By Ladi Ayodeji
Nollywood star, Pat Doyle was recently elected President, St. Finbarrs Boys College, Akota, Old Boys Association. As well as speaking on his plans for the Association, the popular Master of Ceremony, Comedian and broadcaster, condemned the recent spate of deaths in our schools, including the killing of Dowen College’s student, Sylvester Oromoni, and called for increased school safety Enjoy the interview:
Congratulations on your election as St. Finbarrs Boys college Akoka,Old Boys Association.
What was your feeling when you were announced as the winner of the election?
The victory at the elections was anticipated because the prevailing mood of most old boys tended to favor the very things I could deliver on. That said at the moment the announcement was made it dawned on me that my mouth had written a big cheque and I now had a responsibility to make good on the cheque. So it was a perfect mix of elation and trepidation.
What are your plans for the Association and the school?
In coming up with a manifesto I realized that the immediate past administration had done most of the heavy lifting in terms of improving the aesthetics and infrastructure of the school as well as working with the school management to improve the academic performance of students of the school. I reasoned that what was left to do now was to conduct a reputational makeover for the school. In terms of academic & sporting achievements Finbarrs paraded excellent credentials, In terms of the quality of our alumni, we had an intimidating array of heavyweight achievers but for whatever reason Finbarrs wasn’t getting the renown commensurate to it’s rich heritage. I saw it as my divine task to correct all that correct all that. My mission now is to rewrite the narrative and situate Finbarrs in it’s proper ranking as one of Nigeria’s greatest secondary schools.
Has it ever occurred to you that you would be President some day?
Answer: Up untill I was approached to run for this office, I was convinced that my role has always been to operate in a supportive role to leadership. However, the fervent persistence of the young Finbarrians who approached me convinced me that my supportive role days are over. Hence my taking up the challenge.
What memorable thing do you remember about the school?
My most profound memory of Finbarrs has nothing to do with any one incident or episode as much as it has to do with my fascination with a person, the diminutive Irish founder of the school The Very Reverend Father Dennis Slattery. He was such an enigmatic personality and the fact that I shared a common Irish antecedents with him tickled me endlessly.
The mission schools and Government colleges were the in- thing in those days, but they seem to have lost their prestige. Why?
In my days mission schools and Federal Government Colleges were the elite schools of the era. Today expensive private schools have taken over and this only happened in the 80’s when the government took over all mission schools and reduced them to the level of crass public schools. Thankfully the mission schools have been returned and things are changing with parents coverting the moral indoctrination of mission schools over the moral laxity and scandals of elite private schools.
How can we restore the falling standard of education?
As long as the budgetary allocations for education fails to meet the United Nations recommended budget spending ratio, standards will continue to fall. It’s as simple as that. The magic wand is better funding and creative thinking.
Question: How much can the Parents Association and the Old Boys and Old Girls Associations have on school administration?
Answer: Clearly parents and old student bodies along side the management are integral components of the school development matrix. However, parents and old students should play a supportive role to school management. A delicate balance has to be achieved between all three components such that the parents and alumni associations don’t unduly interfere with the management of schools.
Who are the prominent old students of St. Finbarrs do see as role models today?
With all sense of modesty I make bold to say Finbarrs paraded an intimidating array of heavyweight achievers. I will mention a few in various field, let’s take sports first, Henry Nwosu, Stephen Keshi, and Henry Amike. In finance, Deji Alli the chairman of ARM, Peter Mamgbo Chairman of Globus Bank. In academia we have the likes of Professor Badiru, In law we have Moyo Onigbanjo, Norrison Quackers and a host of others not to talk of the military with Admiral Patrick Koshoni, General Cyril Iweze and so on. The list is well and truly endless.
What do you hope to leave as a legacy of your tenure?
I hope that before my tenure ends Finbarrs will become the top of mind institution for discerning parents all over Nigeria and the diaspora for their secondary school age sons to attend.
Question: In view of the spate violent deaths in our schools, from cult-related killings, the recent death of Silvester Oromoni, kidnappings in schools, etc.
What can be done to arrest this menace?
The Oromoni incidence is so tragic it exposes the putrid underbelly of our flawed educational value chain. The preference for these posh expensive private schools just shows how fickle some newly rich parents could be. Many of these schools lack the necessary moral credentials to be trusted with children. They exist for profit and little else. To curb incidences like this, the inspectorate arms of the various state ministries of education have to be strengthened and deployed to undertake rigorous inspections of the operations of these soulless private schools. While parents ought to be more attentive to the needs of their wards and rely less on incentivizing school staff with silly gifts to unduly favour their wards. In the same vein the ministries of education should invest much more on the training and retraining of public school administrators and teachers. The tragedy at Ojodu and in Benin might not have taken place if the school authorities were better trained in child and mob psychology.
One last word from Patrick Doyle to the academic community in Nigeria?
My last word will be to government to take away the excuse teachers have to down tools and do the needful by way of properly funding the sector. Do this and education will flourish, keep finding justification for failure to act and watch education go down the drain.
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