PROGRAMS AND EVENTS

Embassy Official Encourages Graduating Students to be Good Leaders

Date: June 28, 2008
Venue: Abuja

CPAO Atim George presents an award to one of the graduating students | Full size

U.S. Mission Country Public Affairs Officer Atim George charged students to be leaders in their own field in her June 28 remarks at the Graduation and Prize Giving Day ceremony of Pace Setters Academy held at the International Conference Center, Abuja. The ceremony marked the graduation of 200 students from the 6th and 12th grades.  Representatives of the Minister of Education, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory and the Chief of Defense Staff also addressed the students and parents of Pace Setters junior and senior secondary schools.

In her goodwill message to the students, Ms. George used the acronym L.E.A.D. to explain how a good leader should function.  Leaders, she said: "lead within their field -- he or she is a learner.  A good leader laughs and loves and leaders are educated people."  Leaders also act positively to change and improve situations, she said.  The U.S. envoy stressed the importance of leadership to a society's progress and development, adding that good leaders exercise self discipline and are dedicated. 

Ms. George, who holds the traditional title of "Yeye Araba" of Ile-Ife, highlighted the strong bilateral cooperation between the United States and Nigeria, emphasizing to the audience that Nigeria's friendship matters to the people of the United States of America.    She ended her remarks by challenging the graduating students and members of the audience to examine how they were leading their lives. 

In his opening remarks, proprietor of Pace Setters Schools Barrister Ken Imansuangbon said the graduating students are some of the best brains in Nigeria.   Some have signified their intention to pursue their university education with institutions in the United States, he said.  First Bank instituted a Scholarship fund of N200,000 for the best performing students in mathematics and in the sciences.

Several media outfits including African Independent Television (AIT), Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) and leading newspaper houses covered the event.