PMI celebrates 30th anniversary, awards scholarship to students

In the quest to champion the cause of development of Iseyin community through socio-educational-based programmes, a community development organisation, Pioneer Movement Iseyin (PMI), recently celebrated its 30th anniversary, where professionals and crème de la crème of the society, including sons and daughters of the community, attended the event.

The programme for this year’s anniversary included the commissioning of rehabilitated block of classrooms at AUD Primary School, football competitions among youths, award of excellence to notable personalities in the community, scholarship awards to 34 brilliant students ranging from primary school to tertiary institution, outstanding awards to five best teachers in the town, among others.

In his lecture entitled: “Functional Community Development Association: A critical requirement for accelerated community development”, Professor Mohammed Akanbi  said the role of functional community development associations (CDAs) is important for accelerated and sustainable community development.

Professor Akanbi further added that CDAs are catalyst change agents that engage in collaborative and integrated efforts with the community. They provide the necessary directions, participatory leadership and accountability needed for executing projects and other activities towards community development.

He said: “The importance of CDAs as a vehicle of development is characterised as a process of social action in which the people of a community organise themselves for planning action and executing these plans with maximum reliance upon community resources and supplement their resources when necessary with services and materials from government.

“In many developing climes, sustainable social and economic development depends on the existence of functional Community Development Associations. They create effective local organisation, horizontal linkages across sectors and vertical linkages that enable grassroots influence on national policy making.

“Thus, Community Development Associations are necessary key players for accelerated community development as they bridge the gap between the people and the government.”

In his remarks, the President of Pioneer Movement Iseyin, Mr Adebayo Azeez, reiterated the mission of the group to promote and work relentlessly for the enthronement of unalloyed social justice, social and economic equilibrium among the people of Iseyin community, while promoting academic and general educational development of the community.

Azeez explained that the primary objective of PMI is to generate educational development and allied initiatives in Iseyin in particular and Oke-Ogun in general.

Dignitaries at the event include the Aseyin of Iseyin, Oba Abdulganiy Ologunebi Ajinese I; the Deputy Speaker, Oyo State House of Assembly, Honourable Abdulwasiu Musa; Deputy Provost, Federal College of Education (FCE, Special), Oyo, Dr Bolanle Opoola; the Chairman, Caretaker committee of Iseyin Local Government Area, Mr Saheed Yusuf, among others.