Season of books: OCDF’s ‘one step’ in support of the future

As students of public and private schools resumed for a new school session in Oyo State, it was to a new dawn: an era of books distribution to prepare them for what might be a different path in the education sector in the state.

But while the state government has kick-started the distribution of textbooks and exercise books across the state, it is the symbolic act of a non-governmental organisation, Oke Ogun Community Development Forum (OCDF), that has become the talk of town, especially around Oyo North district, where the group has members across the 10 local governments of Oke Ogun Area.

For this group, which recently distributed over 3,000 copies of exercise books to 18 public primary schools in Iwajowa and Atisbo Local Government areas of Oyo state, the fact that government was doing something in that regard should be no barrier to private individuals helping or assisting the government.

According to the group’s coordinator, Mr Eegundiran Abiodun Oluwakayode, a surveyor, since OCDF’s objective is to give back to the community, as it believes that service to humanity is the best work in life, making contributions towards facilitating quality education became imperative, hence the distribution of books to the 18 schools visited.

He added that the organisation “hopes to carry out more laudable projects of this kind for the benefit of Oke Ogun.

“We gathered ourselves with the aim that we need to pay back to our communities. It is not political and not a government initiative. We just started this year; this is our first outing. By December, we are having it in mind to pay SSCE fees of about 50 students in another local government area in Oke Ogun.”

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Speaking during the presentation of books, the group’s project coordinator, Mr Olayiwola Michael Adeyemi, an engineer, said the group would always look for avenues for service to humanity without bias for politics or religion.

Noting that the beneficiary schools were picked following a consultation with the appropriate government agency, Eegundiran said the schools where the group distributed books included A.D.S. I, Tede; Baptist Basic School, Ago-Are; L.A. Primary School, Ofiki; Muslim Primary School, Owo; ADS Primary School, Ofiki; Baptist Primary School, Owo; C.P.S., Agunrege; Baptist Primary School, Baasi and L.A. Primary School, Sabe all in Atisbo Local Government area.

In Iwajowa Local Government area, the beneficiary schools are: Baptist Primary School, Iwere-Ile; A.D.S. I, Iwere-Ile; A.D.S. II, Iwere-Ile; L.A. Primary School, Ilaji-Ile; R.C.M. Primary School, Ijio; A.D.S. I, Iganna; A.D.S. II, Iganna; Baptist Primary School, Iganna and Nomadic School I, Iganna.

The group’s coordinator appreciated all members of the group for their support, while also acknowledging the efforts of several education stakeholders in the two local government area, who helped in the distribution of the books.