From left is Hon. Innocent Ikpamezie, Dr. Victor Onukwugha, Barr. Chukwuma Ekomaru, SAN , Her Excellency Dr. Mrs. Chinyere Ekomaru, Deputy Governor of Imo State and Dr. Mrs Pearl Onukwugha, the President and Principal of Pearlville School during the 2025 graduation ceremony of the school. Pix by Everest Ezihe,.Avu
From Everest Ezihe, Owerri
Worried by the perceived dwindling standard of education in Nigeria, viz a vis the global order, Dr. Mrs. Chinyere Ekomaru, the Deputy Governor of Imo State has described Pearlville School, Avu in Owerri West LGA of Imo State, Nigeria as an embodiment of academic excellence, while commending parents for making tremendous sacrifices in ensuring that their children are early exposed to efficient, effective and qualitative education.
Ekomaru said this on Saturday as a Special Guest of honour during the well attended 6th graduation of grade 12 class, second graduation of grade 5 and Nursery 3 classes of the school at the school’s beautifully decorated playing ground open field.
The Deputy Governor who also informed that she’s part and parcel of the “wonderful school”, commended parents who appreciates the need of good education for striving to give their children highly qualitative educational foundation despite the socioeconomic challenges facing the country.
She insisted that Pearlville School, even though a private institution, is the place for quality education, good character building and excellent leadership trainings for greater future.
The number two citizen in Imo State further described products of the school as reference points in every endaevour, even as she applauded the teachers for their commitments and patriotic labour of love.
The Deputy Governor while appreciating the Principal and one of the founders of the school, Dr. Mrs. Pearl Onukwugha, who she said is her age long secondary school mate and friend, even as she further described her as an educationist par excellence, she however, lauded the students, for their obidience and interest in competitive learning, and enjoined them never to relent.
Ekomaru who emotionally used members of her entourage, that mainly constituted her immediate nuclear family to demonstrate the need for good childhood foundation, regretted that her first son and family were inadvertently absent but her second son, Dr. Chukwudi Ekomaru,(Consultant) with his wife, Barr. Nnedinma with their two lovely children, and their third but youngest son, Barr. Obinna Ekomaru, (a Lawyer with Amazon) with his wife, Barr. Gogo (a double first class legal Solicitor with Irish government) with their two children, Zara and Zuri, together with her dear husband, Barr. Chukwuma Ekomaru, SAN were present.
She pointed out that, the essence of bringing her family into her speech, is to draw attention towards the importance of parental vision and commitment to good educational foundation for a child or their children.
” Parents makes lots of sacrifices for the good of their children and all they expects in returns are obidence, discipline and excellent competitive results. In Pearlville School, they make sure they follow you up from 3 years to 18 years so as to ensure, you makes them proud, in dictates with the tenets of the school”.
She further advised the graduands on the need for them to be good ambassadors of their alma mater, reminding them that naturally, they will be the first to enjoy every of their success story in life.
The Deputy Governor equally observed that, one of the graduating students wrote in their fare well brouche that “it was really tough passing through the school”, she said, it was so, because the school doesn’t compromise standard unlike some other schools, and to imbibe excellence in life, it entails somersaulting challenges, passing through the crucibles of learning and coming out better informed, with better personality.
She further enjoined them to do positive exploits and to continue networking with their peers who are good, visionary and examplary, especially as they were brought up from a civilized environment as Pearlville School environment depicts.
Speaking earlier, Hon. Innocent Ikpamezie, The Imo House of Assembly member representing Mbaitoli State Constituency in his commendation to Dr. Victor Onukwugha, the Chairman, Board of Directors of Pearlville School, said the worth of a man is been measured by the number of lives he or she has positively affected, describing Onukwugha as a man doing a great job and also a blessing to humanity.
Ikpamezie passionately admonished the students and graduands never to forget their starting point in life and sacrifices their parents made towards their growth.
” Always manage yourself, ensure not to put yourself in a tight corner of life. Unfortunately, these days, people are at ease in using elevators but sometimes learn how to climb staircase. Life is truly full of uncertainties. On no account, should your journey in life be on a fast lane. The best services ever render is that rendered to God and humanity. Always reflect and think positively”.
The lawmaker also enjoined parents to guide their children properly, insisting that children sees parents as their role models and whatever seeds they sow in them so shall they and the society reap.
He expressed gratitude to God that he’s today a member of the State House of Assembly noting tomorrow as uncertain. He seriously canvassed on the need to always make positive use of every opportunity in life and for the overall interest of humanity.
” Be careful in judgements and actions, because any mistake in life can take you years of backwardness. Always remember where you are coming from. Look unto your good contemporaries, and most especially, in every thing you are doing, always remember the God Almighty that created you. Learn to think and do that that’s good at all times. Never you follow the mammoth crowd of people that are making mistakes, please if you do, you will certainly stand to regret it in your life. Always be obident to your parents, teachers and other members of the society. Don’t ever forget that the key to success in life is also prayers for God’s blessings upon you and your endaevours”.
The Lawmaker also prayed for God’s abundant blessings to be upon their lives and management of the school.
Adding his voice, Dr. Victor Onukwugha, the Chairman of the Board of Directors described the school as a pivot for developing outstanding learners, who will do exploits in the overall interest of the society and humanity at large.
Onukwugha reiterated that the school is geared towards grooming students for global competition noting the world as a global village, ” if you cannot compete here, you cannot equally compete there. If you are not prepared well here, it will be definitely hard for you to fit in there”.
He insisted that those groomed under compromise or assistance hardly make it in life reiterating that Pearlville School has zero tolerance to indiscipline and corruption.
According to him, ” Pearlville School has been rated as a school, where external examiners detests to supervise, because they get nothing in the name of compromise. We’re here to nurture learners that will compete measurably in any where in the world. We cannot offered to compromise global standard”.
He recalled, how a lady accosted him recently in a function in U.S.A, telling him that her son passed through Pearlville School Avu, but in his third year now at John Hopkins University USA, he is the best student of his class and she brought the son to him, “I blessed him, for making us proud as an ambassador of the school and that’s always, the pride of Pearlville School and her founders”.
He also commended the President and Principal of the school, Dr. Mrs. Pearl Onukwugha, the management and staff, students, guardian and parents of the school for courageously and passionately believing in the cradles of the school, reassuring that the standard can never be dropped but rather improved in line with global educational order and expectations.
Earlier in her address of welcome christened “The Principal’s Message”, Dr. Mrs. Pearl Onukwugha, the Principal of Pearlville School noted the ceremony as memorable to the entire school but with particular interest, “to a group of young boys and girls who have worked side by side through the good times and the challenging times in the past 12 years, 5 years and 3 years.
Onukwugha pointed out that they came into Pearlville School unsure what lies ahead of them but filled with hope and assurance that they are in the right place and right hands.
She expressed satisfaction that the students were tutored under the tutelage of experienced, committed and compassionate teachers and leaders, that made them received holistic, experiential and competitive education that would propel them into future academic growth.
The Principal reminded the Grade 12 Graduates of Class 2025, that they have been prepared for the future, as they passed through the guidance of sound educators, that harnessed, and fine tuned their potentials with love, care and commitment as they imbibed academic and character excellence in a most conducive, loving and safe learning environment.
Onukwugha passionately advised them ( Class of 2025) to always remember their alma mater and let their future imputes greatly enhance the strength and growth of the school and the generations of students that would come after them.
She also encouraged them to join the network of their predecessors in other to leverage on one another’s experience and connections, as well as living principled lives of leadership and social services.
Miss Jessica Bosco-Abiahu, the school valedictorian for the Class of 2025 advised her fellow graduands ” don’t cry because it’s over; smile because it happened” while recalling their mixed emotions of gratitude, joy, nostalgia and accomplishment.
Bosco-Abiahu who’s the best graduating secondary school student of the set, thumbed up the staff and management of the school for their compassion, dedication,hard work, knowledge, and support giving to them.
She admonished her contemporaries by quoting the great speech of Hellen Mirren, “you will stumble and fall, you will experience both disaster and triumph, sometimes in the same day. But it’s really important to remember that like a hangover, neither triumphs nor disasters last forever”.
However, the pupils and students performed so many academic activities that justified excellence and true hope for greater tomorrow.
Truly, it was really a day to remember, as the nursery, primary pupils as well as her students in secondary section equally displayed excellent artistic and cultural entertainment galore, a situation that heralded applauses and emotional happiness.
Highlights of the occasion was presentation of graduation diploma and awards to the graduands, cutting of dignified graduation cake and the announcement of Bosco-Abiahu Jessica Akunna, Ronnies Chimbuchim Sunday and Zimihekachi Amadi as the best graduating secondary school student, Grade 5 (primary) and Nursery 3 respectively.
Other eminent personalities that graced the occasion are; Chief Barr. Justice Ogwuegbu, Barr. Henry Onukwugha, Rotn. Innocent Igboanugo, Chief Aloy Onyechege, Mr. Kingsley Duru,Hon.Lister Okpi and Chief and Lolo Remigius Ukaegbu among others.
