The golden jubilee celebration of the famous 1967/71 set of St Teresa’s College (STC), Ibadan, Oyo State may have come and gone but the reunion party and issues raised amid commitment from members of the set to restore the lost glory of the school may have sparked a new beginning for their alma mater.
Though it has been 50 years since they left the four walls of the school as teenagers, as soon as they stepped into the school again for a reunion, memories of their days as students flooded back . It was an occasion that reminded them that life may have thrown them hither and thither, strong values instilled in them as children have shaped their lives beautifully.
Talking about beauty, not one of them failed to turn out looking charming. They understood what it meant to turn up at one’s alma mater 50 years after, and they indeed exuded royalty, carefully laced with elegance. As they made their way into the famous Assembly Hall of the school where they would converge to celebrate their golden jubilee, one does not need to be told that the ‘ladies’ are back in town.
From the red carpet moment where they took turns to take pictures, they all beamed with smiles as they hugged one another and one could tell that they had longed to see themselves again. The celebration would have been held last year, but outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the world and kept people in their homes.
The day could not have come at a better time for members of the group as they thanked God for sparing their lives and bringing them back safely to their alma mater.
Eighteen of the 25 members of the group present at the event mourned the demise of one of them and offered prayers for the repose of her soul.
Soon, they settled down to discuss the matter that brought them back together. For some of them, it was the first time since they pulled off the brown and white uniform while others were returning for the second time; but one issue that agitated their minds on that fateful October 16 was the poor state of the school since it was forcefully taken over by previous administrations in the state.
Most of them, now grandmothers, recalled their glorious days in the school; they lamented that the institution that shaped their lives and gave them the solid foundation that has helped them in their respective fields has sadly become a shadow of its glory. They were worried that the school has literally lost both its national and international clout of student.
With a strong desire to see STCI return to her glorious days, the golden girls of the ‘Famous Set’ as they are called, made spirited efforts to seek out themselves and came together to plug one of those areas of clear educational need in the 21st century Information and Communication Technology (ICT).
Suffice to say that all of them who passed through the institution still holds it dear in their hearts as this explained their decision to reunite and give back in no small measure to their school. With the donation of educational materials and commissioning of 18-unit computer suite for the benefit of the students and teachers, they also refurbished classroom, planted trees and flowery shrubs around the school.
The gesture was the first step in a journey of many steps of their vision to reposition the school as they laid it bare for wife of the state governor, Mrs. Tamunominini Makinde, who was represented by the Senior Special Assistant on Diaspora to Governor Makinde, Mrs. Bolane Sarumi-Aliyu, urging the Oyo State government to return the school to its owners.
With nostalgia, they decried the poor maintenance of the school, especially the access driveway, former boarding houses and the surrounding flora of the premises.
Mrs. Makinde, commending the ex students for their commitment to giving back to their alma mater, added that the governor will continue to pay active attention to education in the state as she insisted that “No governor in the history of the state has budgeted as high as 20 per cent education like Governor Makinde.
“I am aware that the state government increased the educational budget from five per cent to 20 per cent. This clearly shows the unwavering commitment of the state governor to education and other key sectors like health and security”, she added.
The coordinator of the set, Dame Marie Fatayi-Williams received glowing tributes from members of the group who described her as the rallying factor who ensured that every member of the group was contacted and was part of the project to give back.
Emeritus Archbishop of Ibadan Archdiocese, Felix Alaba Job, who incidentally marked his golden anniversary of Episcopal Consecration in July, described members of the 67/71 set as one of the best the school ever produced.
The Emeritus Archbishop cracked a few jokes and took the ‘golden ladies’ down the memory lane as he reminded them how tiny they were and what their weight was in their first year in school. He recalled how the school, through its Houses and daily rules of life, care and discipline disposed members of the set to making friends and adjusting to school life.
According to him, St Teresa’s College contributed to who they are today, urging them to always allow love, respect and accommodation of one another to permeate their group, admonishing them to “Let your gold continue to shine. Meet often. Enjoy each other’s company now that Zoom facilitates such togetherness. Look for and assist one another, not only at such a celebration as this, but always.
“Strengthen your old students association and be united to help your alma mater. Look back at the year each of you entered this prestigious institution, famous throughout the country and longed for by many parents wishing to give the best education to their female children.”
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