The Oyelagbawo Grammar School Alumni Association in Kwara State has partnered with the state government to tackle infrastructural decay in the school, aiming to restore it to its former glory.
Speaking at the 50th anniversary of the school’s establishment over the weekend, the association’s national president, Quantity Surveyor Kola Adeyemo, who graduated from the school in 1982, said the school is currently a shadow of its former self.
Adeyemo stated that part of the association’s plans is to ensure the school is rebuilt.
“We have been in talks with the state government on the matter, and we are willing to contribute immensely to their efforts regarding our school.
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“We initially planned to reconstruct the hostels but later shelved that idea due to security concerns. However, I can assure you that we will focus on building the laboratories.
By next year, there will be a computer laboratory with the capacity to accommodate 100 students,” the association president said.
He lamented the shocking state of the alma mater, recalling that it used to be the second-best school in the state according to the West African Examination Council (WAEC) ratings in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
“When we came for an inspection of this school, the old students were in tears. The hostels were overgrown with bushes, and so were the laboratories. The classrooms had no furnishings or equipment,” he said.
Adeyemo noted that the school was once a source of pride in Kwara State’s education sector. “We consistently ranked second in WAEC in the late 70s and early 80s. The Kwara State Government was so proud of the school that it bought us a Coaster bus,” he recalled.
Also speaking, the chairman of the anniversary committee, Pharmacist Nasiru Gbadebo Morounfola, criticized the near-total collapse of the school as a clear demonstration of the poor performance of political leaders.
“They come to us for votes, but once in office, they fail to channel financial resources towards sustaining great institutions like this,” he said.
The Matron of the IEDPU Western Zone, ESV Toyin Shuaibu, who served as the chairlady of the occasion, commended the effort to restore the lost glory of Oyelagbawo Grammar School.
“I remember, as a student of Queen Elizabeth School, Ilorin, hearing about the educational exploits of Oyelagbawo. It was a formidable opponent in debates and even in sports,” she said.
She added that the government should find ways to harness alumni associations for community development.
Dignitaries at the event included the Commissioner for Education, Hajia Saadatu Modibbo-Kawu; Kwara State Commissioner of Police, Victor Olaiya; His Royal Majesty Oba Ismail Bolaji Yahaya Mohammed Atoloye Alebiosu, the Olupo of Ajase Ipo; and Oba Abdulfatai Talabi, the Aala of Ilala.
