A BRIEF HISTORY OF ST. MALACHY’S SECONDARY GRAMMAR SCHOOL, SAPELE

By Chief Jonathan Ojarikre, B.Sc. (Hons.)

On the relocation of St. Peter Claver’s College which had earlier been established in 1951 from Sapele to Aghalokpe, series of protests by the Catholic Mission and faithfuls accompanied same. These protests made the Ministry of Education, Ibadan to approve in 1958 the establishment of a Catholic Secondary School in Sapele to take off in January, 1959.

St. Malachy’s Secondary Grammar School Sapele was started in the balcony of the Parish house of the priests of St. Patrick’s Catholic Church Sapele in January 1959. Rev. Fr. Joseph Francis Stephen was the founding principal. After two months at this premises of the Parish house, the students were moved to the permanent site of a parcel of land of 40.14 acres that was excised from the Mukoro Mowoe rubber plantation along Elsa way, a road that led to Ugbeyiyi Village.

1.0. HISTORY AND HISTORICAL ANALYSIS
Just like yesterday is not today and today will not be the same as tomorrow, so the history of St. Malachy’s Secondary Grammar School Sapele, which has been in existence for fifty one years (51 years), it has the historical account which I have decided to divided into three periods.

1. The period of the management of the college under the Catholic Missionary and/or Proprietorship 1959 – 1973.
2. The period of the management of the College under the Post Primary Education Board, Benin City, a Parastatal under the supervision of the Ministry of Education, Midwestern State from 1973 to August 1991.
3. The period of the management of the College under the Post Primary Education Board Asaba, a Parastatal under the Ministry of Education as Supervisory Ministry in Delta State between August 1991 to the ìtime November, 2010.

1.1. ST. MALACHY’S UNDER THE PROPRIETORSHIP OF THE CATHOLIC MISSION 1959 – 1973
This is the period that would be remembered as the golden age of St. Malachy’s Secondary Grammar School, Sapele because of the very successful administration of the College by the Principals and the delightful output or successes recorded at the School Certificate examinations conducted by West African Examinations Council from 1964 to 1970. During this period, Catholic priests were the Principals of the School while Catholic Teachers who were hardworking , dedicated to the job of teaching and who saw themselves as developing humanity were on the school’s normal roll. The Principals and Teachers remained in the school for longer periods and were not distracted by mundane quest for wealth, thus therefore had no interest for absenteeism from school and teaching. This was the period when there were little or no transfers of teachers such that the teachers had a greater comprehension and cohesion of the schemes of work and content of the schools syllabuses. Rev. Fr. Stephens was the Principal of the College for about eleven years and only went on leave for three months for every two years.

While on leave, capable hands were delegated to administer the school for the period of leave before his return. During the period of Rev. Fr. Stephen’s first leave in 1961, Rev. Fr. Anselm Ojefua who relieved him as principal built the first two blocks of hostels which became the dormitories of the following school houses ; College, Kelly, St. Joseph and St. Patrick . I have reminiscences of Rev. Fr. Ojefua’s classroom management when he taught Mathematics, be it Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry or Trigonometry, and how he held students spell bound at his deductive reasoning to arrive at answers to questions. Rev. Fr. Ojefua was classmate or course mate of C. V. Durell, and this fact made us his students to listen attentively during his Mathematics lesson. And what about Rev. Fr. Stephens? He taught Mathematics, English Language, Literature in English, and Latin. His teaching method and lesson plans or lesson notes were so acclaimed by Inspectors of Education in later years when this writer began to attend Seminars on education conducted by the Ministry of Education.

What about Messers R.E. Eyike, Geoffrey Igori, Emmanuel Daibo, Egeregor, Gray Akpobi, Dir Ikumogunniyi e.t.c. These were Principals and Teachers who had the charisma that elicited emulation by students. Rev. Fr. Stephens also recruited teachers from Ireland each time he went on leave. We remember that Latin Teacher Mr. Horgan and Mr. Hughes, the Geography Teacher who motivated our interest for Latin and Geography respectively. The list of Teachers during Fr. Stephens’s tenure was endless. Messrs Erharhaghen and Ologbo inclusive. Then came the tenure of Rev. Fr. Harnedy from 1969 to December 1970. Apart from building a long block of classrooms and three staff quarters, the tenure of Rev. Fr. Harnedy was marred by students unrests because of his inability to know the students. Comparatively, Fr. Stephens also knew the homes of most students in Sapele and took students to picnics and to outstations on pastoral work on weekends on rotational basis. Three other principals during the period 1959 to 1973, were Joseph Oburatha, Chief Eziashi and Ohen, whose tenures as principals were either uneventful or rather, short lived. Students during this period were however well-oriented towards their education and studies, except occasional hitches with a few students.

1.2. THE PERIOD OF THE MANAGEMENT OF ST. MALACHY’S UNDER THE POST PRIMARY EDUCATION BOARD, BENIN.
This period marked the takeover of Missionary Schools by State Government from the period of the Military Administration of Ogbemudia when Chief E.K. Clark was Commissioner of Education in 1973 to August 1991 before the creation of Delta State.

This was the period of the tenure of Messrs P.E. Idiodemise, N. Dolor, J.E. Ojarikre, B.A. Emuakpeje, Olu Joe, C. Emoefe, Mr. Ikhime, and Mr. P. Ejegbavwo with the exception of the tenure of Mr. Ikhimi which was fraught with unpleasant event of fire accident razing down college and Kelly houses. This period marked the expansion of student enrolment and construction of the school’s imposing Assembly Hall that attracted the West African Examinations Council to select the School as an Examination Centre for the General Certificate of Education (G.C.E) (O/L) for private candidates. The hall was built by Chief P.E. Idiodemise who also raised the standard of teaching and learning by teachers and students when he made boarding compulsory to final year students to enable them participate in early morning lessons from 6.00am to 8.00am and from 3.30pm to 6.30pm every day. In this way, students were adequately prepared for the school certificate examination conducted by W.A.E.C. The no nonsense stance by P.E. Idiodemise made the students to realize that observance of rules and regulations was part and parcel of the upbringing of the child. Many students of the school in Idiodemise’s time would still remember how this principal expelled his own son from the school for flouting the college rule against removal of food from the dining Hall to the Hostel. The tenure of Idiodomise lasted years. Students passed their examinations in good grades, and proceeded from St. Malachy’s to higher schools and technical Colleges in other institutions. Mr. N. Dolor succeeded Idiodemise in 1982 but was retired in December 1984. Then came in the tenure of Mr. J.E. Ojarikre from January 1985 to December 1987, another short but very eventful tenure. It was during this period that St. Malachy’s students were always coming out tops in Science Quiz competition among secondary schools in Okpe Local Government, in Delta Province and in Bendel State. The School Certificate examination of 1985 , which was released in 1986 showed that St. Malachy’s was the best school with overall best performance and was awarded a certificate of first position by the Ministry of Education Bendel State , Benin City. The Science Quiz competition conducted by Ministry of Education Bendel State at Okpe Local Government and Delta Provincial level, the School came out first and beat Government College Ughelli and Okotie Eboh Grammar School, Sapele to second and third places respectively. The College had to represent Bendel State at the National competition at Owerri in 1986. At the introduction of the National Policy on Education of 6 3 3 6 with the teaching of Introductory Technology, St. Malachy’s was considered as having the best equipped Introductory Technology workshop in Delta Province of Bendel State, that the teachers of that subject in the Province had to be invited to a one week seminar on the installation of Introductory Technology machines and their usage. This feat made the Principal then in 1987 to call on the Old Boys of St. Malachy’s Grammar School to come to the schools aid in the building of a befitting Introductory Technology Workshop of over N2.5million for the school.

Today the relics of this workshop still stand with the removal of iron sheets by thieves’ e.t.c Mr. Bob Emuakpeje’s tenure was also short-lived.

Messrs C. Emoefe, Ikhimi, and Ejegbavwo took their turns before Messrs Ojabugbe and Ojarikre J.O. succeed as Principals. The massive encroachment into St. Malachy’s compound started because of the construction of the Akpoisi Road towards the General Aziza and Oraka end of Ugbeyiyi.

2.3​THE PERIOD OF THE MANAGEMENT OF ST. MALACHY’S UNDER THE POST PRIMARY EDUCATION BOARD ASABA.

​This is the period of the creation of Delta State from August 1991 to the time in November, 2010. Between 1991 to 1999, when the Delta State was created through the first civilian and military administrations to the second civilian administration, there was no problem for the principals of St. Malachy’s.

Problem started to creep into the issue by land encroachment as from 1999 when the construction of the Akpoisi Road provided the leeway for one Jackson Ogodo, as arrow head began to enter St. Malachy’s property from behind to sell extensive portions of land up to the classrooms, staff quarters and hostels.

The sale of the school land was a great source of embarrassment to students, teachers and principals alike in St. Malachy’s such that out of frustration and disillusionment, many teachers and students transferred from the school. The principal, student teachers and even old Boys became object of ridicule. The Ministry of Lands and Surveys, Sapele office was notified about the massive encroachment, and issued a letter to landlords who built unauthorized buildings on St. Malachy’s land by Aganbi road that was signed by one Mr. Enudi for the Director, Ministry of Lands and Surveys Sapele office. The letter warned unauthorized landlords of such buildings to remove their buildings. The Principal and some old boys doubted the authenticity of this letter because that office of the Ministry of Lands and Surveys did not follow-up. The Ministry of Lands and Survey, Headquarters, Asaba had to send the ministry’s Surveyor to check the actual extent of St. Malachy’s School land by tracing the old survey beacons. This was done by the Ministry’s Surveyor who provided another survey site plan that coincided with that original site plan that was registered with the Ministry of Education, Ibadan and with the Surveyor General of Mid-Western Region of Nigeria in 1973. It was on this ground that the true extent of St. Malachy’s land had been, proven and unearthed, and after a sound recommendation from the honourable Commissioner, Ministry of Education that there be a perimeter fencing of the school, that a contract was awarded by the state Government for the fencing of the school. The school was now fenced in 2009/2010. Much damage was however done to the school’s land as the contractor connived with Jackson Ogodo and some relations of high placed persons to divert the school fence here and there from perimeter fencing into a geometrical shape that is yet unknown. The fencing was done because of the strong will, steadfastness and love of Old Boys for their Alma Mater. Left for the school’s administration, the school would have still been hap-hazard, dilapidated and not properly maintained or cared for. In one visitation to the Commissioner of Education, Ministry of Education, Asaba, the old Boys under the Leadership of the National President Engineer Andrew L. Isiakpere challenged the Ministry officials and the Commissioner to assist the Ministry to preserve and protect St. Malachy’s through assistance to the school in such areas as maintenance and repairs to buildings and provision of facilities for use by staff and students. The Old Boys had been doing this since the inception of the Old Boys Association in 1965.

St. Malachy’s have come of age long ago. The roll call of the products testifies to this. We have

1. Chief Raphael Ohohe, now late, former General Manager of First Bank Plc Western Division, Ibadan between 1990 – 2000 and first National President of St. Malachys Old Boys Association (SMOBA).
2. Mr. Sunday Omoruan Management Staff of First Bank Plc before his retirement in 2000.
3. Mr. David Emenim, First Senior Prefect of the School and Former Director of Delta State Board of Internal Revenue before 1999.
4. Mr. Uwawamere F. Adurusa, retired Registrar of College of Education (Technical) Asaba.
5. Mr. Michael Okocha, a retired Controller of Prisons in one of the eastern states.
6. Mr. Morris Ogodo, a retired top manager of Federal mortgage Bank Abuja.
7. Mr. Matthias Mbamalu, a top management staff of Barclays Bank before he died.
8. Air. Vice Marshal Francis Ajobena, former Military Governor of Ebonyi State.
9. Prof. Peter O. Okebukola, former Secretary General of Nigerian Universities Commission.
10. Prof. Adidi Uyo, Prof. of Mass Communications previously of the University of Lagos and now at Swaziland (South Africa) University, Chief Medical Director of University of Benin Teaching Hospital.
11. Prof. Michael Ibadan, C.M.D. of U.B.T. H. Benin City.
12. Chief J.L. Itie, Chartered Accountant former Partner of Akintola Williams and successor to the Late Chief Ohohe as National President of SMOBA.
13. Engr. Ukori-Electrical Engineer with PHCN.
14. Engr. Sage Keyoma, Electrical Engineer with P.H.C.N.
15. Prof. Malachy Akoroda Prof. of Agronomy University of Ibadan.
16. A.G. Tosan Imade, Senior Lecturer Faculty of Medicine University of Benin.
17. Prof. Awaritefe, Prof. of Geography Delta State University Abraka.
18. Col. Stephen Idehenre, former Director of Military Office of Nigerian Army
19. Col. Columbus Akporoka, retired Military Officer of Nigerian.
20. Engineer Andrew Isiakpere – Rtd. Management Staff of NEWS
21. Justice Arthur Omamogho, High court Judge in Delta State
22. Henry Akangbou, a Chartered Accountant and former Financial Controller of Shell Petroleum Development Company Port Harcourt.
23. Mr. Chamberlain, Akarue Former Managing Director.
24. Chief J.E. Ojarikre, Former Principal of St. Malachy’s Secondary Grammar School Sapele.
25. Mr. Charles Eguridu, Senior Deputy Registrar and Head International Examination Department W.A.E.C. Headquarters Accra Ghana.
26. Dr. Lawrence Omo-Aghoja – Senior Lecturer (Faculty of Clinical Medicine) Delta State University Abraka. Consultant Obstetrician and Gynecologist/CMAC – Delta State University Teaching Hosptial Oghara.
And hundreds of Old Boys of St. Malachy’s in State and Federal Ministries and Institutions etc, etc.

In the field of sports, St. Malachy’s was a force to be reckoned with especially in the athletics, table tennis, and soft ball and so on. One of the high jumpers in the then Midwest State, Alfred Unokesan is an old student. The duet of George Okolo and George Waya from Malachy’s won the Table Tennis Championships of this state in 1966. Bruce Ijirigho was a national star in athletics. Lucky Ofotokun was the best sprinter in the Delta in the early 70’s. The list is endless