The Old Boys Association of National Grammar School, Nike in Enugu State, has urged the state government to provide boarding facilities in the school to fully restore its lost glory.

The President-General of the Association, Mr. Leonard Ugwu, made the appeal while speaking to newsmen on Sunday in Enugu on the need to return academic excellence to the school.

Ugwu noted that the government needed to assist the school and its old boys in restoring public water supply, electricity supply as well as refurbishing some staff quarters and hostel facilities in the institution.

“We are also having some security issues especially where unscrupulous elements use the school as a thoroughfare, while engaging in all sorts of unholy acts in the premises of the school,” he said.

He noted that the association had recent rehabilitated two boarding houses in the school, lamenting that “during my days in the school it was fully boarding, but today there is no single boarding student.”

Ugwu said that the association, which has illustrious men in sub-sets and branches in major cities in the country and USA, had decided to pay-back to the society by seeing that their alma mater returns to its former glory.

His words: “Since February 2017, when my executive of the association took over, we have been able to mobilise our old boys within and outside the country to reposition the school for greatness once more.

“We have built a functional fence, rehabilitated administrative and laboratory blocks, some dilapidated classrooms and built new toilets and renovated old toilets while doing extensive plumbing work to reticulate waters in these toilet facilities.

“Presently, we are building a modern institution gate and its facilities such as CCTV, conveniences attached to it to ensure we secure the school properly.”

Ugwu said that the 1991 set of the association for three years running had been holding educational and mentorship workshops for students, teachers and parents, adding that these workshops had led to “tremendous reawaken in academic performance.

“We must thank the Post-Primary School Management Board (PPSMB) for assisting in bringing up the academic standard of the state and for the first time in decades, the school came first in a statewide essay competition in 2018.

“Before 2017, it is only about 20 students that take their terminal WAEC and NECO exams in the school; but presently, we have over 150 students doing their WAEC exams. This shows restoration of confidence in the school,” he said.

The school, which was established in 1958 and had its first graduates in 1964, has produced notable national names in sports such as C.O.C. Chiedozie, Christian Chukwu, Jay-jay Okocha, and Innocent Egbunike, among others.

Other illustrious sons of the school include King Jaja of Opobo, Chairman of Rivers State Traditional Rulers’ Council; Chief Chinedu Ani, Founder of Coal City University, Enugu; Messrs Ben and Emeka Etiaba and other great professionals within and outside the country.