Protocols

Delighted I am to welcome our distinguished guests to this historic occasion.  I give glory to Allah, the most Compassionate, and the Creator of earth for making today a reality. May Allah’s name be praised.

Let me recall that the journey that led to the establishment of this Digital Centre started like a child’s play in March, 2024.    At the conceptualization, we thought of an enduring legacy, but having just concluded the 60th anniversary programme of the school during which members donated enthusiastically, the question now arose that should we call on our people to start donating for another project.   However, we decided to give it a push at the Executive level.  We put up an appeal for donation of money and materials for setting up the centre, having put a committee in place under the leadership of Mrs. Kofoworola Ajelabi nee Ogunbiyi to plan and set up a befitting centre for the Association.  Thank God that our dream has become a reality today.  With the benefit of hindsight, we need to give Allah the praise for divine provision and the accomplishment.

I must emphasize here that it is our resolve as an Association to give back to the school in a big way all the time with a view to extenuating the saying of one of our highly respected Principals of the school, Late Chief Adebayo Adefarati, former Governor of Ondo State, who would always remind us that ‘don’t expect what Atakunmosa would do for you, but what you would do for Atakunmosa.’ 

With this in mind as young students in those days, we were able to put the name of the school on a global scale in sports, academics and co-curricular activities.  I must confess that this saying has been our moving spirit as old students of this great school. 

Mr. Chairman sir, let me seize this opportunity to inform this esteemed audience that we have a dynamic Association in place.   Our members are wonderful, committed, and they value their heritage a lot.  We have been blessed with top military officers, public servants, politicians, academics, highly successful professionals in many fields of human endeavours and religious leaders of international repute.

Permit me to recount the immense contribution of our members in the development of science in the school by renovating the laboratory.   We put in almost a sum of thirty million naira to salvage the laboratory, some classrooms, the empire block of the school, the main hall and above all, providing a befitting environment that the can stimulate learning.   At individual or family level, many of our members, through their various Foundations and philanthropic activities have been instrumental to the training of many indigents but brilliant students both at the secondary and tertiary level. Among others are Okebiorun Memorial Foundation, Madam Adefiola Olabode Foundation, Bishop Margaret Odeleke Foundation and Adebayo Adegboye James Foundation. 

At the Association’s level, our Education Committee under the distinguished leadership of Prince ‘Dokun Agunlejika had put in place several intervention programmes to improve the academic and moral standard of the students. These include among others; special coaching classes for our students, seminar for teachers, career and guidance lectures and mentoring initiative.

The centre which is being commissioned today is a dream come true.  A peep at the centre, shows 31 workstations including the instructor’s corner, all the systems worked with a networking, the centre runs fully on solar system, we ran a conduit piping system for the wiring and networking to allow unhindered movement of the users, the twin-table computer furniture is students’ friendly.   In addition, we have fans and air-conditioners in place, the centre has internet facility with one year subscription.    A twin CCTV camera is also in place apart from the physical iron bars and the security men on guard.    Be that as it may, it is just a tip of the icebag.  We intend to have a full Computer Based Test (CBT) Centre with the hope of conducting the JAMB matriculation and other related examinations in the school.  In other words, we hope to commence the second phase in due course.   This is in realization of the fact that the whole world has gone digitalized, and we are striving hard to ensure that our students are not left behind.

I would like to publicly acknowledge the great sacrifice made by our members in putting this centre in place.  Their attitude to donation was very impressive.  May God continue to bless our collective efforts.   Ours is a different experience as an Association.  We have reached a level where our children and wives have become associate members by contributing financially and morally to projects in the school. Our Association has become generational in nature. 

Mr. Chairman sir, I am short of words to appreciate the great job done by the Digital Project Committee under the leadership of Mrs. Kofoworola Ajelabi nee Ogunbiyi.  It is really a display of experience, maturity, resourcefulness, and the love for one’s school.  On behalf of the entire members of the Association, I say kudos to your team.  I pray that the Lord would continue to bless you all.

Let me seize this opportunity to appreciate the State Government, under the able leadership of His Excellency, Senator Nurudeen Jackson Adeleke, in its effort to develop the State.  It is quite visible that at the end of the four years of this Administration, a lot of must have been achieved in all areas of development.

However, our concern at this moment is the educational area as that is the bedrock of any society. It is incontrovertible, that no nation can develop beyond the intellectual capability of its people. Let me publicly acknowledge the cooperation from the leadership of the Teaching Service Commission in the development of our school.  We say a big thank to you all.

May I also use this rare opportunity to appeal to the Ministry of Education to complement the Association in the provision of amenities our school.  For instance, the bore-hole in the school was provided by Elder Solomon Olawuyi Foundation while the toilet facility which is about to be commissioned today was built by the 1974 Set of the school. 

Honourable Commissioner Sir, I would like to recall that for over a decade, we have not benefitted from the building renovation intervention programme of the State Government despite the fact that the Technical College, Osu took advantage of our school for its take-off.  Unfortunately, most of the buildings they used were left in a terrible state of affairs.  We are hereby appealing for your assistance in this regard.

May I use this medium to appeal to the State government to make education a priority.  We are not unaware of the enormous responsibility of the government but one area that can readily liberate any society is education. The government might consider taking advantage of many volunteers in the various professions in the State and in diaspora for the development of this sector.  It is incontrovertible that Government cannot do it alone.  It needs the collaboration of parents, old students and public-spirited individuals to move the State forward.

Finally, I wish to thank our distinguished guests for their time and the great honour they have done us today.  I pray that Allah in His infinite mercies will continue to honour you all. We are immensely grateful for this visit.

Lateef A. Bakare FCA FBR