…..Lament poor facility of Alma mater
From Priscilla Ofunre, Ado-Ekiti
The alumni of Ifaki Grammar School, in Ido/Osi Local Government Area of Ekiti State, have told government at all levels to stop playing politics with the free education, maintaining that it was no longer practicable with increasing number of schools and high enrollment of students.
The alumni, who lauded Governor Kayode Fayemi for his free education initiative, insisted that apart from government, parents and corporate organisations, were supposed to contribute token as stakeholders, for effective and efficient running of primary and secondary education.
They appealed to Ekiti state government to intervene and provide more facilities that could improve the standard of education of their alma mater.
They lamented the poor facility status of the school since its relocation to another site within Ifaki Ekiti after its former site was taken over by the state government to establish the defunct University of Science and Technology (USTI) under Segun Oni led government.
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Speaking during its Annual General Meeting held in the school yesterday, the National President of the Alumni Association, Prof. Gbenga Aribisala, said virtually all facilities like ; well equipped Laboratory, library, fence, electricity , boarding and classrooms being enjoyed at the location were lacking at the new site.
The Professor of Civil Engineering, added that this sordid situation, had made it practically impossible for their students to compete favourably with their counterparts in other schools or perform outstandingly in public examinations.
“Let us stop playing politics with this free education of a thing. The government must allow parents to pay token to run education. If we continue to do this, the standard of education will continue to nosedive. Government doesn’t have the whole lots of money to fund education alone.
“Good and adequate facilities made our alma mater one of the best in the old Western region and old Ondo State. It made it possible to produce great stars like; former Minister of Aviation, Ebenezer Babatope, former Rector, Federal Polytechnic, Ado-Ekiti, Prof. Olawumi Ajaja, Senator representing Ekiti North, Mr. Olubunmi Adetumbi, ex-Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, and many others.
“I want to commend the government for what it has done so far, but we need more in view of the fact that it was government that relocated us to this new site. We are ready to partner with government to bring necessary development .
“The alumni contributed money to build some structures as donations. Recently, some sets contributed over N2m to upgrade the Laboratory and classrooms. We also need toilet and borehole facilities for cleanliness and healthiness in school”.
The Principal of the School, Deacon Remi Omodara, said the alumni and community leaders from the host town, had donated five blocks of classroom, three blocks of classroom, toilets, football field, boards, marker, borehole, furniture and prizes to students to boost the standard of education.
Omodara, however, requested for support for the provision of perimeter fencing, staff quarters, sports field, administrative block, library, standard laboratories, access road and indoor games room.