At the 2008 Niger State productivity awards program organized by the Niger State Government to celebrate exceptional contributions of members of the public to the strengthening of democracy, promotion of good governance and the general improvement of living conditions in Niger State, Rev. Fr. J. D. O'Connell was honored with a life Achievement award for his selfless service to the state, Nigeria and humanity at large.
His citation read thus:
Rev. Fr. J.D. O’Connell was born in Cork, Ireland on September 1, 1935. Between 1947 and 1957, he was at St. Colmans College, Ireland and University of Cork, Ireland where he graduated with B.A. Degree in Philosophy and classic. In 1957 at the age of 22 years, he enrolled at the St. Patrick’s Theological Seminary, Kiltegan and was ordained a Catholic Priest of the St. Patrick’s Missionary Society (SPS) in April, 1961.
In September 1963, he was posted to Minna from Calabar by the St. Patrick’s Missionary Society. He was appointed Supervisor of Catholic Primary Schools in the then Niger Province. He became Principal of Malachy’s Teachers’ College, Bosso from January 1964 to May 1967.
In may 1967, Rev. Fr. O’ Connell was posted to then Fatima Co-educational Secondary School (now Government Secondary School, Minna) where he has been a principal for 41 years.
A teacher’s teacher and a principal’s principal, he is a good manager of men and materials. He has won several awards among which are: the North Western State Best Secondary School Award in 1974; Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Certificate of Merit Award in 1986; Best Principal in Niger State in 1991; Niger State Government Award for Outstanding Performance in 1992; National Honour of the Member of the Federal Republic (MFR) in 2002; Honorary Fellow in Teacher Education awarded by the Niger State College of Education in 2005; and Honorary Award for Promotion of Literature in the North by Association of Nigerian Authors in May 2008.
Rev. Fr. O’ Connell has also served in the following committees set up by the Niger State Government: the Task Force on De-boarding of schools; Task Force on falling Standards; and Task force on the Recovery of Misappropriated Funds by School Principals. He is a member of Minna Emirate Education Foundation (MEEFO).For his immense contribution to the development of education in Niger State and, selfless service to humanity, he is being honoured with the LIFE ACHIEVEMENT AWARD.
We, students and staff of the Government Secondary School, Minna congratulate Father on this and his many other accomplishments.
