The principals, parents, teachers, students guests ladies and gentlemen
I am Prof Ayobanji Ayoola. It is with a great pleasure that I stand before you as an old student of Ilesha Grammar School. I attended this great school from 1958 to 1962. I am happy to be here as the GLOBAL CHAIRMAN of the ILEGRAMS OLD STUDENT IN THE DIASPORA ( OSID) with members in the USA, United Kingdom, Germany, other European countries and North America. We have members in the Middle East and Australia. We are an organization duly registered as an entity with the main goals of giving back to our alma mater, that we are proud of and grateful to. We are determined to ensure development and progress of our school , not only physically but in matters related to the quality of its students, past present and future products.
It is against this background that we recall that we the OSID were the first to lay the foundation of the school PERIMETRIC fence and completed the first segment thereby encouraging others to follow our example. We are poised to starting the project of replacing the gate complex with a better and modern one befitting the status of our great school.
Therefore, today’s event is consistent with our determination to engage in supportive activities that will benefit the current students directly and motivate them to improve themselves academically, morally and physically. They are our prized omoluwabis and our hope for the future.
Today, we are starting a tradition that will last forever, we pray. We are formalizing our commitment to rewarding excellence and integrity. We are rewarding great academic achievements by any of you. We are rewarding who are good examples on how to be omoluwabis. These are students who recognize that the opportunity to wear the badge of ilegrams, is a rare honor and a privilege to attend obe if the best AIONIAN schools. This is a school where tradition matters, where honor is valued, where hard work is rewarded and where success after graduation is EXPECTED.
Our OSID organization has members who have become successful in the various walks of life, who have not forgotten their roots and who are determined to guarantee a future filled with successful old students of our school. We will ensure that the curriculum provides enough academic tracing, that there are tools with which to enjoy extracurricular activities and that encouragement provides the motivation to do well.
The sponsorship of awards by generous OSID members listed below is a testimony to our commitment along the aforementioned strategy. We express our gratitude to these generous old students. God bless them.
To develop and improve on leadership skills and qualities we the Ilegrams OSID set up a Youth Vanguard for mentoring and support so that these can spearhead qualitative development with good examples in behavior and academic excellence. They will espouse integrity at all times. They will value honesty.
We thank our principals and teachers who bear the burden of training these students in their formative years. God will reward them. We will not forget them. We in OSID are putting together the plan to reward teachers in some ways as a form of encouragement. We will consider and start an award system for teachers who perform well. Further details will emerge after formal decisions are made.
As we look forward to celebrating 90 years of existence, let us rise to meet the challenges facing the school, the teachers and the students. Let us proceed with unity of purpose and an unyielding determination to succeed. Our school must remain as one of the best in Nigeria.
On a personal note, I had invited an essay writing contest and the top four will receive appropriate prizes. Today may present an opportunity for us to present the winner…