By CHIEDU UCHE OKOYE

Until it was made a co-educational school, Union Secondary School (USS) Obosi was formerly known as Girls’ Secondary School, Obosi. The school, which was founded in 1977, is now in the spotlight as it has been upgraded to a smart school.

So in her reaction to the school’s improved state, the president of Obosi Girls’/Union Secondary School, Obosi (OGUSSA) alumni, Dr. Ndidi Ofole, praised Gov. Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra state for transforming Union Secondary School, Obosi from a poorly-equipped rural school to a smart one.

The OGUSSA president, who was delirious with joy regarding the school’s current state, granted an interview to this writer.

Dr. Ofole, who is an Associate Professor of Counselling and Human Development at the University of Ibadan, was effusive in her expression of thanks to Gov. Soludo for providing smart boards, tablets, laptops, stem laboratories, ICT laboratory, tables, and chairs for the students and staff of the school.

She, also, thanked the state government for sinking a borehole in the school, fitting the classrooms with tiles, and re-roofing some of the school buildings, the roofs of which were either blown off by wind or leaking water when it rained.

More so, according to Dr. Ofole, the school’s alumni renovated the school’s psychology and counselling office owing to its importance, in addition to re-building the fallen section of the school’s perimeter fence.

She listed the following persons as individuals, who had made contributions for the infrastructural development of the school: Senator Uche Ekwunife, Theresa Nwankwo (a former principal of the school) , Beauty Okolo, Engr. Kene Nwankwo, Engr. Ifeanyi Okoma, Prof. Nkechi Ikediugwu, Mrs. Efobi, late Mrs. Udogadi Agom, Ifeanyi Okenwa, Chief Nathan Uyamadu (Odogwu Obosi), Barr. Chimezie Obi, and Peter Muonagor.

Expectedly, the transformation of Union Secondary School, Obosi to a smart school made students from other schools seek admission into the school, which swelled up the population of students in the school.

However, the spike in the population of students in the school has its concomitant effects and downsides, one of which is that the school's facilities are overstretched.

For example, the number of students in the school has outstripped the school’s classroom blocks, which has made some classes have superfluous students.

“I am begging both the state government and rich individuals in Obosi to build more classroom blocks for our school and facilitate the transfer of more teachers to it,” Ofole said.

Dr. Ofole further lamented that the roads that lead to the school are impassable as they are rutted; and that the school lacks enough security operatives, who would guard the school.

“I am calling on both government and rich individuals to repair the roads that lead to our school.

“Again, the school needs more security personnel, who will guard the school equipment and buildings to prevent thieves and vandals from looting and destroying them.

“They should, also, install solar powered CCTV in the school, too,” Ofole said.

•Okoye is a staff member of the Anambra State Ministry of Information, Awka.