A university don, Professor Oyesoji Aremu, of the University of Ibadan, at the weekend, called on the Osun State government to implement policies that will revive and sustain the state’s educational sector, adding that the policies should be futuristic and must not be driven by sentiments.
He made this known while speaking at the 70th Anniversary Founder’s Day Lecture of Baptist High School, Iwo, that was held at the King’s Riverside Holiday Resort, Iwo, Osun State.
The event, part of four-day activities to mark the anniversary, was witnessed by dignitaries that include old students, who came in from around the world, representative of the governor, and was chaired by the former Speaker of the House of Assembly, Dr Najeem Folasayo Salaam.
The Professor of Counselling and Criminal Justice said despite the school producing over 200 professors, professionals, politicians of note, permanent secretaries, the current infrastructural state of the school begs for urgent attention.
The don also highlighted efforts by the old students of the school to reposition and bring back the lost glories of Adeke infrastructure-wise.
His words: “One inalienable fact in administration is to be wary of policies that are not sustainable. Here, I talk of policies that are futuristic and not driven by sentiments of any form. In civilised climes, policies, especially in education, are time-tested and driven by informed thoughts and statistics.
“Once upon a time in Osun State, the state came up with some policies that are alien to the national policy on education. Methinks that the drafters of the policies on reclassification of schools (elementary, middle, and high school), infrastructure development, same uniform, and renaming of schools did not mean well for the state. In point of fact, some elements of the policies brought crises in some schools like Baptist High School, Iwo, Fakunle Comprehensive High School, Osogbo, and Ilesha Grammar School. It was a period when I was the sitting National President of the Old Students’ Association”.
According to him, since governance is a continuum, he urged Governor Ademola Adeleke to take a more casual look at the school going forward.
“I passionately and humbly call on the administration of Asiwaju of Ede land, His Excellency Nurudeen Jackson Ademola Adeleke, to please look the way of the Baptist High School, Iwo, for reparation of the damages the school suffered. On this request, I speak for the minds of all old and current students of the school”.
“Of this, I agree with Narayana Murthy, who reasoned that “Nobody is bothered about an institution more than its alumni.” This is an emotional appeal to the executive governor of our dear state. We pray the Governor to please come over to the Macedonia of the Baptist High School, Iwo. And just as the importance of the role of Macedonia in the Bible is significant as a region where people flourished after receiving the gospel and later abandoned, and Almighty God sent Apostle Paul a vision in a dream that he could not ignore, our own Asiwaju of Ede land, Governor Nurudeen Ademola Adeleke, is enjoined not to ignore the call of thousands of old students of the Baptist High School, Iwo (home and abroad) to please come over to help the Baptist High School, Iwo”.
Aremu said the need to revamp secondary school education in Nigeria, and especially in Osun State, is very imperative, adding that while he commends the efforts of the present administration in addressing some wrongs in the sector, it is not yet uhuru. “There were some recommendations in the 2023 Osun Education Summit Report, of which I was the chairman, which the state needs to look into even while journeying to our Eldorado in the sector.
“One of these was the recommendation to place much premium on the first-generation secondary schools in the state. If the government does this, most infrastructural decays in Baptist High School, Iwo, and many other first-generation secondary schools will soon become a thing of the past. The importance of the eye-catching infrastructure is a must for education and excellence in academics and moral fibers that should go with it”.
“The present infrastructural state of Baptist High School, Iwo, seriously begs for attention. This is a school that has produced over 200 professors, professionals, politicians of note, and permanent secretaries. Schools of the status of Adeke should be showcased by the Osun State Government as a Centre of Excellence where special breeds of students will be trained. Here, I recommend that the best candidates be given admissions to the school. That was one of the best legacies my generation and others witnessed and cherished.
The chairman in his opening remarks said education faces numerous challenges today in terms of limited resources, outdated infrastructure, and inadequate access to modern technology. “Let this 70th anniversary serve as a clarion call for all of us to come together and invest in the future of this school”, he said.
On his part, the National President of the Iwo Baptist High School Old Students Association (SOSAHIB), Chief Franklin Akinola, said the school was not just an institution, but it is a symbol of excellence, resilience and unity, adding that “by the grace of God, we shall stop at nothing, to restore the lost glory of our great Alma mater”.
