Tribute: We Lost A Gem In Fr. O’Connell – Gov Sani Bello

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By; BALA B. BITRUS, Minna
Niger State Government has reacted to the demise of Rev. Fr. Jeremiah Dermot O’Connell who died on Wednesday in his country home in Republic of Ireland at 85.
Niger State Governor, Abubakar Sani Bello said the late Catholic Priest and school Principal lived an impactful and selfless life of service to humanity.
Reacting to the news of the passage of the octogenarian Irish Priest who lived for over 55 years in Niger State, where he worked as both a Catholic Priest and school principal, governor Sani Bello said Niger State had lost a rare breed gentle man, a fatherly figure, role model and builder of human capital.
In a message of condolence issued on Thursday, the state governor said while condoling citizens across the state, that the demise of the accomplished Irish Clergy and educationist was an enormous irreparable loss to Niger state where he was reverred and respected as one of the elder statesmen of the state.
Governor Sani Bello noted that the products of the human development efforts from the tutelage of Rev. Fr. O’Connell are currently found in various leadership positions and other human endeavours in the state and across the country in different spheres of human endeavors.
He paid glowing tributes to the late Clergy man and added that the sterling exemplary life style and stewardship of the Catholic missisionary and educationist, who spent 55 of his productive years in the service of the state can never be forgotten.
“Fr. O’Connell’s contributions, especially in education, religion and peace building are legendary and are written with indelible ink on the minds of many generations of Nigerlites”
With grief, the governor said Rev. Fr. O’Connell has left behind footprints on the sands of time. “Rev. Fr. O’Connell knew no bounds in impacting knowledge on those he came across. The state cannot pay back what he did to us.” He said Niger state would continue to pray for the repose of his gentle soul.
Rev. Fr. O’ Connell arrived Nigeria in 1962 and stayed in Calabar, Cross River state where he worked as a Catholic Priest.
In 1963, he came to Niger state and joined the then St. Fatima College, (the only co-education college in the state in 1967.
When the school was later taken over by the state government, it was renamed as Government Secondary School, Minna in 1976.
In recognition of his selfless contributions in nurturing the students of the school, the state government had at different times honoured the Irish Catholic Priest.
Also as endorsement of Fr. O’Connell sterling stewardship, governor Sani Bello renamed the Government Secondary School, Minna after Fr. O’Connell to immortalise him as he bowed out of service of the state in March 2017 for serving the school for 50 years as its Principal.
Records from the state government showed that Rev. Fr. Jeremiah Dermot O’Connell had served Niger state for 55 years with over 50 of the years dedicated to teaching at the Government Secondary School, Minna.
In 1974, Rev. Fr. O’Connell was awarded the honour of the Best Principal of the Secondary Schools in the defunct North Western state. And was again named the Best Principal in Niger State in 1999.
O’ Connell in 1992 and 2008 was honoured with the ‘Most Outstanding Performance and Productivity’ award by the state  While the federal government conferred on him the National Honour of the Member of the Federal Republic (MFR).
He was turbaned the Jagaban Ilimi Minna by the Emir of Minna, Alhaji Umar Farouk Bahago at the twilight of his service in recognition of his contributions to the development of education in the emirate.
O’Connell was born in Castletownroche, Cork, on the 1st of September, 1935. He was ordained Catholic Priest on Easter Sunday of 1961.
He arrived the Catholic Diocese of Calabar as his first posting and taught in St. Columbanus Secondary School, Ikwen in 1962. He was transferred to the Prefecture of Minna in 1963 and he spent over fifty five years as Principal of Government Secondary School, Minna.
He returned to his country home in Kiltegan, Cork, Ireland following his retirement last year April.
O’ Connell until his death was a member of St. Patrick Society, (SPS) of Catholic Church Mission in Nigeria.

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