Banking on Buhari

Korede Lawal, national president of the Ijebu Muslim College Old Students’ Association, IMCOSA, has reiterated the confidence of the association in President Muhammadu Buhari tackling the numerous challenges confronting the nation, which includes insecurity, corruption and other social vices. While delivering his welcome address at the 2015 Merit Award ceremony and Luncheon of the IMCOSA on Sunday, September 13, Lawal said it is encouraging to know that President Buhari has recognised the trend in insecurity and its attendant negative effects on economic activities in the country and is determined to tackle it. He commended the administration for also expressing commitment to combat corruption, saying that the issue of indiscipline, corruption and kidnapping have drastically reduced the levels of public morality, patriotism and other virtues in the country, especially among the youths. Noting that the Ijebu Muslim College was founded by the Ijebu community in 1950 with a vision to produce men and women to contribute to the development, growth and sustenance of their community and country at large, Lawal however regrets that like most public schools, the school has become a shadow of itself since the mid-seventies that the government took over the school. As a way to save the school, Lawal revealed that IMCOSA had resolved to take up the challenge of providing and sustaining infrastructures in the school by taking measures to ensure that academic standard is greatly improved and sustained. He disclosed that apart from the regular support for students in terms of scholarship at different levels of education, some of IMCOSA’s interventions include the construction of an entrance driveway into the school worth over 10 million, construction of functional library cum assembly complex and lawn tennis court, donation of laboratory equipment, resuscitation of the school’s boarding system among others. In his presentation themed Mentorship: Role in Community and Societal Development, Fola Lasisi, former vice chancellor, University of Uyo, who was the guest speaker at the event, emphasised the importance of developmental relationship in which more experienced people would help guide the less knowledgeable for development in society. Lasisi said during the lecture, “If some of us, as members of the middle class do not train, mentor, employ and inspire people, we have failed them. Everyone should endeavour to make a difference in the world and the biggest difference one can make is to make the world better,” he said. As part of activities for the day, merit awards were presented to some old students of Ijebu Muslim College in recognition of their contributions to the development of the school and the country at large. The recipients include Sikiru Oduntan, Ayinde Ali, Adesina Adesanya, Taiwo Ali, Michael Kolawole and Omotayo Bello, Tunji Dawodu, Sunkanmi Dele and Adewunmi Adebayo.