Maria Goretti old girls want school returned to Catholic mission

Class of 1982 of Saint Maria Goretti Girls Grammar School, Benin City has appealed to Edo State Government to return the school to the Catholic Mission to enhance the education of the girl child.

The old students, under the auspices of Saint Maria Goretti Old Girls’ Association (SMAGOGA), made the appeal in Lagos during their 40 years reunion after leaving school.

Speaking during the event, Mrs. Grace Bose Ojougboh, member of the alumni association and Deputy Director at the Nigerian Communications Commission, called on Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, to consider returning the school to Catholic Mission towards reclaiming the school’s age-long glory.

She said: “Now, more than ever before, there is a need to empower and raise girls, who are pious, confident and equipped with skills and capacity to function as leaders and nation builders in the 21st century and we believe our alma mater is poised to deliver on this, even more with its management being under the Catholic Mission,” Ojougboh said.

Ojougboh stated that the Class of 1982 has, over the years, joined hands with the national body of the association to give the school a facelift and support students through awards of scholarships and skills acquisition.

Another old girl, Mrs. Ijeoma Isiolu, decried the poor state of the school since it was taken over by the government, stressing that the association looks forward to the time when the school would be returned to the mission.

Saint Maria Goretti Girls’ Grammar School was founded on March 4, 1959, by the Catholic Mission. It was the first all-girls secondary school in Benin City. The school was named after St. Maria Goretti as it was established the same year Maria Goretti, a 12-year-old girl, who stood for purity in mind and body was canonised by the Catholic Church.