The Ojongbodu community in Oyo West Local Government Council of Oyo Town has donated a three-acre parcel of land to the Oyo State Government to facilitate establishment of a primary and secondary school to commence operation by September.
To show their commitment, the Head of the the community, Chief Olaniyi Adeoye, Adegboye 111, Baale of Ojongbodu, flanked by the patriarch of the family, Chief Francis Adedayo Taiwo, in the presence of education officials, last week turned the sod for commencement of building of a block of three classrooms with toilet and office on the land.
The New Ojongbodu Layout located along Obananko Village which was the ancestral home of the Ojongbodu people, has now been urbanized but without schools for the teeming residents of the new layout who have to convey their children and wards to far distances to attend schools. To modernize the new community, the Ojongbodu people thought out the humanitarian gesture, believing that government alone cannot shoulder every need in the education sector.
The schools to be named: Olodu Community Primary and Olodu Community High School, Ojongbodu, Oyo, in the words of the Baale, will sit on about 21 plots of land worth over N30m (Thirty Million Naira) according to the current selling price in the area, in addition to the ongoing structure that will gulp about N15m (Fifteen Million Naira). Before the next admission session, the building to house JSS 1 students would have been completed and a habitable shed for the primary pupils would have been erected and handed over to the Ministry of Education under the administration of Governor Seyi Makinde.
Asked what informed the gesture to donate the land and building to the government, Chief Adeoye, said “As large as this community is, there is no school at all, be it nursery, primary or secondary, and it is about 4 or 5 kilometres in radius. Our plan is to establish the schools and hand it over to the state government to run and control. The government will recruit teachers and bring in pupils and students by the time it takes off by September this year.
“Before we commenced this project, the government representatives told us that we will need to build a block of three classrooms with offices and toilets on the three acres of land that we have donated, to start off, and the government will continue from there. In essence, the government does not want us to just hand over a virgin land to them”.
Corroborating the septuagenarian Baale’s explanation, the octogenarian Civil engineer, Chief Taiwo said: “This is a very laudable project meant for progress and development of Ojongbodu community, the society and Oyo state in general. Anything that concerns education should be given topmost priority because there is no legacy that we as elders can bequeathe to the younger generation than education. What we are doing today is memorable because it further shows that Oyo West Local Government is a pacesetter in the town. Our local government bears the name of Ojongbodu. This donation is possible because our Baale himself appreciates the value of education.
“Ojongbodu has for ages been giving out lands to government for developmental projects like this and we never collected a dime. Some of them include: Ayetoro Layout which both Oyo West and Atiba Local governments now share today, the agricultural project called AISU where the first VIO office was built along Iseyin Road. Ojongbodu low cost housing scheme, the Federal Livestock behind Fasola Agric Settlement, Ojongbodu Grammar School, the Oyo West Police Station, the Old Oyo National Park, the Irepo Market, and many more were given out free of charge by all the past Baale of Ojongbodu and we have evidence to prove these. The most important advantage of embarking on this project is to make schooling accessible to numerous residents of this community instead of their going to town”.
Both Mrs Victoria Owoade, Head of Section, School Services, Oyo West LGUBE and Mr. Adeleke Adebowale, Head of Section, Planning, Research and Statistics Department, who represented the State Universal Basic Education (SUBEB), commended the Ojongbodu people for the historic and remarkable gesture.
In her words, Mrs Owoade said: “When the Baale informed us that the community wanted to give us land to build primary and secondary schools for the government, we were excited. We came here about three times for inspection. We informed the LIE and SUBEB who also informed the Ministry of Education where we were asked to write a letter. We want to start with JSS 1 so that by September when students will be given admission, some could be posted here to start. The community which promised to build a block of 3-classrooms woth toilet and office to start off, has begun laying of the foundation today. They are going to put up a shed that can accommodate the primary school pupils so that they also can resume by September.
“Since I started working, I have never experienced this type of remarkable gesture where a community will voluntarily donate 3 acres of land to the government. The selling price of the land will run into millions of naira. It shows the community Heads are not greedy. If it were in any other community, the Baale could decide to marry another young wife, knowing that there is such money he can use. But because he values education and wants to leave this as a legacy for future generation, he decided to be selfless about it. I appreciate the Baale immensely. The Ministry of Education officials will still come here to inspect the compound before the school takes off and I am sure they will support the Ojongbodu community in this laudable drive”.
Adeleke in his words, said: “We were invited by the community but we don’t give approval to virgin land and that is why this block of 3 classrooms with toilets and office is under construction. We have informed the Ministry of Education through the LIE. By September, the Ministry will be able to give us new intakes. I commend the Baale for taking this initiative. To buy this 3-acres of land will run into millions of naira. So, giving us the land and starting the building is an encouragement for the government to ensure that the school takes off by September this year. The government appreciates the community, especially the Baale of Ojongbodu. Once this structure is roofed, we will forward a letter to UBEC for an onward approval of the school”, he said.
Some of the Heads of compounds that make up Ojongbodu community, who were also in attendance, expressed their delight in the project. They included the 110-year-old Tiijani Oladele, (Areago of Ladindin Compound Ojongbodu), Mr Oseni Adebayo of Balogun’s compound, Lasisi Tijani of Olode’s compound, and Rasidi Popoola of Baale Agbe’s compound.
