The Imala Community Grammar School Old Students Association, IMACOGOLD has taken the campaign on climate change to the alma mater against the backdrop of the just concluded COP28 held in Dubai, UAE with the Minister of State for Environment and Ecology, Dr. Iziaq Kunle Salako, leading over one thousand delegates from Nigeria.
Tha old students chose the occasion of the 3rd Annual General Meeting of their newly registered umbrella association with RC 703435 to educate the children on the reality of global warming and the implication on human life.
The Guest Lecturer, Dr. Hafiz Babatunde Bello, told the children and the guests that even though every adult could feel and see the signs of climate change impacting agriculture, food security and health yet the collective effort required to tackle it was almost absent.
He blamed this on ignorance, religion, government ineptitude, and international politics while recommending the inculcation of the green culture in the children to protect planet earth against future disasters.
Dr Bello said, “I commend IMACOGOLD for choosing this theme – Climate Change: Our Health Our Role. Stakeholders must pay more attention to mainstreaming the children into the campaign on climate change if the present advocacy would work for the future.
“Every school must set up a climate change club; have a garden and plant tree. NGOs must be interested in mentoring and facilitating these clubs”.
Chairman of the occasion, State Commandant of Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, Osun Command, Commandant Sunday Adisa Agboola, lauded the timliness of the lecture and the various projects of the alumni in Imala Community Grammar School, which include a water project inaugurated last year.
The NSCDC commandant promised to mobilise more members towards facilitating more infrastructural projects for the school.
The Chairman later presented prizes to the best students in the various subjects, best well-behaved students, best teacher, and the best footballer of the year, which was personally sponsored by himself.
The President, Comrade Yemi Akintunde, who expressed his gratitude to members, donors, and sponsors, listed a toilet facility, rehabilitation of classroom and staffroom, as well as the school laboratory as part of the projects in focus for 2024.
“We received a donation of #250,000.00 for the rehabilitation of the laboratory. We have only been able to provide iron windows and doors to secure the surviving apparatus. We are still mobilising to fund the reroofing and the furniture,” the President stated.
He stressed that the Diaspora Committee of the association had specifically promised that the toilet project would be funded and completed in the first quarter of the year.
The President of the Association also called on the Ogun State Government to help develop the school to check the dwindling enrolment and the disinterest of teachers and principals to work in the school.
He said, “Enrolment in the school is falling; teachers are inadequate, and principals now hardly stay for a year before they are transfered. This kind of situation cannot guarantee a good future for the children here. The only way it can be corrected is for the government to provide adequate facilities and personnel.
“As for us as an alumni association, we are committed to doing more for our old school, just as we are grateful to our diaspora members who have been the pillar of support.”
Comrade Akintunde called on all past students of the school to join the association to be able to give back to their alma mater through the fast growing platform.
The new principal, Mrs Oluranti Lambo, and the immediate past principal, Mrs Fola Falola, had earlier called the attention of the association to the infrastructural decay in the school.
They noted that the government alone could not solve the problems.
Members of the Board of Trustees of the association now registered as the umbrella body for all old students of the school with Venerable Amos Adebayo, were officially sworn in at the AGM.
