NIGERIA HUMAN RIGHTS CHIEF ODINKALU TO CONTEST UNITY SCHOOLS OLD STUDENT ELECTION

The Chairman, National Human Rights Commission, Chidi Odinkalu, has declared his readiness to lead Nigeria’s most populous alumni network, the Unity Schools Old Students Association, USOSA.

Mr. Odinkalu, an old boy of Federal Government College, Okigwe, Imo State in a statement said education in Nigeria is under attack following pockets of insecurity in the country.
Prof. Odinkalu hopes succeed Nuhu Koko, the association’s current president.
Mr. Koko has been USOSA’S president for four years.
Seeking support for the association’s presidency, Mr. Odinkalu said overcoming the constraints that has bedeviled Nigeria’s education requires fresh initiatives.
“I have not come to this decision lightly,” he said. “USOSA faces incredible constraints at this time. Overcoming them will require fresh ideas, integrity, passion, and new efforts at constituency building and value-for-money leadership.”
The human rights boss said over the past five years alone, five Unity Schools have been shut under attack from the insurgency; hundreds of teachers have been killed; thousands of schools have been closed; tens of thousands of children forced out of school; hundreds of thousands of children prevented from accessing education and millions have been displaced.
“Many of the schools that we attended are now poor shadows of the rich academic, social and cultural experiences that we had. Fresh graduates from these schools deserve the confidence to take on the world like their predecessors could. But to do that, they need committed support,” he said.
He argued that education in Nigeria has become a national security and he seeks to intends to create a network of education support base for the Nigerian government, if elected.
“Fostering a more secure and stable country requires a new partnership model between government and those who believe in the idea of society founded on enlightenment. Few are as invested in this as those who have passed through and received sound education,” he said.
He said the the Unity Schools were created to mould generations, build a country, and to inspire a race.
“The unity schools have indeed created a rich supply of incredibly successful alumni. But the job of building a country and inspiring a race remains,” he said.
USOSA networks high ranking government officials and politicians in Nigeria.
The election for the post will hold during the forthcoming annual general meeting of USOSA October ending.
Mr. Odinkalu is the first aspirant the USOSA presidential election to go public.
Contestants for other offices in the association’s management include a former commissioner of information in Rivers state, Ibim Semenitari, who seeks to be elected publicity secretary.
Winners will emerge by a simple majority of an electoral collage made up of 10 voters each from dues-paying school sub associations, the existing executive council and board of trustees.
USOSA is made up of 39 sub associations.