DSS Former Chieftain Encourages Ubulu-Uku Youths On Education, Commends OldSkool Club

Barr. Mike Ejiofor

By Frank Oshanugor

Ostensibly worried about the increasing rate of youth involvement in the quick rich syndrome via cyber fraud activities (a.k.a. Yahoo Yahoo) in Nigeria, a former Director with the Department of State Services (DSS) Barr. Mike Ejiofor has advised youths of Ubulu-Uku in Aniocha South Local Government Area of Delta to shun such vices and fully embrace education for developmental knowledge.

OldSkool Club members with students

Speaking in his capacity as Chairman at the inauguration ceremony of The OldSkool Club, Ubulu-Uku, held recently; Ejiofor advised youths particularly students in primary and

secondary schools to pursue their education with vigour and shun activities that would thwart their future of becoming great personalities in the society.

Club President Mr. Ufuegbune making presentation

He recalled that in those days while he was growing up, youths of his time were made to wake up early in the morning to fetch water from the village stream or fetch fire wood from the farm before going to school and still arrived school early to avoid being punished for lateness.

(L-R) Isioma Enyi, Ufuegbune and Bob Ofunne

While appreciating science and technology and the attendant civilisation that came with it, Ejiofor who is now a private security consultant charged

youths of today not to be too complacent or over dependent on available resources instead of working harder to add more value to life activities.

Sir Jonathan Monye with microphone

“Acquiring education or going to school in contemporary time, is not a scam as people would want to believe, but a platform for future greatness in every sphere of life” he told the youths.

He commended the OldSkool Club members for coming together to assist the community where they all grew up in their early years before becoming who they are now in the larger society.

Speaking in the same vein, the Guest Speaker, Barr. Steven Omefe and President General of Ubulu-Uku Development Council (UDC) Sir Jonathan Monye harped on the need for youths of present day to dwell more in the acquisition of functional education.

They also stressed on the need for students at whatever level to pay attention to punctuality as lateness is mark of being irresponsible character.

Earlier in his speech, President of the OldSkool Club, Mr. Joseph Ufuegbune; a Lagos-based automobile dealer, in welcoming the guests said, “one may begin to wonder why the name OLDSKOOL and not NEWSKOOL? Yes, we have chosen to identify ourselves as OldSkool since the membership of the Club mainly consists of persons who though; are not exactly of the same age but had grown up many years ago within the same generational space, attended primary and post primary schools within the same time range and had associated socially in the process of growing up.

“As a people who share the same cultural values and social dynamics that permeated our early years on earth, we have grown up with so much affinity and spirit of oneness. These nostalgic feelings we commonly share about our past, have continued to remain a binding force each time we have occasion to relate socially.

“It is in the context of this natural love and undiluted spirit of friendship among us that we founded the OldSkool Club a few years ago.

“It all began as a forum for social interactions and entertainments of ourselves and our friends, feeling good and sharing memories of the past.”

According to Ufuegbune “among other things, the OldSkool Club was primarily founded to re-unite and hook up with friends of yesteryears, hπ—ˆπ—†π–Ύ 𝖺𝗇𝖽 π–Ίπ–»π—‹π—ˆπ–Ίπ–½.
It was founded to create a medium or platform π—Žπ—‰π—ˆπ—‡ 𝗐𝗁𝗂𝖼𝗁 𝗐𝖾 𝖿𝗂𝗇𝖽 π—π–Ίπ—‰π—‰π—‚π—‡π–Ύπ—Œπ—Œ π–Ώπ—ˆπ—‹ π—ˆπ—Žπ—‹π—Œπ–Ύπ—…π—π–Ύπ—Œ. Hence we stage occasional grooves in our different chapters π–Ώπ—‹π—ˆπ—† 𝗍𝗂𝗆𝖾 π—π—ˆ 𝗍𝗂𝗆𝖾 and traditionally bring the groove home every end of year to physically 𝗆𝖾𝖾𝗍 with other Oldies just to mingle, groove and shake off accumulated stress in line with the old saying that ALL WORK AND NO PLAY MAKES JACK A DULL BOY.”

As part of its corporate social responsibility of giving back to society, the OldSkool Club at the inauguration ceremony donated lawn mowing machines to three public Secondary Schools in Ubulu-Uku namely St. Anthony’s Model College, Anglican Grammar School and Ezemu Girls Grammar School.

Principals of the colleges were on hand to receive the machines and were full of appreciation just as the OldSkool members promised to do more for the less privileged in the community.

Many dignitaries were in attendance at the inauguration ceremony which took place at Ubulu Model Primary School event arena. The end of year activities of the Club climaxed in an all night groove at Viva Hotels and Garden in Ubulu-Uku. It was a time to live up to the OldSkool’s name as members gyrated and grooved to music that dotted the airwaves in yesteryears.

Old timers like I ROY, U ROY, BOB MARLEY, SMOKIE, BARRY WHITE, JIMMY CLIFF, RONNIE DAVIES, FELA ANIKULAPO, ABBA, OSITA OSADEBE, EBENEZER OBY, CHRIS OKOTIE, etc whose tracks trended in the 70s, 80s and 90s once again lived as their music were played with relish

Written by: Frank Oshanugor

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