Biodun Esan, Ilorin
A set of old students of ECWA secondary school, Igbaja in the Ifelodun local government area of Kwara state have donated a block of two classrooms to their alma mater.
The school was established 79 years ago in 1944 and is currently facing infrastructural challenges as most of the buildings are already old, while many have collapsed.
Speaking during the handover of the classroom blocks, the chairman of the 1979-1983 set of the old students association Chief Samuel Olu Alabi, said that members of the set came together to form the association to contribute their quota to the growth of the school, humanity and to promote the welfare of one another.
Alabi, who said that the block of classrooms project was not the first effort by the set of old students, added that the group had in the past sponsored school inter-house sports, renovated a block of two classrooms, as well as facilitated books for the school library.
“In addition, one of us, Architect Ibikunle Shonibare, also acilitated the location of a Federal Government motorized borehole with an overhead tank to the school,” he said.
Alibi added that ECWA secondary school, Igbaja, played important roles in their formative years, adding; “in fact, most of us found what we had learned in this school very useful, even later in life.
“By the verifiable school records, we were 333 students that graduated. It is pertinent to clarify that not all those who graduated with us joined the association, as less than 20 percent of the number of those that graduated were involved in this project.
“Also, since our graduation, we have lost some of our members to untimely death. May their respective gentle souls rest in perfect
peace”.
ECWA secondary school Igbaja, (IGBAOJULE), was established in the1944 as ECWA Teachers’ Training College and was converted to a Secondary School in 1970 and has since been referred to as ECWA Secondary School, lgbaja (Igbaojule).
“The school is the first and the oldest post-primary institution in Ifelodun local government area, even in the entire lgbomina/Ekiti and may be in present Kwara state.
“The school was also the second Teachers’ Training College in the Northern Region and has produced eminent personalities in the society.
“Over the years, the school has made the community, local government, and state proud in academics, games, and sports.
“It has been a model to schools around and a center of excellence, though, most of the buildings are already old while many have collapsed,” he said.
END.
