By Mmaduabuchi Onwumelu and Vivian Ononiwu
It was a gathering of who-is-who across fields of endeavour in Nigeria on Friday, 8 December 2023 as Gran Hermano Academy, Awka, Anambra State, marked her Ten Years Anniversary in grand style.
The Cambridge school established in 2013, had produced best students in Mathematics, Computers, WAEC, NECO, JAMB, Sports and others, both within Anambra, South East and Nigeria generally.
The event started with a Concelebrated Holy Mass presided over by the Catholic Bishop of Awka Diocese, Most Rev. Paulinus Ezeokafor. Other dignitaries present at the event were the immediate past Commissioner for Works in Anambra State, Engr. Marcel Ifejiofor; and the former Chairperson, Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Nnamdi Azikiwe University Chapter, Professor Dennis Aribodor, who chaired the occasion; as well as the President of RATTAWU, Southeast Zone, Prince Emeka Kalu (Magic Fingers).
In a homily, Bishop Ezeokafor extolled the virtues of good work, even as he commended the school proprietor for siting the institution in Anambra State and choosing capable hands as staff members and management to train students for a better society.
Bishop Ezeokafor, who maintained that Gran Hermano was among the private schools helping to build the students, commended the Anambra State Government for providing enabling environment for privately owned schools to coexist with the government owned for child growth and development.
Speaking in an interview, a parent and former Commissioner for works in Anambra State, Engr Marcel Ifejiofor, said he was happy to identify with the institution by enrolling his children into it in 2014, noting that those who had graduated were already excelling.
According to Ifejiofor, the institution was doing more than expected academically, morally and otherwise, and should be encouraged to do more.
Speaking in an interview also, the proprietor and Chief Executive Officer, Gran Hermano Academy, Awka, Chief Chijioke Nwajioha, commended Anambra State residents for trusting their children under their care, noting that they would never relent in educating and building the students’ capacities to become champions in various fields of endeavour.
‘Gran Hermano is committed to academic excellence, producing professionals and committed leaders,’ he said.
Nwajioha also explained that those who graduated from the school since its inception were currently competing favourably with others at the best universities where they studied courses like Medicine, Engineering, Information Technology and other professional courses.
He said they were happy for the successes recorded so far by their students within the ten years of existence, adding that the institution was set to not only surpass their present achievements but to see their students leading across all professions, including politics and sports in Anambra, Nigeria and the world generally.
‘Today, we are celebrating success and what we have achieved in ten years. You can imagine what will happen in the next ten years. My staff and I represent goodness, success and breakthroughs. We are happy. ‘We are together. We are happy our staff, parents and students are together. We represent goodness, achievements and others,’ he added.
Also speaking, the Director of Studies, Gran Hermano Academy, Mr Adefolahan Afegboyega, urged parents to avail their wards the opportunity to excel in life by enrolling them in the school because, according to him, they were topnotch in offering quality and qualitative education in Nigeria.
For his part, the school principal, Mr Athanasius Ezekwe, pointed out that their success story came from the fact that they inculcated leadership virtues into the students, while making them to be accountable and transparent in all they did.
The Chairman of Gran Hermano Academy, Mr Chijioke Nwajioha (Chico) during the event, rewarded the 10 pioneer staff members with double door fridges with a plot of land each. Other staff members also went home with fridges, big blenders toasters and a bag of rice respectively.
