Historical development of education in Eggon Nation by Frank Ombugadu
In simple parlance, education is the bridge between ignorance and knowledge; it bridges the gap between yesterday and today. It is also a weapon for the destruction or at least, mitigation of poverty, disease, superstition, ignorance, indolence, idolatry and so on.
To get to being educated, one is either conscripted into it formally or informally. Let it be noted that education is as old as humanity and transcends all races in different shades, forms and methods.
In Eggon land, colonialism played a very major role in the educational advancement of the people. The Catholic Church is particularly a strong force in this regard. From Rome, there was a clear instruction on evangelism, education and health care delivery. On the basis of this, two Reverend Fathers, Harrison and Gerathy were commissioned by Monsignor Lumely on the 1st of November 1938 in Jos to traverse all the nooks and crannies of Wana District to identify suitable sites for the building of one or two or even all of the facilities to house a Church, school or clinic, dispensary or hospital. On the same day, the duo arrived in Wamba to inform the Divisional Officer, DO, Mr. Hall about the assignment. In his welcome address and cautious guide to the two, he maliciously labelled the Eggon as being “volatile” and Chief Alumb’gu Otawhyi, then Aren Eggon, as “hostile”. Nevertheless, they went ahead to execute their mission led by a guide.
Given the rugged nature of the road, they left their Land Rover vehicle in Wulko and trekked uphill to meet the Aren Eggon, Chief Alumb’gu.
Alumb’gu Otawhyi the 1st indigenous Aren had taken over from one Bashayi in 1927 arising from a number of reasons including the fact that he was Fulani and maladministration. However, contrary to the impression the DO gave about the Eggon people and their paramount leader, Reverend Father Harrison and Reverend Father Andrew Gerathy met a very warm, receptive and accommodative welcome. According to the records, the Aren Eggon was said to have told them to look around and choose wherever was suitable for the location of the facilities and it will be granted. Needless to say they had a good time drinking and eating before they left.
On their way back, they took a different route through a number of villages and arrived in Alogani. They stopped there and considered Alogani, Galle and Alizaga for the establishment of the facilities with Alogani as base.
After a very successful traveling, the two returned to Jos on the 5th of November 1938 to give account of their mission in Eggon land to Msgr. Lumely. Almost immediately, clearing and building commenced and by 1939, The Christian Religious Instruction, CRI classes began in Alogani, Eggon hills and Wana District of Akwanga Division; with that, the twin development process through evangelism and education began in Eggon land. The government subsequently gave permission and the CRIs became primary schools. One each at Alizaga, Umme and Alogani. In terms of enrollment, Alogani and Alizaga had 15 boys each while Umme had 13 boys. This development and co-operation from outpost stations of Lafia, Kafanchan, Mada Station and Agyaragu made them to be added to Alogani Mission in October 1939 and then Doma followed in November 14th 1940.
Following growth in number and knowledge, the government granted further permission for the construction of additional schools in Kagbu, Agunji, Aloce, Umme and Ekpon in 1946. Unfortunately, because parents would prefer their children to continue in whatever they were doing rather than have some whites change their children with inhouse collaboration, some of the new schools were not built.
However, in 1947, Reverend Father Begley and Reverend Father Kett got a fresh permission to build a school in Lizzin Keffi and other areas outside core Eggon land. It was at this point that permission was sought and granted for the teaching of English language officially at Aloce primary school. Before this, Hausa language being a northern Nigeria lingua franca and Eggon language were the media for communication and classroom instructions.
Unfortunately, Reverend Father Gerathy died after a brief illness on the 4th of February 1940 and Reverend Father Holland took over. Just two years afterwards in 1942, Chief Alumbgu was deposed on allegations shrouded in mystery with a coat of maladministration. This and other reasons made parents to withdraw their children from some of the schools particularly in Alogani and this affected the line of progress educationally in Eggon land. According to records, after the establishment of Christian Mission in Abro by what is today’s ERCC or Apu Amala strengthening the foundation of western civilization and education in Eggon land in 1925 by Reverend Evan Hepburn that eventually pioneered the development of Eggon language reading from texts. By 1929 he had produced the Gospel of St. Mark into Eggon language. He was assisted by the late Mr. Adgadzu Envluadu, Mr. Aklo Alaedzi and Mr. Auta Otsanyu; thus in 1935 Mr C. Sanderson had in a separate translation brought St. Luke’s Gospel to Eggon text and between 1967 and 1974 the late Mr. Philip Adgidzi in partnership with Mr. A. Ricketts produced some Christian tracts, a Hymn book (E Fu Abmo) and the complete New Testament Bible.
On the whole, between 1925 and 1995, primary schools have commenced effectively in almost all Eggon settlements, but the names changed to L. E. A. Primary Schools in 1967.
On the 31st of January 1954, a Teacher Training College which started in Zawan was moved to Aloce. A Catholic Seminary was established in the old father’s house in Aloce 1957 but later moved to Barkin Ladi just a year after.
As it stands today, Eggon nation has developed gradually to own 3 High schools namely, Eggon Community Secondary School, Nasarawa Eggon, Wana Community Secondary School, Kagbu and Eggon Kyekyen Secondary School, Nasarawa Eggon. As the people grew, developed, empowered and more enlightened, schools ranging from nursery to tertiary can be seen in almost all the communities of Eggon nation; some owned by government and others by private individuals.
Although many wrong decisions, missteps, and errors were committed during the process of progress, today Eggon nation can almost not count the number of Professors, Ph.Ds, Masters, First Degrees, Diplomas and so on such as those making strides in business, military, engineering, oil/gas, ICT/communications, hospitality, governance/politics, home and abroad. I am now waiting to add to this piece the take off of EGGON UNIVERSITY, EU, Eggon Polytechnic, EP, Eggon College of Education, ECOE, Eggon College of Agriculture, ECOA, Veterinary and Human Health Colleges of Science and Technology; that will be the day when I will bring out all my scripts that made my writings and then we can go agog in frenzy, celebration and all the euphoria of Thanksgiving. Long live Eggon nation.
I am Frank Ombugadu with some modest contributions to our bank of knowledge.
