By Aminu Ahmed Garko
Minna – The Niger State Government announced on Saturday that the Government Secondary School, Minna had been renamed Father O’Connell College, Minna.
Deputy Governor Ahmed Kesto, who announced the change in Minna, said that the gesture was to honour Rev. Fr Jeremiah O’Connell, from Ireland, who served as a missionary and a teacher in Minna, for 55 years.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that Kesto spoke at a reception for the priest, who retired this month, after serving as the principal of the school for 50 years.
The priest, who arrived Minna in 1962, worked as a missionary for five years before becoming the principal of the school in 1967.
Kestu commended O’Connell’s commitment to the educational growth of Niger and Nigeria, and tasked teachers and management of the school to sustain his legacies and the the reputation the school was was known for.
“The main challenge here is for you to introduce educational programmes that will even surpass what you have met in the school,” he said.
Speaking earlier, Sheikh Ahmed Lemu, who chaired the occasion, commended the state government for naming the college after its longest serving principal.
He described O’Connell as “a God fearing man, who has dedicated his life to the service of humanity”.
“The selfless service rendered by O’Connell has produced qualitative leaders that have contributed to the growth of Niger and Nigeria.
“A lot of us see him as a God-sent servant to the people of Niger.
“I have known him since 1968 as a committed missionary and a teacher, when I was a Deputy Chief Inspector of Education in the North-Western state; we took to liking each at first sight and our relationship has remained intact,” he said.
He said that O’Connel had proved to be “a very accommodating priest and a man of integrity, who never showed any discrimination along religious lines”.
In his remarks, Alhaji Zubairu Dada, a former student, challenged his colleagues to donate to the Rev. Fr O’Connell Foundation set up to assist brilliant students without the wherewithal to sponsor themselves to further schools.
He promised that the Foundation would reconstruct the school library and provide adequate books to add value to educational growth.
Speaking earlier, Mr Godwin Ahituabe, president of the school’s old students association, pledged the association’s readiness to support government’s efforts to provide more facilities to the college .
O’Connell, in a brief remark, thanked the state government for the honour and promised to continue to pray for the school.
“ I will continue to put you in prayers for God’s guidance and protection,” he said .