The immediate past Secretary General of the Pan Yoruba Socio-political group, Afenifere, Bashorun Seinde Arogbofa, has traced Nigeria’s under development to bad leadership and patriotic followership.
This was the view of Arogbofa during the first annual convention and inauguration of the National executive of Army Comprehensive High School, Akure (ACHSA), noting that leadership and followership are responsible for the failure of various development plans in the country.
Arogbofa, a former Principal of ACHSA maintained that a nation cannot exist and truly carry out the cause of nationalism without leadership and followership, adding that if the nation could produce good leadership, there would be good followership which would foster unity and development of the country.
He stressed the need for a selfless leadership and patriotic followership which he said are currently missing in the country. According to him, “development of a selfless leadership core, longitudinally and horizontally and a followership that is patriotic and committed.
“In Nigeria, this has been lacking, and the result? Poor leadership and bad followership, which has been the cause of our disunity and the bane of our progress and development.”
Arogbofa however, charged the leadership of the old students association to build an association that would make “the old students develop a sense of pride for their alma mater, that gave them education to be what they are. Once they have a sense of belonging, they will do all they can to prevent the knot that binds them together from being broken.
“If they develop this sense, they would like to participate in a broad forum like their association and contribute their quota for the sustenance and development of their foster mother.
“If the re-union is seen as a forum for helping one another, sharing fellowship, exchanging nostalgic feelings and giving back to the College, it is going to be a continuum.”
Speaking during the inauguration of the maiden Executive of the Alumni Association, the National President, Mr. Adeola Akinola said the convention was organised to see how the old students could save their Alma Mater from poor learning facilities.
He said: “As old students, we are concerned about the condition of our Alma Mater and the need to socialize with old friends, even though most of us are several miles away from here.
“Experiences of students in our present day Army Comprehensive High School Akure, in relation to the learning environment, is better described as harrowing because most public schools have been abandoned by the government in terms of infrastructure and other facilities necessary for learning and teaching as a result of paucity of funds.”
Adeola, therefore, enjoined all the old students to contribute to the development of the school, saying “the Alumni Association has approached some private bodies, organizations and individuals for help, but I want to emphasize that our contributions would go a long way in repositioning our Alma Mater to an enviable citadel of learning, because No one may want to help a man who is unwilling to help himself.
“The Alumni Association designed a block of 6-Classrooms to be built for our Alma Mater, the groundbreaking/foundation laying was done yesterday.
“The completion of this project will be made possible by God and the financial assistance from you members.
“I also urge all of us to use our influence to impact greatly by assisting in upgrading and renovating some of the structures as well as equipping the school laboratories and the library.”
In his goodwill message, the pioneer principal of the school, Prince Ade Jolade urged the students to cooperate with one another to achieve their goal in saving their Alma Mater from collapse.
A number of the old students were decorated with different awards while the new executives of the association were inaugurated with Mr. Adeola Akinola as the National President, Mr Lawal Adaba(Vice President), Mr. Oragbade Michael(Vice president 2), Mr Ajamah Himermuel(Vice president 3), Rev. Ehinloju Olubodun(Vice president 4), Mr Ogunlade Ayodele(Natl. Secretary) Engr Sunday Evan Idoko(Ast. Secretary), Lady Josephine Ijie(Treasurer), Mr Michael Ilesanmi(Fin Secretary), Mr Odeyemi Odesanmi(PRO) and Mr. Omomeji Mayowa(Provost).
Present at the event are Brigadier General N. Adamu, Commander, 32 Artillery Brigade, Akure, Major Adewoyi(retd), Mr. Sunday Oladele(current Principal, ACHSA) Hon. Bakita Bello, ex-Speaker, Ondo State House of Assembly and some pioneer teachers of the school established in 1981.
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