Late Rev. Sr. Henrietta Ebosiogwe Alokha, former principal of Bethlehem Girls’ College, Abule-Ado has been honoured with a posthumous award. The award was presented by the Rotary Club of Lagos, in collaboration with Rotary District 9110, while marking the World Peace Day at the Nigeria Institute of International Affairs, Victoria Island, Lagos, Presenting the award to representative of the Alokha family, Mr. Anselm Alokha, Mrs. Omotunde Lawson, District Governor, Rotary international, expressed her admiration for the love and gallantry the honoree displayed for the sake of her students. “That is the Rotary spirit. Giving without expecting rewards. When you begin to give without expecting rewards, you have taken the first step to immortality. You can see she is now immortal, even though in physical death, she is still being remembered. It is something to be emulated by all of us,” she said. Dare Adeyeri, Past President, Rotary Club of Lagos, said that the selection is very transparent. According to him, In this particular case, Rev. Sister Alokha came tops for the award from a long list of nominees. Present at the event were members of Sr. Alokha’s family, dignitaries from the diplomatic community and Rotary District 9110 members. It can be recalled that on March 15, 2020, there was a gas explosion in Abule-Ado during the Sunday morning Eucharistic celebration held at the Bethlehem Girls’ College, Chapel, and Sr. Alokha, along a security staff member of the school, died while saving students, who were trapped in the inferno.
Since the incident, various individuals and organisations have immortalised Rev. Sister Alokha with various posthumous awards. At a concert to mark the first anniversary of her death at Catholic Church of The Nativity, FESTAC Town. Lagos, the Special Guest of Honour and Presidential Candidate, Labour Party (LP), Mr. Peter Obi, praised her bravery. The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) in 2020 also honoured Sr. Alokha, with a plaque in her honour and naming the then new 500-capacity Assembly Hall at the Air Force Secondary School (AFSS) after her. Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, former Chief of Air Staff (CAS), commended Sr. Alokha’s bravery. Abubakar said: “Her bravery on that day paid off as no student of the college was lost to the deadly incident”. Rev. Sister Alokha was born on May 11, 1963 in Estako East Local Government Area (LGA) of Edo State, into a family of six, where she was the fourth child. She attended Egbado Primary School, Agenebode, Vitrebo University in La Crosse, Wisconsin and Perpetual Profession of Vows. She had Bachelor’s Degree in Personnel Management, Masters and Doctorate in Educational Management in 2016. Until her death, sr. Alokha was a teacher and principal at eight Catholic schools. She joined the congregation of Sisters of Sacred Heart of Jesus on November 7, 1983 and was received into the Novitiate, two years later in 1985.
