…..says school not safe haven for unruly students
In a determined effort to boost the performances of the institution in public examinations in Ekiti State, the Onimesi of Imesi Ekiti, in Ayekire Local Government Area of the State, Oba Olatunji Olatunde, has inaugurated eminent citizens of the town as members of the School Based Management Committee(SBMC) of Ojugbaye Comprehensive High School.
Prominent among the 17-member committee as recommended by the Teaching Service Commission, is the State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Hon. Paul Omotoso, who is to serve as the Chairman of the team, with Mr Peter Alonge as Vice Chairman, the School Principal, Mr Oladapo Sanni (Secretary), and Cathecist Anthony Ajayi(Treasurer).
Other members of the team are: the school’s Headgirl, Mercy Olaleye, Headboy, Friday Samuel, Mr. Francis Ade Ajayi, Mrs Adesoye, Mrs Eunice Omolara Ajayi, Mr. Olaiya Fagunwa, Mrs Funke Orewole, Pastor Samuel Oladimeji, Chief Gabriel Odofin, Vicar of Saint James’ Anglican Church, Imam of Imesi Central Mosque, Chief (Mrs) Oluwabunmi Ojo and and Chief Lawrence Babagunwa.
Speaking at the inauguration held at Imesi Ekiti, on Monday, Oba Olatunde, handed down a stringent warning to students, teachers and parents that the community would no longer tolerate acts capable of defaming the institution that had produced alumni that are blazing the trail in their chosen professions.
The monarch added that the institution was established to promote scholarship in the community , Ekiti State and Nigeria through knowledge impartation and that efforts would be intensified to resist those who were trying to deride the enviable records of the citadel of learning.
Oba Olatunde expressed displeasure at the lacklustre performances of the institution in WAEC and NECO examinations and reported cases of hooliganism, truancy, harassment and unwholesome acts being exhibited by some students and parents, saying these would no longer be condoned to safeguard the school’s soaring reputation.
Pointing out the significance of the committee, Onimesi, said the body is saddled with the responsibility of synergising with the school management to monitor the students’ conducts and partner the government to bring Infrastructural facelift to the institution.
The monarch, who appealed to the principal and teachers to work in synergy with the committee, threatened that the Onimesi-in-council will deal decisively with any parent who goes to school to harass teachers over any issue, describing this as one of the reasons causing widespread indiscipline among students .
Onimesi said: “Imesi Ekiti can still remember with nostalgic feelings, how this school produced bankers of repute, Senior Advocate of Nigerian (SAN), Lawyers, Accountants, Engineers and other professionals that are making high-flying exploits in Nigeria and oversea. We need to keep this tempo, rather than allow it to deplete.
“The inauguration of the School Based Management Committee today signaled the end of the dwindling fortunes and image of this school. What we have constituted here today is the “first eleven” of Imesi Community, ably led by Barrister Paul Omotoso.
“Let me advise the students to take their studies seriously because our priority is not high enrollment figure, but a high performing students’ population. Let me inform the new SBMC that any parent who visits the school to harass any teacher under any excuse will face the full wrath of the Onimesi-in-Council”.
Oba Olatunde appealed to the teachers to work as a team with the Principal and the committee to give the institution the best results in Ekiti State in the coming public examinations.
Pledging his dedication to duty, the SBMC Chairman, Barrister Paul Omotoso, said the body will put up efforts to propel prompt turn around of the fortunes of the school, appealing to the teachers to work closely and progressively with the principal to ensure that Imesi Community and the Alumni worldWide are again proud of their alma mater.
Omotoso warned those pupils code- named “9: 11”, who will arrive school 9am and depart home at 11am to voluntarily find another school, as his team will work with the principal to retain only the disciplined pupils and smoke out the unruly ones.
He commended Onimesi for assembling the best eggheads among the alumni and Imesi representatives to join the struggle to resuscitate the only Grammar School in the community.
Barrister Omotoso, who visited the sites of the abandoned building projects and dilapidated structures in the school premises, promised to work with the community and the Alumni to restructure some of the building to provide descent residential accommodation for the numerous teachers who preferred to live in the neighbouring towns due to lack of befitting residence.
The highpoint of the event was Barrister Omotoso’s pledge to take up voluntary tutorials in his field of study in the school once in a week, pledging to also recruit more competent community retired individuals, including Onimesi, to take up voluntary teaching to complement the teachers’ efforts and send a signal to pupils and parents that the School is on the path to full acacdemic repositioning and recovery.
The Chairman of the Parents Teachers’ Association (PTA), Pastor Samuel Oladimeji and immediate Chairman of SBMC – Elder Peter Alonge, commended the Governor Biodun Oyebanji’s Administration for the numerous intervention funds it has provided under the Adolescent Girls’ Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (Agile) project to bolster education in the state.
The representative of the Alumni Association Worldwide, Adewumi Ojo, who is currently constructing a new main gate and fence in the school, promised that more alumni will soon display commitments in terms of assistance to shore up infrastructures in the school.
The School’s Senior Prefect, Samuel David, thanked Onimesi and members of the SBMC for their readiness to coalesce intellectual prowess and resources to uplift the school in all spheres.