The Pillars That Shaped Us

How Immaculate Conception College Built Men of Character, Purpose and Excellence By Louis Ubebe, MSc LLW Consultancy Services, London

There is an African proverb that says, "The child who is properly nurtured does not become a burden to society." Looking back over three decades after leaving the gates of Immaculate Conception College (ICC), Benin City, I have come to appreciate that the greatest gift the school gave us was not merely academic excellence; it was character.

Today, as I reflect on a career that has taken me through Medical Science, Information Technology, Business Management, Project Management, Pharma, Entrepreneurship, and Consultancy, I can confidently trace the roots of every achievement back to the values instilled in me during my formative years at ICC.
The pillars upon which ICC was built were timeless: Discipline, Dedication, Determination, Desire, Devotion, Duty, and Decency. These values shaped boys into men.

Discipline: The Foundation of Greatness
The first lesson ICC taught us was that discipline is freedom in disguise.
I vividly remember an incident during my first year.
During lunch break, a senior student popularly nicknamed "Ashawo" walked into our classroom. With confidence, he began entertaining us with inappropriate jokes and crude remarks. As naïve Form One students, we laughed uncontrollably.

Shortly after he left, another senior student, Hilary Umuna, who was the Social Prefect, entered our classroom.
His tone immediately changed the atmosphere.
He calmly but firmly explained why what we had just witnessed was unacceptable. He reminded us that ICC represented standards far higher than temporary amusement. More importantly, he warned us against allowing ourselves to be influenced by behaviour that diminished our values.

The following days, we learnt that the offending senior had been disciplined by the school authorities.
That single incident taught us something profound:
Leadership is not merely about authority; it is about protecting the culture of an institution.
ICC did not tolerate indiscipline because it understood something society often forgets today:
Small compromises eventually become great failures.

Character Above Status
Perhaps no lesson demonstrated the principle of justice better than another unforgettable incident.
A student who had been disciplined by a teacher went home and invited his elder brothers who were not students to assault the teacher.
The matter was reported to our Principal, Dr. J. Itotoh.
The student was immediately expelled.

What made the decision remarkable was that his father was a High Court Judge.
There was no preferential treatment.
No political influence.
No family connections.
Justice prevailed.

That day, every student learnt a lesson that many adults still struggle to understand:
No one is above the rules.
Dr. Itotoh was not merely administering a school.
He was building citizens.

Excellence Is Never an Accident
At ICC, mediocrity was never celebrated.
Excellence was expected.
Former students already studying in universities regularly returned to encourage younger students.
Listening to them expanded our imagination.
Suddenly, university was no longer a dream.
It became an expectation.

We were encouraged to study ahead of the classroom.
Many Saturdays were spent occupying seats inside the old Bendel State Library.
Books became companions.
Reading became a lifestyle.
Planning became second nature.
We learnt that success was rarely accidental.
It was carefully prepared.

That lesson has stayed with me throughout life.
Even today, I still organise my daily routine around dedicated learning and personal development.
It is one of the reasons I have continued to pursue education throughout my career.
From Medical Laboratory Science to postgraduate studies in Project Management and Global Health, and certifications across technology and business, the habit of continuous learning began long before university.
It began at ICC.

Teachers Who Built More Than Students
Great schools are remembered because of great teachers.
One such teacher was our Form Three class teacher.
She taught Christian Religious Knowledge (Bible Knowledge).
She was exceptionally strict.
Many feared her.
I admired her.

She taught with conviction, discipline and absolute clarity.
Ironically, although I eventually pursued the sciences, she made me fall in love with her subject.
I obtained a distinction in Bible Knowledge in my WAEC examinations.
Looking back today, I realise she taught me something far more valuable than examination success.
She taught me principles.
Those principles later enabled me to navigate careers that crossed both science and the social sciences with confidence.
Knowledge may open doors.
Character keeps them open.

The Joy of Learning
Then there was Mr. Sam Coker, our Chemistry teacher.
His classes were unforgettable.
He combined strict discipline with humour.
His passion for Chemistry was contagious.

He had an extraordinary ability to make complex concepts simple and memorable.
One humorous statement still makes many of us laugh decades later.
While stressing the importance of mastering the Periodic Table, he jokingly said that even if we were sleeping naked, our bare buttocks should still be facing the Chemistry board.
Ridiculous?
Perhaps.
Effective?
Absolutely.
Chemistry became one of my strongest subjects.
Together with Physics, it produced my highest grades.
Years later, I still remember many of those lessons.
That is the mark of exceptional teaching.

The Theology of Hard Work
Another teacher in my first year constantly quoted one biblical passage:
"If any would not work, neither should he eat."
(2 Thessalonians 3:10)
It became more than a memory.
It became a philosophy.
Work before reward.
Effort before entitlement.
Contribution before expectation.
Those words continue to guide my life today.

Beyond Academics
Looking back now, I realise ICC was never simply preparing students to pass examinations.
It was preparing boys to survive life.
We learnt resilience before we understood hardship.
We learnt leadership before we held positions.
We learnt accountability before entering the workplace.
We learnt that discipline outlasts talent.
We learnt that reputation is built quietly over years but can be destroyed in minutes.
Most importantly, we learnt that excellence is not an event.
It is a habit.

The ICC Legacy
Today, many ICC old boys can be found across the world as doctors, engineers, academics, lawyers, entrepreneurs, military officers, business executives, technology professionals and public servants.
Different professions.
One foundation.
The true success of Immaculate Conception College is therefore not measured by examination results alone.
It is measured by the quality of men it continues to produce.

As Aristotle famously observed:
"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit."
ICC taught us that habit.
And for that, we remain forever grateful.
As we gather for the ICCOBA UK/Europe Convention 2026, may we recommit ourselves to preserving those enduring values for the generations that will come after us.

Because buildings may age.
Uniforms may fade.
Teachers may pass on.
But character is the only inheritance that never depreciates.
Long live Immaculate Conception College.
Long live ICCOBA.
Louis Ubebe, MSc
LLW Consultancy Services, London

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