Uba community raises funds for High School Umuaka.
4 min read
Uba Umuaka, the only village remaining in the old Umuaka setting, yesterday held the inauguration and fundraising ceremonies for the smooth takeoff of High School Umuaka which shares the same compound with Hilltop Primary School Uba. The event which recorded a very poor turnout kicked off late in the evening with just few personalities who were present at the event. Umuaka Times has so far identified several factors responsible for the poor turnout of Uba indigenes with their friends and well wisher. For example, the promotion and announcement for the event were not given top priority by the organizers. This, coupled with poor Christmas celebration across the world due to the Corona Virus pandemic, indeed rubbished to a very large extent, the preparation and execution of the event. Many sons and daughters of the community did not return home for Christmas and those who returned probably did not hear of the event.
A prominent Uba son who was one of the pillars of the event told Umuaka Times that he was never officially informed about the role his community wanted him to play at the event. Yet, his name was pencilled down for the big role.
Despite all these drawbacks, the event had come and gone with a manageable success. In his opening speech, the President-General of the community, Hon Maxwell Ezike urged the people to bear with the organizers and do whatever they would, in order to make the school a reality. He narrated how the journey began in an interview with Umuaka Times and went further to give God the glory for things so far achieved by the school.
The chairman of the Education Committee Mr Eddy Anokwute, in his welcome address told the audience that, “The school has taken off as a community school. But the ultimate is for the government to take it over as a government secondary school.” He went further to outline 7 points the community has recorded to bring the school to its present status. in his conclusion, Anokwute told the Uba community that for the government to come and carry out an inspection exercise at the new school, it would require the sum of N5,000,000.
The school, according to Anokwute, is in urgent need of laboratories, library and constant payments of salaries for the teachers to continue doing their works.”As at now, arrears of October, November and December have not been paid”.
After the address by the chairman of education committee, the fundraising process began. The chairman first made an announcement from an illustrious son of the community who is an American based legal practitioner. For those who do not know this legal colossus, Dr Chris Nwachukwu is a man with multiple chieftaincy titles. He is popularly known as Chriwowo. Dr Nwachukwu, the chief launcher of the event, appealed to every person present not to feel ashamed to contribute what he or she has no matter how small. A donation of N3,000,000 was announced by the chief launcher through Mr Anokwute.
The moment this announcement was announced, the whole area practically went on “fire”. it took the MC of the ceremony time to control the people who were celebrating the huge donation.
When the MC was able to control the audience, a lady stepped out and grabbed the microphone, greeted everyone and introduced herself. She promptly announced another huge donation from an illustrious son of the community. She told the audience that she came to represent her brother in-law Chief Dennis Ezeigbo. At the end of her speech, she announced a donation of N1,000,000 from Chief Ezeigbo. Again, the guests stood up in celebration of the huge donation.
Another big bang at the event was when the donation of Chief Emmanuel Igbokwuwe, a well travelled engineer with the NNPC was announced. The crowd also could not be controlled when it was announced to them that the tall engineer known as Nwokeoji has made a donation of N2,000,000. The sum of N250,000 was announced as donated by the UK based son of the soul, Dr Uche Oguike. This huge donation was also celebrated by the people as the MC urged others to come forward to make their donations as well. The President-General of the Uba community Chief Maxwell Ezike donated N68,000 at the event as well. People appreciated him exactly the way they did to others.
Many other people who came forward to announce their donations did exactly what Dr Chris Nwachukwu said by supporting the project with what they had. At last, about N5,000,000 was realized at the event.
