OPEN LETTER TO NEGLIGENT OKOWA BEFORE A MISFIT PRINCIPAL DESTROYS NANA MODEL COLLEGE
April 30, 2023 | News
For two weeks following February 25 Presidential and NASS elections, Mrs. Madamedor, the Principal, barred Boarding Students from the dormitories, denying them studies.
-By Zik Gbemre
OPEN LETTER TO NEGLIGENT OKOWA BEFORE A MISFIT PRINCIPAL DESTROYS NANA MODEL COLLEGE
Dear Governor Ifeanyi Okowa,
As Basic and Senior Secondary Schools in Delta State, Gov Ifeanyi Okowa and the relevant Education Commissioner must be informed that the conceited newly appointed Principal at Nana Model College is not deserving to manage such a significant public institution and she continued to stay inimical to lives and future of students and the ideals of the school.
For two weeks following February 25 Presidential and NASS elections, Mrs. Madamedor, the Principal, barred Boarding Students from the dormitories, denying them studies. Initially, the waiting has seemed like a cautionary measure to avert fears of tension generated by the first elections.
When two weeks flowed into March 18 governorship and state assembly elections, curious parents were compelled to call the school authority for explanation, the excuse was inciting. The Principal's order to Hostel Masters was to tell parents of boarders, some from outside the state, that Nana College Warri was faced with the Naira Swap challenges and so there was no cash to buy foodstuff to feed boarders.
Meanwhile, for more than three weeks she barred boarders from coming in, days students were in school having full studies. Some Boarder's parents, according to the principal had brought their children and wards to live with relatives or friends in Warri to attend schools as day students, so any parent who couldn't do the same should wait till the cashless policy was over before his boarding child could come in.
When reminded that Government College Ughelli, another state model school, which by the way is boarding students only, was procuring her foodstuff to feed students with cash transfer and studies were in full gear, the Nana authorities under Madamenor taunted complaining parents to either make cash available in return for transfer from the school or they take their children to Government College Ughelli.
It took investigative media visits to the school and news focus, particularly DBS Warri "Make Country Better" mention of the situation in Nana in response to parent's outcry before the principal was compelled to let in boarders at Nana Model College. Expectedly she refused to admit she deliberately denied boarders studies at the last PTA Meeting of the School.
We demand the Nana Model College Principal to refund to boarder’s parents, the feeding allowance from last term's boarding fees paid for the more than three weeks she denied them studies, compromising their academic performance while their day students’ mates were studying. She must be reminded that it is the boarders that define the MODEL appeal of the model schools. Without boarders they are not model.
As we raise these concerns, Mrs. Madamenor has refused to move into the beautiful duplex meant for the Principal of the school. The massive structure, the envy of other principals of public schools in Warri and the environs, was intended to house every serving Principal so he or she could closely monitor after studies boarders activities, including checks to ensure that they get due feeding.
With the current Principal not present after school hours and with no commitment to properly delegate subordinates, boarders at Nana Model College have been victims of underfeeding as they come home during breaks looking drained and emaciated from malnutrition.
Either by sheer incompetence or deliberate negligence, the current Principal, incidentally a former teacher in the school posted out and now brought back as Principal, lacks the temperament, humility, and selflessness desired of a leader as her only approach is to bully co-staff (her euphemism for expulsion) every student found to have committed any offense without investigation.
It is also a worry that an imposed PTA for Nana Model College, apparently hijacked by parents of day students is unconcerned about the plight of boarders in the school. It is a conspiracy of sorts that boarders were shut out of hostels for nearly a month, and the PTA was not bothered. The PTA and school management have deliberately refused all requests to open a WhatsApp group for ease of dissemination of information.
I have had reasons to be critical of Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan's era as Governor of Delta State for some of his failures in office. But we boldly say his revival of old-school Nana College into its current state that is the envy of competitors is a commendable legacy.
We have seen how your appointment of unfit school heads on partisan and tribal sentiments has destroyed the State Nursing School. That is why we are concerned that your administration and the successor you have imposed must not allow your parochial appointment of an unfit, arrogant, and uncommitted Principal to destroy the good intentions for which Uduaghan upgraded Nana Model College.
She should rather be taken to head her home community secondary school and a capable hand brought in to restore the prestige and value for which parents put their children to study at Nana Model College.
Zik Gbemre
April 30,2023
We Mobilize Others To Fight For Individual Causes As If Those Were Our Cause
-By Zik Gbemre
OPEN LETTER TO NEGLIGENT OKOWA BEFORE A MISFIT PRINCIPAL DESTROYS NANA MODEL COLLEGE
Dear Governor Ifeanyi Okowa,
As Basic and Senior Secondary Schools in Delta State, Gov Ifeanyi Okowa and the relevant Education Commissioner must be informed that the conceited newly appointed Principal at Nana Model College is not deserving to manage such a significant public institution and she continued to stay inimical to lives and future of students and the ideals of the school.
For two weeks following February 25 Presidential and NASS elections, Mrs. Madamedor, the Principal, barred Boarding Students from the dormitories, denying them studies. Initially, the waiting has seemed like a cautionary measure to avert fears of tension generated by the first elections.
When two weeks flowed into March 18 governorship and state assembly elections, curious parents were compelled to call the school authority for explanation, the excuse was inciting. The Principal's order to Hostel Masters was to tell parents of boarders, some from outside the state, that Nana College Warri was faced with the Naira Swap challenges and so there was no cash to buy foodstuff to feed boarders.
Meanwhile, for more than three weeks she barred boarders from coming in, days students were in school having full studies. Some Boarder's parents, according to the principal had brought their children and wards to live with relatives or friends in Warri to attend schools as day students, so any parent who couldn't do the same should wait till the cashless policy was over before his boarding child could come in.
When reminded that Government College Ughelli, another state model school, which by the way is boarding students only, was procuring her foodstuff to feed students with cash transfer and studies were in full gear, the Nana authorities under Madamenor taunted complaining parents to either make cash available in return for transfer from the school or they take their children to Government College Ughelli.
It took investigative media visits to the school and news focus, particularly DBS Warri "Make Country Better" mention of the situation in Nana in response to parent's outcry before the principal was compelled to let in boarders at Nana Model College. Expectedly she refused to admit she deliberately denied boarders studies at the last PTA Meeting of the School.
We demand the Nana Model College Principal to refund to boarder’s parents, the feeding allowance from last term's boarding fees paid for the more than three weeks she denied them studies, compromising their academic performance while their day students’ mates were studying. She must be reminded that it is the boarders that define the MODEL appeal of the model schools. Without boarders they are not model.
As we raise these concerns, Mrs. Madamenor has refused to move into the beautiful duplex meant for the Principal of the school. The massive structure, the envy of other principals of public schools in Warri and the environs, was intended to house every serving Principal so he or she could closely monitor after studies boarders activities, including checks to ensure that they get due feeding.
With the current Principal not present after school hours and with no commitment to properly delegate subordinates, boarders at Nana Model College have been victims of underfeeding as they come home during breaks looking drained and emaciated from malnutrition.
Either by sheer incompetence or deliberate negligence, the current Principal, incidentally a former teacher in the school posted out and now brought back as Principal, lacks the temperament, humility, and selflessness desired of a leader as her only approach is to bully co-staff (her euphemism for expulsion) every student found to have committed any offense without investigation.
It is also a worry that an imposed PTA for Nana Model College, apparently hijacked by parents of day students is unconcerned about the plight of boarders in the school. It is a conspiracy of sorts that boarders were shut out of hostels for nearly a month, and the PTA was not bothered. The PTA and school management have deliberately refused all requests to open a WhatsApp group for ease of dissemination of information.
I have had reasons to be critical of Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan's era as Governor of Delta State for some of his failures in office. But we boldly say his revival of old-school Nana College into its current state that is the envy of competitors is a commendable legacy.
We have seen how your appointment of unfit school heads on partisan and tribal sentiments has destroyed the State Nursing School. That is why we are concerned that your administration and the successor you have imposed must not allow your parochial appointment of an unfit, arrogant, and uncommitted Principal to destroy the good intentions for which Uduaghan upgraded Nana Model College.
She should rather be taken to head her home community secondary school and a capable hand brought in to restore the prestige and value for which parents put their children to study at Nana Model College.
Zik Gbemre
April 30,2023
We Mobilize Others To Fight For Individual Causes As If Those Were Our Cause