Inadequate funding impacts negatively on education – Agbonlahor

December 8, 2010 Air Commodore Augustine Agbonlahor (RTD) is the president of Immaculate Conception College Benin Old Boys Association (ICCOBA), Lagos Branch; he spoke recently to Vanguard on the education system of the country and other national issues. Excerpts. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your childhood I joined the Nigeria Air Force (NAF) as a potential pilot in 1973 and was commissioned as a Regular Combatant officer with the rank of Pilot Officer on 20 December 1975. I had flying and administrative training in the NAF. As a pilot and a flying instructor I flew over 4000 flying hours. I participated in ECOMOG operations in the Liberia war and as well held a number of command appointments, which include; Military Airport Commandant Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Commander military airlift group and various Nigerian Air Force Units. I retired from military Service in 2007 as an air commodore. I also bagged a master degree in business administration. Air Commodore Augustine Agbonlahor (RTD) I have been the President of Immaculate Conception College Benin City Old Boys Association for 8 years and counting. I am married to Mrs Christy Agbonlahor and we are blessed with 5 children What is your view about Secondary School Education today in comparison to your time. I can say in my time it was of better standard as there were quality and devoted teachers, good teacher to students’ ratio, well equipped laboratories, absence of strikes and good students’ discipline and performance. Today, political pressure, younger intakes, exposure to various vices and inadequate funding impacting negatively on SSE. Notwithstanding, advancement in ICT, state of the art facilities and rapid growth of private secondary schools have added quality to today’s SSE. With good governance and a well articulated and stable National Education policy SSE today should equal if not surpass that of my time. What distinguish Immaculate Conception College from others. Immaculate Conception College was a premier, prestigious and well rounded institution. As a Catholic mission school moral education was at its best which engender high discipline, honesty and hard work. The students never lost focus on the School’s motto: “ Semper et ubique fidelis” meaning Always and everywhere be faithful. The results of these enviable character traits enhanced intellectual development. The staff composed the best teachers around who spared no time in molding the students for higher leadership and professional responsibilities for their future careers. Of course the school result for many years was 100% with high grades in the core subjects. It also excelled in sports both the football and athletics. How did the values at ICC impact on your military career. The values imbibed at ICC had a profound impact on my military career. The hallmark of the military profession is discipline and having been well grounded on the attribute of discipline, honesty, hard work at ICC, I blended seamlessly into the job. Don’t forget that respect for our seniors in ICC was sacrosanct just as it is in the military. All the values helped me to be loyal, respect constituted authority and to remain focused on my task as an air force officer. Sports in Nigeria is a Unifying factor, what was Sports like in ICC. Sports was great in ICC as I said earlier. It was played with passion. The authority of the School encouraged it and provided first class infrastructure and facilities. Even sport like Rugby which was not popular then and now in Nigeria was introduced and played by the students. The school excelled in football and athletics and won many prize trophies. What memorable incident can you recall about ICC. Hmm…. what I recall right now is when I won the best prize for mathematics in class 3. I had missed it the year before to my friend and competitor in the subject and he boasted he was going to do it again and we placed a bet. I devoted extra hours to the subject and leapt for joy when I was at the end called as the recipient of the prize and of course I won the bet. How does the Lagos Branch effectively harmonize Developmental effort with the National Body. The National Body which has its headquarters in Benin orchestrates the outstanding projects of the School and then decides on which project to undertake or assign to its branches to execute. Where it undertakes a project it calls for contribution of funds from its branches. Also the Branch can select and execute from the list of projects in consultation with the National body and the School. What has ICCOBA Lagos Branch achieved this year that the students will remember. We have continued to support our alma mater and this year we contributed to the renovation and equipping of the Biology Laboratory which has been completed and put into use by the students. Air Commodore Augustine Uyinmwen Agbonlahor passed on to glory on July 20th, 2021. May his gentle soul continue to rest in perfect peace. Amen.