The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Akeem Owoade, has pledged to support educational programmes and infrastructure development in schools across Oyo town, Oyo State, with particular attention to Oliveth Baptist High School.
The Punch reported that the monarch made the commitment on Sunday during a fundraising ceremony and thanksgiving service organised to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the 1972–1976 set of the school’s old students’ association in Ibadan, the state capital.
Oba Owoade commended the alumni for their contributions towards improving their former school, stressing that the responsibility for providing quality education and maintaining school facilities should not be left entirely to the government.
He said, “I want to appreciate you for the good works that you are doing by giving back to the school that made you who you are today. You are building on the good legacies of the founding fathers and the various principals who had presided over the affairs of the school in the past.
“I am assuring you of my support for every one of your programmes that are aimed at raising the standard of education in the school. Let me also pledge my support to the various programmes of schools across Oyo town.”
Also speaking at the event, Chief Wale Babalakin urged different generations of the school’s alumni to collaborate in advancing its development, noting that collective efforts would help achieve their objectives.
Babalakin, commenting on the 1972–1976 set’s proposal to take over the school’s management, argued that its administration should not be left exclusively to either the government or the mission.
He said, “The Mission will be doing commerce with the running of the school. This will not augur well for its all-round development.”
Earlier, the president of the 1972–1976 set, Adeoye Mapederun, said the association was committed to supporting government efforts to restore the institution to its former standard.
Mapederun spoke during the unveiling of renovated classrooms at the school in Oyo, where he disclosed that the association spent nearly N10m to rehabilitate a block of three classrooms.
He said the building had deteriorated significantly before the intervention, making renovation necessary to provide students with a better learning environment.
“We found that this particular block was totally in disrepair. There was no roof, no windows, no blackboard, nothing. So, we decided to start with these three classrooms to ensure that we brought them up to standard,” he said.
According to him, the renovation also included the installation of ceiling fans and the provision of other facilities to improve comfort in the classrooms.
He put the total expenditure at slightly below N10m, describing the project as the first phase of the association’s planned interventions.
Mapederun added that the alumni intended to mobilise more funds to rehabilitate other parts of the school, including another classroom block that was in a deplorable condition.
He explained that the project complemented efforts by the association’s national body, adding that members of his set remained determined to contribute to the institution’s growth.
Reflecting on their time at the school, Mapederun said the alumni were motivated by a desire to give back to an institution that had provided them with quality education and adequate facilities.
“When we came to this school about 50 years ago, everything was working. We had the best of education and the best environment. Everything you could talk about was in place,” he said.
He lamented the decline in the school’s infrastructure over the years, expressing concern that government intervention alone might not be sufficient to resolve its challenges.
Mapederun further disclosed that the national body of the Olivet old students’ association was considering taking over the school’s administration, subject to its ability to raise enough funds to sustain the arrangement.
