Aiyedatiwa asks old students to help fix Ondo public schools
- Ondo governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa says government alone cannot fund education and wants alumni to step in.
- He spoke in Akure at the 50th anniversary of Omoluorogbo Grammar School, represented by a commissioner.
- Alumni have built classrooms, fixed offices, added a fence and set up support for poorer students.
Ondo State Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa has called on former students and other well-off Nigerians to help repair public schools, saying the state cannot carry the cost alone.
He made the appeal on Saturday in Akure at the 50th anniversary of Omoluorogbo Grammar School. The governor was represented by the Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Sunday Olajide.
Aiyedatiwa said old students who have done well should remember the schools that started them off and put money and materials back into those schools. In his words, "Government cannot single-handedly fund the education sector," so alumni and other stakeholders should add to what the state is doing.
His message lands on a familiar problem. Many public schools across Nigeria still have broken classrooms, few facilities and little funding, and old students' groups have increasingly become the ones patching roofs, buying equipment and paying fees for students who cannot afford them.
What old students have done at the school
Kayode Akinmade, who chairs the anniversary planning committee and is a former Commissioner for Information, listed some of the work alumni have done for the golden jubilee. He said he built and furnished a four-classroom block and gave the school a generator.
He said another old student, Dr Munirat Ogunlayi, renovated the school hall, while Oluwole Adelabu renovated the staff office and the administrative block. Other projects include a perimeter fence to improve security and protect school property, and exercise books for students.
Akinmade said the alumni also set up a Student Support Programme that gives money to poorer students so they can pay for their Junior Secondary School examinations and the West African Senior School Certificate Examination.
He described giving back as a duty and a way of thanking the school for the foundation their careers were built on, and urged other former students to join in.
For parents and students, the appeal points to a question that matters every term: who pays to keep classrooms fit for learning. Alumni money can cover buildings and exam fees, but it depends on how many old students answer the call.
There was no word from the government on new funding for public schools in the state.
