The Unfolding view of Alfred’s Science and Computer School

 

 The man, Engr. Elder (Dr.) Okon Alfred Udo, the Proprietor of Alfred Science and Computer School (ASCO) and the Chancellor, Okon Alfred Human and Resources Development Foundation (OAHRDF) is synonymous with philanthropy and development in all facets of human endeavour. Is a man who devotes his entire life to the help and development of the poor and needy with one express aim of changing the fortune of the people both young and old in his immediate community. This Ika-born philanthropist who is a friend of the poor, father to the fatherless, husband to the widows, a development juggernaut, administrator par excellence who has resolved to channeling his resources, talents and energy to ensure that he causes attitudinal change to an average Ika person. Dr. Udo, a staff of Mobil Producing Nigeria who is armed with over 34 certificates to his credit from recognized Institutions both at home and abroad is widely travelled, simple, approachable, easy-going man who sees every human being as creature from God. To him, assistance to the needy is his hobby, no wonder Norman Vincent Peale ones said, “When you become detached mentally from yourself and concentrate in helping other people in their difficulties, you will be able to cope with your own more effectively. Somehow, the act of self-giving is a personal power-releasing factor”. This is exemplified in Dr. Udo because he is neither extravagant nor flamboyant in appearance but lives an average life.

This, he could not embark in isolation but in March 2008, he set up a foundation known as “Okon Alfred Human and Resources Development Foundation (OAHRDF)”, where carpenters, barbers and other craft workers are trained, according to the Chancellor, Dr. Okon Alfred Udo said is made up of friends of his who are public-spirited who co-funded the foundation as well as funds withdrawn from his salary, fishery and piggery businesses to make sure that the welfare of the people is improved and the level of unemployment reduced to the barest minimum Members and beneficiaries of the foundation include indigenes of Ika local government area where at least five persons from each ward, as well as people from the neigbouring local government, Etim Ekpo also benefit from the gesture. This gesture, which has been a regular and yearly event where wrapper are distributed to women especially widows, competitions of all kinds, including football to unite youths of the area and giving of prizes and trophies to successful ones. Through the foundation, Dr. Udoh has given scholarship to young, brilliant and talented but less privileged students in not fewer than 12 junior and senior secondary schools. The foundation has also taken care of the community women during Christmas season and has also initiated football tournament across all the wards in the local government in order to select and train the best athletes to become stars and also use that to earn a living. The foundation has since March last year touched so many lives, places food on the people’s table by training them and feeding community women as those ways he can reach out to the people of his community. For those who are not too good in sports, the foundation trains them in skills acquisition like barbing, carpentry, drawing, painting etc. Over 100 of the best students today are on scholarship as his effort to community development and human capacity building are yielding positive fruit. In today’s world, sound, qualitative and affordable education have taken a priority especially those which have arrived their acme with the necessary accoutrement make paterfamilias with peculiarly advantage who had long before now, enjoyed the qualitative education with excellent, well bred and God-fearing teachers such schools are seldom handy, despite the superfluity of schools in the neighbourhood. One would conclude that they are far beyond the reach of the plebeians but only for those who belong to a higher stratum, most especially the top shots in government. In a quest for these adroit with Christian faith foundation, Alfred’s Science and Computer School (ASCO) located about 2km away from Ika local Government Council Secretariat, offers itself as a veritable and resilient school to fill in the existing gab which banal schools in the society have created and trained the young ones, increasing the number of elites in the society and also groom people who will also train orders in future in order to achieve a wider range of development. In the word of Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, which says that, “if the next generation is to face the future with zest and self-confidence, we must educate them to be original as well as competent”. Dr. Okon Alfred Udo realizing this and his strong desire to promote mass literacy to indigenes of the area set up Alfred’s Science and Computer Schools in 2004, which kick-started with about 44 students with few teachers to start up with. The school has today turned to a Model High School in Ika for the purpose of training Ika indigenes to compete favourably with their counterparts within and outside the country. Today, the school has numerical Staff strength of over 24 with qualified teachers who are highly disciplined, dedicated to duties with sound moral background are enticed with good pay packages with gratuity offered in case of resignation for other responsibilities. This, according to the proprietor, is intended to give them job satisfaction so as to eradicate corruption in the system and discourage students-teachers inducement, which invariably can check examination mal-practice. In line with the growing population of students in the school, it has, within its five years of existence, erected modern structures to boost a conducive learning environment. Apart from the classroom blocks built in rows all over the school premises to promote a sizeable number of students per class. Basically the school has made provision for Introductory Technology laboratory for the Junior Secondary student with the capacity of 150 students in one practical session with all necessary equipment. For Senior Secondary section, it also has a State-of-The-Art, fully equipped laboratories for Chemistry, Biology, Home Economics; Introductory Technology and Fine Arts separately, all equipped with modern gadgets. The Councilor’s Unit of the school has also been put in place for students who need counseling. Their computer room is replete with computers as it has a student to a computer and high speed internet connectivity that gives staff and students of the school access to the global village. The school has so far graduated students whom, many of them are placed on scholarship due to their remarkable performances in the process of learning and training. While a greater number of them are under Dr. Udo’s sponsorship in the Higher Institutions across the country. However, as a result of this effective planning, the students of this school are rated high in excellence and performances as these can be traced to the numerous local, state and national excellent awards to their credit. The students have competed and won many trophies for the school, few among them are Mobil Olympic Athletic competition in 2008, together with certificates of participation in world Environment Day 2007 and 2008 among others. The school is a Christian-based school where students are taught discipline confidence in their academic pursuit and the fear of God. At this point it’s important to note that the school while encouraging students to have self-confidence and self-dependence especially during examination, the school gives zero tolerance to any form of exam-malpractice and the teachers are 24 hours ready to attend to any student’s problem either academic or psychological problems, since it is a policy of the school that any student that performs below 40% will not be allowed to go to the next class. The construction of two bore holes one for the senior and the other for the junior students the school has completed works on the male and female hostels 60 student double bunk. Their examination/Assembly hall that can contain over 500 hundred students is second to none also allured with a large and sizeable football pitch As a man who believes in education, he lightens up the path of education in the community by practically showing examples. In order to reproduce a generation of technocrats who are well trained in their various fields of endearvour especially from the local government, Dr. Udo has concluded plans to establish College of Science and Technology The issue of security of the place is settled as the entire community stands on alert to defend any external force courtesy of the man’s genuine intentions for the people of the community. This is evidenced in two major crises in the local government that the school was rather seen as refuge camp while buildings in the local government were destroyed. This is indeed an unfolding view of ASCO science school.

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