…holds 40th anniversary
When public schools struggle with aging infrastructure and limited resources, help sometimes comes from those who once walked the same corridors.
In a powerful show of gratitude and responsibility, the 1985 alumni set of Ekiti Parapo College (EPC) has returned to their alma mater, not with memories alone, but with tangible upgrades aimed at improving learning conditions for today’s students.
Some projects executed by the 1985 set of the old students association include: a big generating set to power the school borehole, set of office table and executive chair for the principaI.
Owotuyi Adediran, the principal of Ekiti Parapo College, who was ably represented by Olajide Olubusuyi, the vice-principal expressed gratitude to EPC 1985 set for being a model for other sets to emulate.
He encouraged other sets to respond to the needs of the school in order to sustain the spectacular name of the institution.
Babatope Ilesanmi, a member of the 1985 old students association told BusinessDay that idea to give back to their Alma Mater began some time seven years ago when they started to identify how they could contribute to the development of the institution by making the learning environment more conducive for students and teachers.
“The deplorable state of the school in the last 10 years was quite appalling, but for the intervention of the alumni association.
For our 40th anniversary, it was a combination of projects and thanksgiving. 20 sets of executive chairs at a cost of N1.2 million were donated to the school; and some money was given to the house of God, as our thanksgiving,” he said.
Speaking about the thanksgiving, Ilesanmi explained that in the history of the school’s West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), the 1985 set’s result was the poorest.
“Only two students had credit passes in six subjects, including Mathematics and English Language. Therefore, nobody expected anything good to come out of the EPC 85 set.
“To the glory of God, doctors, astute politicians, engineers, professors, business tycoons, and pastors emerged out of the supposedly hopeless future,” he said.
The occasion was equally graced by the school cultural troops, some students, and heads of department.
The celebrants’ gratitude was evident by their attires, Sashes round their necks, and unreserved dancing.
He emphasised that as the name of the school implies, the school was established with a collective effort of the entire Ekiti People Group in 1954 in honour of the great warrior- Late Faboro who led Ekiti People in the victorious Kiriji War.
Ilesanmi said that so much is still left to be done in the Ekiti Parapo College, Ido-Ekiti. Hence, the principal was appealing to other sets to emulate the laudable strides of 1985 set and intervene in any little way possible.
The place of old students’ association cannot be overemphasized in the development of instructions around the world. Many renowned institutions in world today are being upscaled through the funding from alumni.
