H.L.O. Williams
| Revd. H.L.O. Williams | |||||
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| File:Williams, H.L.O..jpg | |||||
| Residence |
Ûzuakoli, Nigeria [A63] The Institute, Uzuakoli, N.E.R., via Port Harcourt, Nigeria [1927] Glencoe, Wells Road, Knowle, Bristol [1931] The Institute, Uzuakili, NER, via Port Harcourt, Nigeria [1937] | ||||
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Contents
Notes
Office Notes
House Notes
1927.06.28 proposed by E.W. Smith, seconded by H.J.E. Peake
Notes From Elsewhere
The first College Principal was Reverend J. B. Hardy. He was succeeded by Reverend H. L. O. Williams. He pioneered many of the developmental projects. In 1925, a new dormitory – Castle was commissioned and divided into four Houses namely A, B , C and D Houses. Games and sports took off in earnest. The memories of the first inter-house competition spurred many to show interest in sports. The College won laurels including the ‘Phensic cup’.
In 1926, the college was renamed ‘ The Training Institute Uzuakoli’. Staff strength increased. In addition to tutors from England, some African experienced tutors including Nigerians were recruited. Reverend W. J. Wood introduced science subjects in the college. Reverend Williams leadership trained students for self reliance. There was also Mr. W.H. Spray whose tenure as Principal brought a lot of expansion
Many years ago, Rev. H.L.O. Williams, the principal at the Methodist College, Uzuakoli, was travelling to England, his home country, when their ship capsized. Death was imminent, looming on their faces. The passengers took their lifejackets immediately but a pregnant woman was wailing uncontrollably and violently. Her outburst had nothing to do with William Shakespeare’s postulation that cowards die three times before their death. She was not one. Her problem was peculiar - no lifejacket under her seat!
Who would help her? If it were giving out a coat, someone might sacrifice his and with time, be able to replace it. If it were giving out money, somebody could do it and would manage what remained with him. It was exchanging one’s life with hers. It was dying that she would live, a bargain for death. And that was what happened! H.O.L. Williams gave her his lifejacket. And He died! And she lived!
Reverend H.L.O. Williams took over as Acting Principal upon Reverend Hardy’s departure
for leave to England. He was later made the substantive principal as when Reverend Hardy
failed to return back to Nigeria. According to H.C. Ogbonnaya, “Reverend Williams was a
man of vision, he visualized an African society, organized and ruled by Africans.79 Thus he
worked towards a time when an African would be principal of the Institute.In 1925, a new
dormitory was added. Furthermore, an infant department was added in August 1925. Also, the
House system was introduced, thus the four dormitories were now termed Houses and were
now to be known as Houses A,B,C and D. For each House, a captain was appointed.80 The
House system increased competitiveness in sports as inter-house Football, Volleyball and
Cricket were keenly contested and a flag was awarded to the winning House with all the bragging rights.
The Uzuakoli Boys Institute attained the status of a training College on January 1926
when a normal (Teachers) training department for teachers was added. Subsequently, the
school was renamed The Training Institute, Uzuakoli. Thus, the teachers’ training started
under the watchful eyes of Reverend Williams with 13 pioneer students.81 The only limitation
was that Reverend William was the only one qualified to teach both Form 1 and the Teachers
Training Department in all subjects.Reverend Williams besides teaching all subjects in the
Secondary and Normal Departments and exercising pastoral oversight over all students, he also bore the entire administrative burden. One can only marvel at how one man can
satisfactory perform this duties promptly. It calls into question how little the Primitive Methodist mission were willing to invest in quality education for Africans, commiserate with
that of European educational standards other than basic education needed for clerical and
evangelical works. It can be argued, and rightly so, that if the missionaries had a way of
converting Africans without educating them, they would have taken that option as a
missionary, Father Legeune affirms; education is the only way ahead in Africa, there is no
other way to convert the people.82Thus, starting as a primary school, a secondary wing
emerged, and an infant school was started to feed the primary school; while the primary
school fed the secondary school and the primary school also served as a practicing school for
the teacher training students. In September 1926, the principal Reverend Williams went on
leave, while Reverend Wiles took over for the seven months period the leave lasted83. On the
return of Reverend Williams in May 1927, he and Wiles worked together in the Secondary
and teachers training section of the Institute (Reverend Williams had been the only tutor for
these sections before Reverend Wiles joined the Institution). [OGBONNAYA, EMEKA DANIEL thesis]
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