EIFDW INAUGURATES SOUTH WEST EXCO OF OLD STUDENTS ASSOCIATION

The Educational Initiative for Development in  Western Nigeria (EIFDW) has inaugurated members of the Executive committees of the Conference Old students/  Alumni associations across the South West States.

Performing the inauguration at the former Red Cross Building, Oke Mosan,  Abeokuta , the Chairman Board of Trustees of  EIFDW, Mr. Michael Oyawale pointed out that the decadence in the educational sector  especially at the primary school level which has made them to be unattractive and uncomfortable for the students necessitated the creation of the Alma Mater endowments to salvage the situation.

The Chairman added that though various governments had continued to pursue free education policies  but inadequate funding has collapsed the initiative due to the economic downturn ravaging the country at large.

"The years of unbroken under- funding and half hearted interventions have left the school system in comprehensive decay and restoration will therefore have to be just as comprehensive .

We need massive sustained injection of funds at professionally defined objectives in a comprehensive master-plan that transcends the silo of individual school boundaries to the apex of regional cooperation and bonding"  he remarked.

Oyawale  explained that the maiden assembly of the Conference of Old students/  Alumni associations earlier held had opened up the challenges identified in schools and various tasks were assigned to the teams raised to tackle.

Charging the newly inaugurated Exco, the Ogun State Head of service and a managing partner of EIFDW,  Mr. Abayomi Sobande admonished them to keep the fire burning noting that government cannot solve all the challenges alone hence the need to put in place task teams comprising of the Conference of Old students and alumni associations  that would work in tandem with the ideals and objectives of the Campaign for Alma Mater endowments to achieve a better platform to secure schools of the future.

Sobande also called on stakeholders in the educational sector, market women, carpenters, artisans to rise up and return to their schools by doing something no matter how small in order to improve the falling standards of education in the country.

Some of the members of the Conference of Old students and alumni associations of Western Nigeria inaugurated are: 
Regional Executives: Prof. (Mrs.) Yemisi Obilade - Capacity Development,Chief (Mrs.) Falilat Ogunkoya – Omotayo - Sports Development, Chief Sunday Oduntan - Diaspora Affairs, Mrs. Hafsat Abiola – Costello - International Partnership and
Gender Issues.

The Regional Patron of the Exco is  Prof. Biyi Afonja, while the State Executive Committee members are  Prof. Delana Adelekan  as Chairman , Mr. Joseph Onabanjo - Science and Technology
3. Chief Kasimawo Laloko - Sports Development.

The  Ogun  Central Exco are Chief Funsho Ogun Chairman, Engr. Kayode Adeniji - Infrastructure,
Alhaji Kunle Adegbite - Secretary,Mrs Olusola Apampa - Mobilisation and Gender
Issues.

Responding on behalf of the new  Exco, Prof. Biyi Afonja who was represented by Mr. Lateef Owodeyi  appreciated EIFDW for the opportunity given to serve in rescuing the school system from collapse, he assured that the various task teams would ensure that all hands are  on deck to restore world class standards in the educational sector.

Speaking in the same vein, the Chairman of Ogun State Executive Committee, Prof.Delana Adelekan  promised that the objectives of the initiative would be given utmost attention  adding that advocacy visits to stakeholders would be initiated as well as liaising with others in diaspora  to achieve the desired goals.