The President of Unity Senior Secondary School Old Student Association (USSOSA), 95 set, Sir Jude Chinedu, has urged Nigerians to be compassionate and upright in upholding the core values that binds the citizens in nation building.
While addressing the group at the mega reunion and award night of the association held in Lagos, Chinedu noted that Nigerians should be honest in doing what is right as the country is losing its core values, integrity, compassion and true love that unite its citizens irrespective of tribe, religion and beliefs.
“Above all, there must be integrity, unity and love. We need this to cut across all boundaries. Don’t allow religious sentiment, tribalism, and ethnicity to come into us because that is what kills the society.”
According to him, the 95 set of USSOSA is an organisation that has been assisting the less privileged.
“Yesterday we were in the school, we recognized our teachers. Gone are those days that they say teachers’ rewards are in heaven. I think it is high time we start impacting our community. We the members of 95 set has decided to reward our teachers by reaching out to them giving them palliatives like rice, indomie, spaghetti and in the process we also played a novelty match and we gave a student scholarship from JSS 3 to university level. The person’s name is Akinwumi Akinola.
“Our main objective is to look at the less privileged ones and see how we can affect them positively and also to assist ourselves by supporting each other financially in times of need.”
Chiedu said one of the factors that have distinguished the association from others is integrity and love. Everyone in the association is bold enough to stand up for their right and correct whatever wrong is done.
According to him, the association has built a school board, awarded scholarships, amongst other things done in assisting the less privileged.
Speaking on indiscipline in schools, he said it is unfortunate that the society is where it is today.
“You see little children going into unholy activities within the community and school compound. Yesterday, I saw a little boy being disciplined in school and discovered that as small as 13 years old, he has started smoking, which might lead to peddling drugs from that. I was touched and decided to give the child a scholarship to university level.”
Also speaking, a coach, Dr Tony Akabuno, the current BOT chairman of the association said there are reasons for the reunion stating that firstly, it is to fraternize with old classmates where you can interface and give back.
Secondly, according him, is to “give back to the Alma mater because it is the school where we came from. We need to inspire the teachers and give hope to the students.”
Akabuno, who was the first head boy of the school said so many projects have been carried out in the school by the old student association.
“The key word for members is to be charitable. Everything cannot be left to the government. Let us not be complainers but be a doer,” he said.
In the same vein, the immediate past President of the Association Amb. Augustine Uwandu, (speaking from Canada) extended a warm welcome to every member of the 95 set that attended the event.
He noted that, it is heartening to see familiar faces and reconnect with friends from the past, noting that reunions are times to reminisce, “celebrate our achievements, and rekindle the spirit of camaraderie that defines our association.”
He further stated that, “Reflecting during my time as president of both 95 sets and the general Usssosa platform, I am reminded of the incredible journey we undertook together and serving this esteemed association was a privilege that I will forever cherish.
“During my tenure we recorded the growth and transformation of not only our alma mater but also the countless lives that we shaped within the walls. I want to encourage all of you to extend the same hand of followership to my brother and friend Sir Jude Chiedu.”
