The Defence and Police Officers’ Wives Association, DEPOWA has reaffirmed its dedication to nurturing future generations through quality education, moral guidance, and holistic development especially for the children of security personnel and the wider society.
The President, DEPOWA, Mrs Oghogho Musa made this known during the DEPOWA Nursery, Primary and Secondary School Prize Giving Day.
The President said that “the event recognized students not only for their scholastic accomplishments but also for their creativity, talents, and exemplary conduct”.
She noted that the annual Speech and Prize-Giving Day, showcases the institution’s commitment to academic achievement, character development and nation-building.
According to her, when she assumed office as President of DEPOWA, two years ago, she made a commitment to uphold the legacy of the institution by fostering academic excellence, moral discipline, and holistic development.
“Today, I am delighted to share some of the noble achievements we have accomplished together: some of which are: the repainting of the various structures in the school, equipping of the school science labs, Installation of new computers and a 100 KVA MICANO generator in the school,” she said.
“To further develop the art of preparing variety of meals and other catering activities, a fully equipped culinary arts studio was established to cater for the needs of the school students and trainees from the DEPOWA Skills Acquisition Centre.
“We have also improved staff welfare through increments in salaries and incentives to appreciate the dedication and commitment of our lovely staff. To further ensure the health of our staff and students, an eye screening test was conducted for the students, while cervical cancer screening was done for female staff among several other achievements as we look forward to doing more,” she added.
She extended her appreciation to the teachers and school staff for their tireless efforts in nurturing the young minds.
“Your passion for teaching and mentorship shapes the future of our children, and we do not take your sacrifices for granted,” he said.
“To our parents and guardians, thank you for your unwavering support and partnership with the school. Your involvement in your children’s education is invaluable, and together, we will continue to provide them with a solid foundation for success,” she added.
Awards were presented to outstanding individuals across various academic and extracurricular categories.
Earlier, the Acting Commandant of the School, Major Samuel Buzugbe said the celebration of the school was in recognition of students’ academic journey, specifically for attaining new heights.
“This is indeed a new milestone in the history of the DEPOWA School,” he said.
According to him, during the period of the just-concluded 2024-2025 academic session, the learners were adequately and regularly engaged in a series of classrooms and out-of-classrooms activities that helped shape their minds and build their capacity to profer solutions to academic puzzles as well as daily challenges they face on a regular basis.
“Their active participation in various programmes organised by the school have also aided in modelling them into individuals with diverse capacities, with diverse skills ready to conquer new grounds and attain new heights”, he added.
He urged celebrants, the entire staff of the school, family, friends and well-wishers to celebrate their journey to success, which began some years ago.
He noted that the end of a journey marks the beginning of a new one.
“No doubt that the majority of you will aspire higher educational qualifications so as to further enhance your abilities in preparation to take your place in the circle of life. You may face tough times, but note that tough times don’t last. Only tough people stay strong”, he said.
Keynote Speaker, Dr. Lilian Iwu charged the graduates that challenges would come but with the right attitude, they would overcome them.
She encouraged them to surround themselves with encouragers as mentors.
“It’s like knowing who you are, knowing your purpose. Purpose is behind what we do. I want us to ask ourselves today, why do we want to succeed in life? Keep that close to you”, she said.
The Head Boy on behalf of the graduates expressed their appreciation to the school for their support in teaching them and all their academic achievements so far.