Chairman, National Human Right Commission, Prof. Chidi Odinkalu, who is also an alumnus of Federal Government College (FGC), Okigwe, Imo State is keynote speaker of the inaugural lecture being organised by the Executive Council of Federal Government College, Kano Old Students Association (Lagos Chapter), in conjunction with the National Secretariat of Unity Schools Old Students Association (USOSA).
The lecture, which holds by 10 am on Wednesday, July 22, 2015 at Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), Victoria Island, Lagos, is open to the general public and all ex-students of unity colleges.
Lagos State governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, an alumnus of FGC Warri, will be special guest of honor.
According to Chairman, Organising Committee, Dr. Olaseinde Eletu, there are some critical questions requiring answers like “What has happened to the vision of the founding fathers of our highly esteemed alma maters? Do they still have relevance in today’s Nigeria? What should be the role(s) of the products of these great institutions in sustained integration and nation building?”
Other panelists include Albert Okumagba (FGC, Warri), Kehinde Ogundimu (FGC, Kaduna), Ugonnwa Nwoye (FGGC, Benin), Fabian Ajogwu (FGC, Kano) and Suleiman Adamu (FGC, Kano).
President, Lagos Chapter Alumni of FGC, Kano, Mr. Shoyinka Shodunke, explained that the Unity Schools Old Students’ Association (USOSA) is the incorporated Trustee of the alumni associations of all the 104 federal government colleges, federal government girls’ colleges, Kings College, Queens College, Federal Government Boys College, Apo, Federal Science Colleges, Suleja Academy and federal science and technical colleges in Nigeria.
It is an association with over 500,000 members resident in Nigeria and in the Diaspora. USOSA’s major strategy is to actively partner with relevant stakeholders for the development and sustenance of a vibrant education sector and good governance in Nigeria.
Prior to the Nigerian Civil War, the Federal Government established three unity schools at Warri, Sokoto and Okposi. At the end of civil war in1970, the military government of Gen. Yakubu Gowon, had the onerous task of keeping the country together.
In furtherance of this, the government established additional unity schools in all the states of the Federation to bring together children from different tribes, ethnic backgrounds and regional leanings, from which a young crop of Nigerians would grow from, with the mentality of one Nigeria.
By design, unity schools were set up mainly to integrate future leaders from all over Nigeria, as a means of fostering national integration and nation building.
