For the Dr. Paddy Njoku-led governing board
of National Examinations Council (NECO), it was a day it would not forget in a
hurry; a day former military president, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida,
openly endorsed the board, which he described as the best in the history of the
council or any examinations body in Nigeria for that matter.
The board had visited the former leader to
intimate him with the recent stakeholders’ summit held in Lagos for the
South-west zone, its plan to hold that of the North-central in Abuja in
September as well as the presentation of plaque and certificate to authenticate
Babangida’s appointment as Chairman of the governing council of the
International Institute of Leadership and Governance (INILAG).
Members of the board on the courtesy visit
to the Minna country home of Babangida included its chairman, Dr. Paddy Njoku,
NECO Registrar, Professor Promise Okpala, Senator U. I.Tsauri, Chief Yemi
Oluyomi, Honourable Paschal Ugbome, Professor Mohammed Muhammad, Chief (Mrs.)
Cheril Amonu, Chief Jonathan Akputu, Mr. Kelvin Nwankwo, Mrs. Celine Oni as
well as Dr. Ikechukwu Anyanwu and Barrister Babatunde Aina, secretariat
officials of the board.
The board indeed got more than it expected,
as Babangida showered encomiums on it, describing it as the best.
“I have followed with a lot of interest the
happenings in NECO and I want to say that this board is the best,” IBB stated
while responding to issues raised by Njoku in his earlier address.
“I am impressed by what you are doing, you
engaged the people, you engaged the children, you engaged all stakeholders,
including market women, and that I think is the best way to go about it. It is
really good you engaged all stakeholders. I think that is the best way to start
confronting the problems, facing education in this country.
“I want to commend you and all members of
this board, I commend your initiative. I think this is the first time that you
have a board that carries its mission to the people. I commend you and
congratulate you.
“I have always known that Nigeria never
lacked people who will work for the country and help the country. This
achievement is as a result of your untiring efforts and hard work”, the former
leader stated.
Njoku had earlier in his address recalled
Babangida’s promise to always make himself available for the board
“When we were inaugurated and we paid you a maiden courtesy
call, you assured us that your hill top residence is our home whenever we are
here, we have not lost sight of that and we will be coming and this time we
find it appropriate to come and appraise you of the progress we have made,
especially based on the fatherly advice you gave us when we were starting.
“We have started engaging Nigerians in
discussing how to take NECO to greater heights and we have held a stakeholders
summit in the South-West and it was very, very successful. The press carried it
profusely. We engaged the children, the traditional rulers, with market women,
with educationists and different stakeholders. We want to do the same thing in
the North Central zone in Abuja and as our father, we want to invite you to
honor us with your presence during our stakeholders’ summit. Other prominent
Nigerians will be there to talk to the people, to let them know that this for
now is the only indigenous examinations body we have. If it fails, it means we
have failed also in that aspect as a nation”
According to Njoku, the board is sparing no
effort to make sure that things are properly organized. “We will be holding
this stakeholders’ forum in September and it will please us to have your presence
in Abuja this time because it is for the entire North Central.
“We want to bring the governors and the
commissioners for education, the stakeholders, the international donor
agencies, and development partners so that we will discuss our challenges with them.
When we flipped through our (NECO) newsletter we see you and know that you are
a permanent feature in NECO. We want it to continue”
Dr. Njoku also used the opportunity of the
visit to present a plaque and certificate appointing General Babangida as Chairman
of the governing council of the International Institute of Leadership and
Governance (INILAG)
“You remember the International Institute
of Leadership and Governance (INILAG) of which all the members of the governing
council elected you as the chairman and presented you a letter last three
weeks.
“They held their induction ceremony and
these three people here are fellows of the institute, and they have decided
that we come with respect to give you your own plaque of fellow and certificate
and it reads “Your Excellency, presentation of plaque as chairman governing
council of the INILAG, we bring you warm and felicitous greetings from all
members of the institute, it is our honor Sir to present to your Excellency the
plaque and certificate specially made for you as a fellow of the institute”
Njoku disclosed that INILAG will continue
to cherish Babangida’s leadership style and as the chairman of the governing
council, the institute will ever yearn for more opportunities to drink from
your fountain of wisdom and excellence in effective leadership and governance.
“By the power invested in the institute and
upon recommendations of the faculty and approval granted by the governing
council we hereby admit His Excellency, General Ibrahim Babangida, GCFR, FIL as
a fellow of the institute upon the fulfillment of all requirements and in
recognition of outstanding contributions to the nation and humanity with all
rights, privileges, humility and honors thereunto witnessed under our hands and
seal at Abuja, Nigeria”, Njoku asserted.
Registrar and Chief Executive of NECO,
Professor Okpala in his remarks described the visit as a great opportunity and
privileged to exchange of ideas with Babangida, particularly on issues of
education in this country. “We also acknowledge that it is a good thing to have
the national headquarters of NECO located in this place and perhaps we are not
relenting in taking all the necessary privileges associated with this
location,” Okpala stated.
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