Senator Isah Jibrin Echocho gives back to his Alma mater for shaping his life

By Haruna Salami

The Senator representing Kogi East, Jibrin Isah Echocho is passionate about giving back to his Alma mater, Our Lady of School (OLS), Anyigba, Kogi State that molded him in character and learning.

In corporate world, giving back to that immediate environment where you carry out your business is called corporate social responsibility (CSR).

The ranking Senator, a devout Muslim, Echocho, said the Catholic school he attended shaped his life and gave him a world view not to see people through the lens of religion, reason he is working tirelessly to express his gratitude to the school.

The religious tolerance displayed by the Catholic School among the students, he said prepared him for leadership where there is no room for discrimination on religious or other sentiments.

That missionary school established in 1965, produced very important personalities in Nigeria including Echocho, who graduated from that school in 1977.

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Speaking about the school, Echocho said it modeled him “in terms of character and in learning, and so I feel like giving back to the school”.

He said the first thing he did some years ago when he was a banker was to donate a brand new 32 seater Toyota Coaster bus to OLS, the vehicle which is serving them till today.

But upon a recent visit to the school, the senator realised that most of the structures are dilapidated, especially the classrooms and he thought that the best thing is to start renovating the classrooms.

“I started with the first block of classrooms, which we finished about a month or there about ago. Then we started with the second phase which has also been completed and we are going into the third stage now. My intention is to overhaul the entire school, but in phases”.

The Kogi East senator feels fulfilled after his decision to renovate the entire school and having crossed phase 2 because, in the first place that is the school where he was groomed in character and in learning.

He is happy that he is alive and has the opportunity to bring the school back to its glorious days in terms of infrastructure, saying “the classrooms and hostels were built a long time ago, the structures were strong and they stood the test of time.

“However, I feel like overhauling the structures, we have removed the roofs, worked on the wall, put ceiling and then I want to do everything over a period, but on installmental basis.

Considering the issue of his faith as a Muslim and a missionary school where he passed through and why he is so passionate about giving back, he said “the message is very clear, that I tolerate all, irrespective of differences in faith.

Throwing light on the background, he said even though it is a missionary school, “when we were students, a portion of the school was carved out for us as Mosque, and during the month of Ramadan, they used to cook for us early in the morning, and in the evening they used to cook specially for us to break our fast”.

That has cultivated in him the consciousness to be tolerant with other faiths.

“Many years ago, the principal then was a Canadian. He did all these without any bias, especially as he was not of our faith. We used to call Salat, morning, afternoon and in the evening and during the Ramadan they used to treat us specially, special food in the morning around 4 am to 5am, the cooks will come out that early and in the evening the gave us special diet for breaking of the fast as if we were in a Muslim school”.

Acknowledging the role of the institution on his life, he said whatever he has become today, that school has contributed majorly to it and by the grace of God Almighty, now that he has the opportunity of being in the Senate for the second term, he will overhaul the school in phases.

The Principal of Our Lady of Schools, Awadi Roberts Yusuf expressed his gratitude to the senator for remembering where he comes from.

He appreciated Echocho for deeming it appropriate to give back to the school and for thinking of the school in his time.

“I am so impressed by the quality of the job that is ongoing. Because it is of standard and we want to appreciate him for giving back to the school for what the school has contributed to his own upbringing.

As a Muslim he was impressed by what the school did for them. The school is more of a secular school than a religious school because each religion is accorded its own respect and it allows for every student to practice their religion.

The school, though a Catholic institution, we have come to understand that it is more into the building of students for an egalitarian society where everybody is allowed to practice his or her own religion but highly monitored to avoid misuse of freedom.

Mr. Yusuf said he knows there are many who have come through these stages and have not remembered where they come from, but said this is neither not the first nor the second that Echocho had provided the school “a well equipped computer laboratory, dual desks for our students, solar light, textbooks and exercise books for our students and instructional materials and of course payment of school fees for some of our indigent students.