All protocols duly observed.
I welcome you all to the last month of the year 2024. We owe our Creator a lot of gratitude for keeping us and our families safe since the beginning of this year. This is a month to take stock, review our performances in the last eleven months and plan the next steps. We should also not forget that this is the month to show more love and extend our hands of fellowship to our brothers and sisters both near and far. As an Association, we must remain very thankful to God for His abiding grace. Year 2024 has been an outstanding one in the annals of our history as an Alumni association. I do not intend to recount all our achievements here since we have another forum for that later.
However, I want to thank several individuals, sets and chapters for their support during the current year. YOU ARE SIMPLY THE BEST!!!
As we wind up our 2024 activities, I would like to remind us of our 2025 Program Commitments, which we need to address as we begin the new year.
We are committed to the development of “TOTAL CHILDREN” out of our students. With the commissioning of our Digital Centre, it is time to start work on our Vocational Centre and our Farming initiatives. We hope to start the Vocational Training Centre with about 3 Skills and introduce both conventional and Non-conventional Agricultural Practices to ensure that our students get out of school fully equipped to face the challenges of the larger society. We will be approaching Osun State Ministry of Education through the Teaching Service Commission, to allow our Association to undertake some “Compulsory Elective Extra Curricular Activities” for students in the Senior Secondary Classes as further enhancement of their academic endeavours. Our efforts in Vocational Training and Agriculture will be geared towards meeting these goals.The Committees for the establishment of the Vocational Centre and the Farm Settlement will be constituted shortly. They will focus on the physical infrastructure together with the course contents and human resources requirements. Members will be informed and appeals for support would come at the proper time. We commit to keeping the same elevated level of responsibility, transparency, and accountability, which is the hallmark of our project execution process.
Of particular importance is the zeal of several Class Sets to give back to the Alma Mater.
I am extremely impressed with the number of inquiries that I am getting from old students in this regard. However, I would like to appeal to set leaders to consider two or more sets coming together to undertake ONE BIG PROJECT if the resources available to a single class set cannot fund the envisaged project. We will then have critical infrastructure in place within a fleeting period.
The Digital Centre has become fully operational, and the students have started taking advantage of its presence. We shall continue to support the school in her ICT related exercises. With this humble achievement of the Association, I believe we can create a great future for these students. Our collaboration in this regard is a continuous one.
Ladies and gentlemen, the tempo of our activities must not wane for any reason whatsoever. May God help us all.
I want to seize this opportunity to recognise the academic feat recorded by one of us, Mr. Oluwasegun Ajakaiye, who finished as the Valedictorian in our school in June 2017. He is therefore an unregistered member of our Association. May be its about time we cluster our old students in Tertiary Institutions into an Association to allow them graduate therefrom to the full Alumni Body. The Executive Committee will look at this in the coming year. We need to catch them early enough and sustain their interest in the affairs of our school. Segun made himself, our school, and his parents proud for being the best overall graduating student at the last convocation of the Federal University of Technology, Akure. Standing on the podium to deliver his address as “THE VALEDICTORIAN” of the 2023/2024 Graduating Class was an honour to his parents, our school and all those who were part of his journey. I pray that God will continue to be with him.
As our first Valedictorian, we are looking at ways to help in developing Segun, our young man, to fulfill his aspirations. God helping us, we hope to use him as a good example of what resilience can achieve and a positive incentive to others for emulation. In further recognition of ‘Segun Ajakaiye’s achievement, may I please request the Administrators of all our social media platforms to use Segun’s graduating picture as our DP for a week from December 1, 2024.
Meanwhile, I rejoice with all Buddies who marked their birthdays in November. I thank God for the gift of life and pray that the Lord in His infinite mercy would bless you and your families.
Finally, I want to appeal to everyone that as the year is running to an end, we should try to stay safe and pay attention to our health. Please let us avoid unnecessary trips by making use of our telephones as much as you can.
May God keep us safe.
May Allah, the most compassionate, most merciful, bless us all more than our expectations in the new year.
THANK YOU ALL
Lateef A. Bakare, FCA, FBR