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Christ the King College, Onitsha

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Christ the King College (CKC), Onitsha
(Amaka Boys)
Location
Map
Nigeria
Information
School typeAn all-boys secondary school
MottoTemplate:Lang-la
(Goodness, Discipline, Knowledge)
Religious affiliation(s)Christianity
DenominationRoman Catholic
Founded2 February 1933
FounderArchbishop Charles Heerey
Statusopen
HeadteacherRev. Fr. Charles Okwumuo
Grades7-12
Age range11-18
Enrolment2,597[1][non-primary source needed]
HousesAllagoa, Aniogu, Arinze, Azikiwe, Brolly, Butler, Flanagan, Heerey, Mbanefo, Okagbue, Orjiako, Modebe, and Tagbo houses.
Colour(s)White and Royal Blue
National ranking1st

Christ the King College, Onitsha (CKC), popularly known as CKC Onitsha, or Amaka Boys, is an all-boys secondary school in Onitsha, Nigeria. It is ranked the number 1 (the best) high school in Nigeria and 36th in the top 100 best high schools in Africa as of February 2014. It was founded on 2 February 1933, by the late Archbishop Charles Heerey, CSSP, and his fellow Irish missionaries. Bishop Heerey remained the proprietor of the school until his death in the spring of 1967. The chief mission of the school is to develop indigenous manpower and leadership skills from the vast pool of Nigerian youths and in a Roman Catholic tradition and environment. The first principal of the college was Rev Fr. Leo Brolly and the first student to be admitted into the college was Peter Charles Obi Nwagbogu[2]

History

CKC was affected adversely by the Nigeria civil war (1967–1970). Most of its infrastructure was destroyed.[citation needed] The school was taken over by the East Central State Government in 1973 and renamed "Heerey High School",[citation needed] after its founder. However, following representations by its alumni, the school's name was changed back to its original name, "Christ The King College (CKC)" in 1976, and the pre-war first indigenous principal of the school, Rev. Fr. Nicholas Tagbo, was also brought back that year to reorganize, rebuild, and re-energize the school. CKC was finally returned to the Catholic Mission by the state government on 1 January 2009.[3]

The school

CKC is located on Oguta Road in Onitsha, Anambra State, Nigeria. Its motto is Bonitas, Disciplina, Scientia (Latin) (Goodness, Discipline, and Knowledge). As of February 2014, the school is currently ranked the number 1 (the best) high school in Nigeria, and 36th in the top 100 best secondary schools in Africa.[4] The school's colours are White and Royal Blue. The college has active alumni associations in Nigeria (Abuja, Benin-City, Enugu, Lagos, Onitsha, Owerri, and Port-Harcourt), and in the United States ("Christ the King College Onitsha Alumni Association USA").

School Population

Throughout the years prior to the civil war, the school's population was pegged at 600 to ensure appropriate student/teacher ratio and high-quality education. After the civil war, in the 1970s, the student population ballooned to over 4,000. However, following years of reorganization, the school’s student population is now 2,597, split between (Grades 7- 12); Junior Secondary School (1,350) and Senior Secondary School(1,247).[1][non-primary source needed]

Sporting and Extra-curricular Activities

The school plays Association Football, track and field athletics, handball, hockey and lawn tennis. Its football (soccer) team won the World Secondary School Championship in Dublin, Ireland in 1977.[citation needed]

Houses

The dormitories are classified as school houses for administration, management and sports competition purposes. The current houses are: Tagbo, Brolly, Azikiwe, Heerey, Okagbue, Modebe, Arinze, Aniogu, Mbanefo, Orjiakor, Allagoa, Butler, and Flanagan.

The pre-civil war Houses were: St. Charles, St. Gabriel, St Williams, St Michael’s, and St. Joseph.

School publications

List of principals

  • 1st Rev Fr. W.L. Brolly: 1933–1937
  • 2nd Rev. Fr. M Flanagan: 1938–1941
  • 3rd Rev. Fr J. Keane: 1942–1943
  • 4th Rev. Fr. A. Callaghan: 1943
  • 5th Rev. Fr. M. Flanagan: 1943–1948
  • 6th Rev. Fr. M. Clifford: 1949–1953
  • 7th Rev. Fr. W Butler: 1953–1954
  • 8th Rev. Fr. J. Keane: 1955–1956
  • 9th Rev. Fr. J. FitzPatrick: 1956–1963
  • 10th Rev. Fr. N. C. Tagbo: 1963–1972 (First indigenous principal)
  • 11th Chief A.A.O. Ezenwa: 1973–1974
  • 12th Rev. H. Chiwuzie: 1974–1975
  • 13th Mr. P. E. Ezeokeke: 1975–1976
  • 14th Rev. Fr. N.C. Tagbo: 1976–1985[7][non-primary source needed]
  • 15th Mr. M. N. Enemou: 1985–1987
  • 16th Rev. Dr. V. A. Nwosu: 1987–1996
  • 17th Mr. J.E. Chukwurah: 1996–1997
  • 18th Mr. E. C. Umeh: 1997–2000
  • 19th Chief N. E. Olisah: 2000–2008
  • 20th Chief A. Obika: 2008–2009
  • 21st Mr. E. Ezenduka: 2009–2010
  • 22nd Rev. Fr. Charles Okwumuo: 2010–present

Source: Honor Roll of CKC Principals, 1993–2011[8][non-primary source needed]

Notable Alumni

Francis Cardinal Arinze

  • Justice Anthony Aniagolu, judge and chairman of the 1988–89 Constituent Assembly[10]
  • Justice Chukwunweike Idigbe, Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria[11]
  • John Munonye (April 1929 – 10 May 1999), one of the most prolific Nigerian literary writers of the 20th century, and author of "The Only Son" (Aftican Writers Series) among many others.
  • Justice Chukwudifu Akunne Oputa (b 22 September 1924) (retired Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria), former Chairman of the Human Rights Violation and Investigation Commission (popularly called Oputa Panel)[15]

References

  1. ^ a b "2011 STATE OF SCHOOL REPORT BY REV FR. DR. CHARLES OKWUMUO PRINCIPAL/MANAGER" (PDF). Christ the King College, Onitsha. 13 February 2011. p. 2. Retrieved 22 February 2012. At present, the students' population of C K C stands at two thousand five hundred and ninety seven (2,597). A breakdown of this figure shows that the population of Junior Secondary (JSS 1-3) is one thousand, three hundred and fifty (1,350) while that of Senior Secondary (SSI-3) is one thousand two hundred and forty seven (1,247). Out of total population of 2,597 students, 2079 are day students while 518 are boarders. The figure for boarders does not include 15 students who are special (Blind) students.
  2. ^ "Fr. Leo Brolly Founder of the TransCanada Province". Spiritan Missionary News. June 1993. Retrieved 16 February 2012. Fr Leo, in those early years, was mostly associated with Nigerian-Catholic education. He laid the foundation of Christ the King College, Onitsha, still one of the finest high schools in Nigeria. He was principal there until 1939 when he became pastor at Ahiara.
  3. ^ Ujumadu, Vincent (2 January 2009). "allAfrica.com: Nigeria: Anambra Returns 18 Mission Schools". AllAfrica.com. Retrieved 16 February 2012. ANAMBRA State government has returned 18 secondary schools originally built by Churches to them as part of the state government's determination to strengthen its partnership with non-governmental organizations.
  4. ^ "100 Best Secondary schools in Africa". African Views. 11 January 2012. Retrieved 16 February 2012.
  5. ^ "The Amaka Gazette: A Journal of CKC-AAA, Inc" (PDF). 12 (July 2011). Christ the King College Onitsha Alumni Association In America. July 2011. Retrieved 22 February 2012. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  6. ^ "AMAKA'S VOICE" (PDF). 5 (October–December 2011). 2011. Retrieved 22 February 2012. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  7. ^ "Father Tagbo: A Profile In Service And Leadership" (PDF). C.K.C. Alumni Notes. Christ the King College, Onitsha. Retrieved 23 February 2012. Rev. Fr. Nicholas Chukwuemeka Tagbo, (a.k.a. Onye Isi), clergy, educationist, administrator, poet, and mentor, is an eminent alumnus of Christ the King College Onitsha, and a member of the CKC Class of '49.
  8. ^ "HONOR ROLL CKC PRINCIPALS 1933 to 2011" (PDF). The Amaka Gazette. 12. Christ the King College, Onitsha: 31. July 2011. Retrieved 23 February 2012.
  9. ^ Adah, Augustine (30 May 2011). "Newswatch Magazine - In the News". Newswatch Publications. Retrieved 23 February 2012. Olisa Agbakoba, lawyer, former president of Nigeria Bar Association, NBA, and human rights activist, 58, May 29
  10. ^ "Book Review: The Great Judge: Justice A. N. Aniagolu - Biography of Hon. Sir Justice Anthony Nnaemezie Aniagolu". KWENU. Retrieved 18 February 2012. In another breath, old boys of Government College Umuahia and Christ the King College, Onitsha will be thrilled to bits for different reasons about brief records of their World War II campuses. In fact, there will one day be a debate on who really produced Justice Aniagolu: "Amaka Boys" (CKC) or "Shining Ones" (GCU). I have the answer, but I do not intend to preempt the debate!
  11. ^ Okocha, Emma (22 December 2009). "he Supreme Court And the Nigeria's Election Industry…". Retrieved 20 February 2012. We shall end this sad piece, as we borrow from Justice Chike-Idigbe, the cerebral former Justice of the Supreme Court. Â A legal luminary who made an Upper Class Honors Degree in Law, at Kings College, London, in 1946. The first Nigerian to win the English Campbell Forster Prize for the best Paper in Criminal Law and Criminal Procedure.
  12. ^ "Governor Peter Onwubuasi Obi". Who's Who Profile. Africa Confidential. Retrieved 18 February 2012. Challenged Chris Ngige's election as Governor of Anambra State, 2003; legal battles with Ngige, 2003-06; Governor, Anambra State, March 2006-November 06; impeached, November 2006; re-instated as Governor to finish original four-year tenure, June 2007.
  13. ^ "Catholic Archdiocese of Onitsha. Nigeria". Catholic Archdiocese of Onitsha. Retrieved 18 February 2012. Secondary Education: Christ the King College, Onitsha (1967). His education was interrupted by a civil war in Nigeria (1967–1970). Through the inspiration of then Mons. Emmanuel Otteh (now Bishop of Issele-Uku) he became interested in becoming a Priest.
  14. ^ Mbanefo, Arthur C I (8–9 June 2001). "Vision and Policy in Nigerian Economics: The Legacy of Pius Okigbo" (PDF). Part 1, Memoirs and Tributes. p. 3. Retrieved 18 February 2012. Pius had laid a very good foundation for his higher education at Christ The King College, Onitsha where he had a most brilliant academic career
  15. ^ amgboye, Adelanwa (5 October 2010). "Justice Chukwudifu Akunne Oputa, an eminent jurist @ 86". Daily Trust. Retrieved 24 March 2012. Justice Chukwudifu Oputa, was named Chairman of the Human rights violations investigation commission (more popularly known as the Oputa panel) to investigate abuses during 15 years of military rule, which ended when President Obasanjo took office as elected president on 29 May 1999.
  16. ^ "Mr Patrick Utomi". Who's Who Profile. Africa Confidential. Retrieved 18 February 2012.