Alumni of Timi Agbale Grammar School Ede, Osun State are rolling out the drums this weekend to celebrate the 60th year of their alma mater.
A statement by the President of the alumni association, Dr Olusegun Adebola Adewara and the General Secretary, Mr Femi Adeyinka recalled that the school was founded in 1962 by Ekiti-born Chief Gabriel Ojo Falegan (now late), while the Oyo State government took it over in 1978 after the Olusegun Obasanjo military government assumed responsibility for all secondary schools from their private owners.
The alumni said it is so sad that the school, like many others in Nigeria, has fallen in standard in many ramifications because many state governments could not maintain them, pay teachers and create the right ambience needed for learning and culture.
“It is within this matrix that we, the alumni, come together to contribute our quota as we are at the foundation stage of everything.
“The 60th anniversary is not just a time to merry with one another. It has allowed all alumni to return to the alma mater to see things themselves. For some, this would be the first time seeing the school again the first time in 50, 40, 30 20 years. It is an opportunity for alumni to reflect profoundly and give back to the school that made us”, the alumni said.
They seized the opportunity to speak to state governments all over Nigeria to think about returning schools to their owners now that it is glaring that many of them can no longer grapple with them.
They said: “The purpose for which the schools were taken over in the first instance is defeated. Governments have killed the schools. They have become a significant burden on them. Teachers are not paid, and schools are not maintained. Many students have become wayward and uncontrollable, with no security in these schools. Is it not time for these state governments to ease these burdens from their scanty budgets and face other realities”?
They added that alumni should come together to assist secondary schools across the country. “It is wrong to pass through a school and refuse to look back to give. Nigerians must imbibe the culture of reflection, looking back and giving back. Governments alone cannot do it. The purpose of the alumni association is not only to identify and merry with one another but to inculcate great cultures unto the younger generation in the schools and help maintain the standard and greatness”, they admonished.
On the 60th anniversary, the alumni would grant 25 awards to the best students in academic and non-academic endeavours, old and current teachers would be rewarded, and men and women who have sown seeds into the school would also be recognised. Alumni who have done well for themselves, which reflects the school’s image, would be appreciated.
