; how to preserve the institution that has produced a lot of politicians, academicians and businessmen. In view of this preservation and the lingering controversies the “Umuaka Conference “ has generated, the Catholic Bishop of Orlu Diocese, His Lordship Bishop Ukwuoma has therefore summoned the executives of the Old Boys Association of SSSS and other relevant stakeholders including royal fathers and more, to an urgent meeting which would hold on Tuesday 17 November 2020 at the diocese. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss the matters that have risen so far as a result of the takeover of the SSSS and find a lasting solution.
Controversial old boy and a direct-to –he-poin- man, Sir Peter Larz, displayed his interest to be included among those who would attend the meeting to hold talks with the bishop within the week.
One thing that remained clear and constant when the meeting was going on was that the old boys of SSSS did not in any way stand against any development coming to Umuaka. Their resolve is that anything worth doing is worth doing well. The Federal and State governments know the right channels to follow to take a part of the school to groom its new baby christened Federal Government Science and Technical Collage. As Dr Austin Agbahiwe rightly pointed out during the meeting, according to the Land Use Act, the state or Federal Government of Nigeria deserves the right to take any land anywhere in the country and erect a Federal or state project on it. “But before this is done, certain consultations and agreements must be reached by ll the involved parties.”
Meanwhile, the controversial takeover of SSSS by the Federal Government of Nigeria has indeed sparked up a storm of conflicting opinions among reasonable Akalites both in and outside Nigeria. Some have written epistles to support the takeover because in their own view; it is a good thing coming to the community. This group of people has been accused of not taking her time to examine the moves behind the urgent takeover of the school. Some others have also complained that it was this same manner a private university under the suspicious name, African State University of Science and Technology came through the backdoor and “invaded” the school and her ownership.
This singular move by Imo and Federal Government of APC has indeed divided the opinions and activities of highly respected Akalites. Tuesday17 November 2020 will indeed define the shape of things to come in view of the ownership and takeover of SSSS. This is just the beginning of the matters arising from the “Umuaka Conference.”
