70th Anniversary: Old Students to Inaugurate N56m Projects in Ondo

Fidelis David in Akure

As part of efforts to contribute its quota towards achieving improved teaching and learning experiences in the school, the old students of Oyemekun Grammar School, Akure, have said projects worth over N56million will be inaugurated by the alumni to mark the 70th anniversary of the school.

The National Vice President of the association, Olusegun Ogunjobi, disclosed this yesterday in Akure, the Ondo State capital, at a press conference to kick-start the 70th anniversary of the school.

Ogunjobi said the projects included construction of principal administration block being donated by the incumbent President, Dr. Niyi Ijogun; renovation of the old Adinlewa House; remodeling of Pa. Ogunleye’s House; remodeling of the long block in the school, renovation of the school canteen and the volley ball court.

According to him, the projects were built by the old students of the school, through direct labour, and will be inaugurated next week Tuesday, January 24.

He said: “I’m very happy to tell you that we’ve been having stakeholders’ meeting and the stakeholders are the Anglican Communion, Akure community; the Oyemekun Grammar School Old Students Association and the PTA and we have said it in the last meeting we held that we would have common position which we will present to the state government.

“What concerns us mostly is how the school will be well managed, we are not talking about the owner now, because the government cannot do everything and that  is why they are looking at how they can give some schools back to the original owners, and what we the Alumni have been doing is to bridge the gap of infrastructural deficit that the government could not do. And if they (government) now in their wisdom choose to give the school back to us, the stakeholders will be glad to take back the school.

“There are a lot of development we have recorded in the school, the school was taken over by the government some times in 1976, now the government is still looking at the possibility of handing over the school back to the stakeholders, and we are in the process of taking over the school from the government.”

Ogunjobi, however, said the government is doing its best but there is limitation while the Alumni is trying to aid the government in achieving its objective and educational programmes in the state.

The school which was founded on January 29, 1953, according to Ogunjobi, has attracted tremendous infrastructural projects through the alumni association and Old students of the school.

The alumni national vice president of the school, while highlighting the programme lined-up for the 70th anniversary of the school, said: “We have compendium, road show/homage to the Deji of Akure, Oba Aladetoyinbo Aladelusi, who happens to be the founding father of the school, career talk, novelty match between the Oyemekun old students and Fiwasaye old students, and we are inaugurating seven projects and  presentation of awards to staff and students amongst others.”