The Imala Community Grammar School, Old Students Association in Abeokuta North Local Government Area of Ogun State has donated a water project to the old school in the face of security and sanitary challenges confronting the school.
The water project embarked upon by the old students association, popularly known as IMACOGOLD, established two years ago, was inaugurated by the Special Guest of Honour at the association’s second annual general meeting, Chief Kayode Stanley Odunaro, the Baaroyin of Imala and Chief of Staff to Senator Solomon Adeola, representing Lagos West as a Christmas/New Year gift to the school.
Chief Odunaro, who expressed delight in the achievements of IMACOGOLD within two years as a charity body with focus on the alma mater, called on the Government of Ogun State to focus much more on the rehabilitation of dilapidated old schools in suburban and rural areas in its laudable education projects.
“I am here because of my commitment to education and community development and, think of it, I got my first chieftain title from this place, Imala, as Baaroyin. Imala is a very significant place in the history of Yewa and Yorubaland, yet, looking at the road and other infrastructure, it is obvious this ancient community is in neglect”.
“If it is true that you started just two years ago to give back to your old school and we are commissioning water today for the toilet and sanitary needs of the school having donated sets of computer, 3faced electricity meter, sports materials etc as I learned from the keynote address, then you have done well to help government, government should not hesitate to help your cherished school and the host community”.
Chief Odunaro who earlier paid a homage along members of IMACOGOLD to the Omola of Imala, Oba Moses Olabode MNI thereafter donated towards the rehabilitation of the school’s laboratory.
He also presented copies of his autobiography, Colours of Perception for the school library and the good reading of the community.
Chairman of the occasion, Engr. Moses Adediran who is also the Chairman Governing Council of the school noted in his address that the Ogun State Government was not doing enough for the school and Imala as a whole. He therefore appealed for more attention to education at the rural and suburban.
“So much we are seeing yellow roofs, good, but not good enough as it does not extend to us in Imala. So much we are seeing and hearing about roads and bridges, we are not asking for bridges, but let us feel the presence of government in the area of infrastructure in the area of education and road.”
He called on the parents to focus more on the education of the children even in the face of the socio-economic challenges noting that without education the nation would be at doom.
The President of Imacogold, Comrade Yemi Akintunde, Manager News and Current Affairs NTA Ilorin explained the reason why the association had to buckle up to provide some infrastructure like water and computers as well as sports materials for the school which according to him would prevent the pupils from going into the bush and end up jeopardizing their security.
Comrade Akintunde further noted that parents around the area were no longer encouraging children to embrace education because of unemployment and thriving smuggling, yahoo yahoo and other unchecked criminalities.
“We have to do what we are doing now within our limited means because if we don’t do it we will be setting our house on fire. We have to give back to our old school now before our children become boko haram and kidnapping entrepreneurs’.
The occasion featured a lecture on Health and Safety delivered by Mr Azeez Adewole, a consultant from Qatar while award of excellence in community development was presented to Chief Kayode Odunaro, Mr. Azeez Adewole and the outgoing principal of the school, Mrs. Oluwayemisi Faniyan.
The best students of the school in various subjects also got prizes.
