Activities have been lined up by the old students of Mayflower School, Ikenne, Remo, Ogun State, to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the demise of the foremost social critic and educationist, the late Dr Tai Solarin, who founded the school.
Solarin, a notable newspaper columnist and Chairman of the defunct Peoples’ Bank of Nigeria (PBN), died on July 27, 1994, aged 71.
President of the Mayflower Old Students’ Association (MOSA), Mr. Wale Abdul, made this known in a statement, a copy of which was made available to newsmen on Sunday, saying that the series of events to celebrate the activist, whom he described as an icon who spoke truth to power, would commence on the morning of Tuesday, July 23rd, with a walk by students of Mayflower School and their private school counterparts, while a lecture with the theme, “Who is Tai Solarin?” would be delivered by an erudite old student, Ex-May Akin Aloba, at noon.
According to him, on Wednesday, July 24, there will be a marathon race in honour of the late Dr Solarin and his wife, Sheila, by the students from 7 am to 10 am, to be followed by a football match at the school field at 2 pm.
Abdul disclosed that the grand finale will take place on Saturday, August 3, 2024, with a walk by Ex-Mays from the school emblem to the Solarins’ residence and their grave sites, after which a Lagos lawyer and a rights activist, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), will deliver a lecture themed “Tai Solarin’s Philosophy: 30 Years After” at noon.
“The grand finale holds on the morning of August 3, with a walk by Ex-Mays from the school emblem to the Solarins’ residence and their grave sites, while a lecture with the theme ‘Tai Solarin’s Philosophy: 30 Years After’ is expected to be delivered by a renowned human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), from noon,” he said.
MOSA president Abdul, a chartered accountant, while describing Solarin as an icon who spoke truth to power, noted that Nigerians, especially the downtrodden, would never forget his impact on national development.
He reasoned that Mayflower School, founded by Solarin, had distinguished itself from inception to date by producing national assets that continued to excel on a global scale because of the dreams and ideals of its founder.
According to him, the late critic and educationist would be remembered by generations unborn for the impactful life he lived, which he said was defined by handwork, discipline, integrity, and personal sacrifice.
Abdul said that though Solarin was not perfect, his legacies remained enduring, untainted, and impactful, despite failed attempts by his traducers, who were ignorant of the chemistry the late foremost social critic and educationist was made of.
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