– ’82 Set Donates 30 Sets of Office Furniture to celebrate 40th Graduation
The Ajowa Community Grammar School Old Students’ Association (ACGSOSA) recently rolled out the drums to mark the 47th Founder’s Day Celebration of the School with fanfare, pomp and ceremony.
The week-long event kicked-off on September 28 and was concluded on October 7, 2022 on the school’s premises.
The Founder’s Day ceremony featured Career Talk, quiz and debate competition, inspection of projects, Jumaat Service, sports competition, Old Students reunion, interaction with staff and students, security tips, fundraising for the security of the school, and donation of furniture by the class of 1982.
The various events were graced by important dignitaries from all walks of life, while the 1982 Set of the association used the events to donate 30 sets of modern furniture (tables and chairs) to the teachers and other staff of the school.
The classes of ‘85 and ‘87 also used the ceremony to donate office machines like photocopier and its accessories, and furniture for the office of the Principal respectively.
The furniture donations are coming on the heels of several projects embarked upon and completed by the association. Such projects include reconstruction and equipping of over seven blocks of classrooms and staff offices, construction of a block of solar-powered computer centre, modern library, ICT centre, digging of boreholes to guarantee water supply, provision of modern conveniences, and the reconstruction of the school’s multipurpose hall, among others.
Speaking at the grand finale of the events, the National President of the Association, Major-General Temidayo Olukoju (rtd), noted that the onus of partnering with the government to provide much-needed development and infrastructure to schools is on the old students to come back and contribute to the progress of their Alma Mata.
He commended his fellow old students for their cooperation in attaining the various landmark achievements of the association in giving the school a much-needed facelift.
While thanking the class of ‘82 for purchasing and donating befitting tables and chairs for the teachers and other staff of the school, Gen. Olukoju also thanked the ’85 and ’87 sets for their invaluable donations, adding that the old students are gradually bringing back the lost glory of their former school.
In his words, “I must say that this is commendable. We had jointly pooled resources together to renovate buildings, sink boreholes, reconstruct the school hall, build laboratories and a library; now the class of ‘82 has given modern furniture to staff while the ’85 and ’87 sets furnished and equipped the Principal’s Office in moves that are sure to lift the spirit and restore the dignity of these hard-working officers.”
In separate goodwill messages, the Chairman of Akoko North-West local government, Hon. Ayodele Akande, and the representative of his counterpart from Akoko North-East local government, congratulated the old students for deeming it fit to lift their former school.
They thanked the National President of the association for coordinating his members well and coming up with innovative ways of generating funds and ideas that have changed the face of the 47-year-old secondary school. The duo further called on incumbent students present at the events to also believe that a time would come for them to stand up and be counted among contributors to their Alma Mata.
In his own goodwill message, a front-line lawyer, Barr. Kayode Ajulo, commended the association for turning around the fortunes of the school. He said it was worthy of note and praise to see the many reconstructed buildings and the re-equipping of many laboratories, classrooms and staff offices done by the association.
Also speaking, the Royal Father of the Day, the Oloso of Iso Ajowa, who is also the Chairman of Council of Obas in Ajowa Akoko, Oba Clement Omoola, also took time out to commend the association for giving back to their former school and for making it Primus inter pares in the entire Akoko North West Local Government area. He also commended them for donating to and helping out their some of their old teachers.
He led other Obas from the town including the Oludotun of Iludotun Ajowa, Oba Kayode Olusa; and the Elefifa of Efifa Ajowa in thanking the old students for their wonderful contributions to the development of the school and of the town.
The royal fathers noted that most public schools would have regained their lost glories if old students could come together to contribute their quota to their development without waiting for the government.
Some of the dignitaries that graced the events were government officials, alumni, friends of the old students, traditional and religious leaders, and staff and students of Ajowa Community Grammar School, Ajowa Akoko, among others.