ST CHARLRES COLLEGE OLD BOYS ASSOCIATION

REUNION EVENT - 19TH/20TH OCTOBER 2024

Courtesy Visit To The Catholic Bishop of Issele Uku Diocese

On Monday 16th September 2024, the Reunion Planning Committee paid a courtesy visit to the Bishop of Issele Uku Diocese of the Catholic mission, His Lordship Bishop Elue to intimate him with the plans of the old boys.

During the briefing held at the office of the Bishop in the bishop's court Issele Uku, the chairman of the committee,

Mr Fidelis Ogbeni, while delivering the letter of notice and invitation of His Lordship to the old boys fundraising ceremony, informed the Bishop that the old boys of St Charles College, Abavo, have concluded plans to hold

the first-ever reunion party and that they have decided to use the auspicious occasion to raise funds to upgrade some of the infrastructures in the School.

Also speaking, the Secretary of the reunion Committee, Mr Frank Iroroh told His Lordship that the old boys are passionate about their alma mater, have been contributing towards the infrastructural upgrade in the school but want to use the reunion event to create a huge impact on the School, he therefore plead for the support of the Catholic Mission to make the event successful.

In his response, the visibly excited Bishop acknowledged the roles the old boys have been playing in the school while commending the old boys for their previous contributions, His Lordship was full of praises to the old boys for initiating the fundraising event to aimed to assist in upgrading the school's infrastructure.

His Lordship pledged his total support for the ceremony and encouraged the committee to always liaise with the school Principal Fr Ofili, to keep the mission updated on whatever role the Mission is expected to play before and during the fundraising ceremony.

Present at the courtesy visit were;

Mr. Fidelis Ogbeni, Chairman RPC

Mr. Frank Iroroh Sec RPC

And Rev. Father Ofilli, the Principal of the School and the facilitator of the visit.

Signed

Reunion Planning Committee.

CHAIRMAN EXCO SPEECH AT THE MAIN REUNION EVENT

On behalf of the Exco and Board of Trustees, I sincerely give thanks to God Almighty, the reunion committee and all who made this day possible. To these old boys, you are truly the face of our school, St Charles College Abavo.

It saddens our hearts to see that our school is no longer recognisable, not the way we left it. But gladdens my heart that we now have the opportunity to help rebuild, to give back to our humble beginnings. We are therefore counting on the generosity of all to bring back the glory days.

We know that education is generally not the most rewarding career financially, and we want to lighten the burden of those who choose to follow a career in education by making the environment conducive for learning for our students.

Remember, all contributions made will go directly to fund the development of the school. We hope you will help to make the dream of conducive secondary education a reality by making your generous donations. I know you will be glad you did.

Happy reunion 2024 to all old boys.

Chuka Ighade

Chairman St Charles College Old Boys Association Worldwide

Dominus Illuminatio Mea

VALEDICTORY SPEECH BY MR. B. C. IGHADE, OUTGOING SCOB CHAIRMAN

Ladies and gentlemen, esteemed members of the Old Boys Association,

What a momentous occasion this is! I welcome you all to the maiden edition of our reunion—a long-overdue celebration of our shared journey and achievements. I stand before you today filled with pride and gratitude, knowing that the Board of Trustees and the Executive Committee, with the unwavering support of our entire membership, have made this day possible. We have set the pace for many more reunions to come!

Let’s take a moment to applaud the remarkable efforts of the Reunion Committee for bringing us together today!

Our journey began with a simple online chat among a few of us reminiscing about our school days. From those humble beginnings, we reached out to friends, exchanged numbers, and transformed our conversations into a powerful plan to give back to our beloved alma mater. And look at us now—the turnout speaks volumes about our commitment!

Reflecting on my own journey, I remember a young boy who left Ireti Primary School in Ikoyi, Lagos, to embark on his secondary education first at St. Columbus College, Agbor. Although I spent only two weeks there before joining my elder brother Senior Dennis Ighade at St. Charles College, those memories have remained etched in my heart. (Tell the story of the chapel at St Columbus here). Some years ago, my son saw a picture of our school gate online and asked, “Is that your school?” With pride, I told him that in my day, that school stood shoulder to shoulder with the best—like Cambridge!

I will never forget June 14, 2020—a day that changed everything for us. While playing table tennis, I received a call from my dear friend, Chief Kingsley Obi Osiegbu. “Old man,” he said, “you’ve been selected to lead the Old Boys Association.” I knew it was a monumental task, but I said to him with your support, I believe we could achieve greatness—in local parlance, na cooperation dey make rice full pot. Four years after I have lost my hairline and my beards all grey, but I have enjoyed and loved the challenge.

Achievements

And together, we have indeed achieved remarkable milestones:

1. We established annual membership dues at ₦12,000.

2. We opened three operational accounts with Polaris Bank: one for our dues another for executing impactful projects and the third account was meant for rewarding excellence both for the teachers and students.

3. We successfully registered the Old Boys Association with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC).

4. An Electoral Commission was set up to handle future elections, conducting two cycles with transparency and integrity.

5. Through our collective efforts, we initiated fundraising and launched a GoFundMe campaign, which, under Rev. Fr. Ofili's guidance, enabled us to fence the school and protect its land for future generations.

6. A dynamic website was launched at www.stcharlesoba.com, serving as a hub of information and resources for our members. Please take your time to visit the site.

7. We forged connections with one of our old boys in the diaspora, who is now sharing his knowledge by teaching our students computer programming.

Benefits

Our collective efforts have brought about profound benefits:

• We initiated welfare packages to support distressed old boys and their families, honoring the memory of our former principal, Mr. E.K.O. Onukwu, and our beloved teacher, Mr. Iwuanyanwu.

• Our membership has soared to over 100 worldwide, with many more eager to join our vibrant community.

• We established life insurance coverage for our members. The premium is paid from our dues and members have the option of increasing their sum insured. It is with a heavy heart that we remember two of our own, Chris Ogwuh and Gabriel Oboh, who we lost during this journey. Let us rise for a moment of silence in their honor. May they rest in peace.

Financial Statement

As I mentioned earlier, the Association has three operational accounts—our Dues Account, Welfare Account and Excellence Account.

As of the close of business on October 14, 2024, we proudly hold a balance of ₦2,895,125.08 in the Dues Account and ₦2,170,262.25 in the Welfare Account. The Excellence Account has a balance of ₦221,901.39. I leave the Association in good financial health and in the capable hands of the incoming Executive Committee. We have laid a strong foundation and crafted a template for future leaders to build upon.

Conclusion

As I conclude, I am reminded of the immense power of meaningful relationships—both personal and professional. Whether friendships or partnerships, the support, trust, and collaboration we cultivate over time forge bonds that last a lifetime.

Here’s to celebrating the important moments in life—both big and small—and to the incredible and amazing people who make this journey worthwhile.

Thank you for your kind attention, and God bless us all! Here’s to a bright future ahead!

I will be happy to entertain a few questions if there are any for clarity’s sake and I am also happy for you to reach out to me personally for further clarification if you have any doubts.