Old students expend N3.5 billion on alma mater, reaffirm commitment to education
By Temitope Adejuwon, NCU The Annunciation Catholic College, Irrua Old Boys Association (ACCIOBA) has reiterated its commitment to repositioning its alma mater, stressing that it had spent a whopping N3.5
By Temitope Adejuwon, NCU
The Annunciation Catholic College, Irrua Old Boys Association (ACCIOBA) has reiterated its commitment to repositioning its alma mater, stressing that it had spent a whopping N3.5 billion to revive the hitherto moribund school.
Speaking at a book launch and global reunion where members gathered to unveil a book entitled: “The Making of a Great School,” Global President of the association, Dr Joseph Ohens, noted that alumni associations remain pivotal to schools in the face of dwindling funds from government. He said ACCIOBA had helped revive the school after years of neglect, adding that members pooled resources to ensure the once comatose school was revived to aid learning.
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He added that the association had spent about N3.5 billion to breathe life into the school with the rebuilding of classrooms, laboratories, hostels, staff quarters and internal road networks.
According to him the old students needed to intervene because at some point the school only had a principal and three teachers for more than 800 students.
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The chairman, ACCIOBA Lagos branch, Efe Akhigbe, the host of the event, noted that the event was not only aimed at raising more funds to support ongoing development projects in the school, but also an avenue for reunion.
Akhigbe affirmed that the alumni association had, in recent years, embarked on reconstruction of facilities in the school, including laboratories, classrooms, staff quarters and the principal’s residence.
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He said the book project was aimed at preserving the institution’s history through the documentation of the experiences of students and alumni.
Author of the book and a lecturer at the Department of English Language, Lagos State University(LASU) Ojo, Prof. Pius Akhimien noted that the book chronicles the history of the over 70-year-old college. He said it was inspired by the need to document for posterity the story of the institution.
“We have four of the pioneer students of the college still living and, with their help, and that of other alumni members, we have been able to put the history of the school together in this book, from the time of the Founding Principal, Rev. Anselm Ojefua.
“It is a collector’s item that every old boy of the school and their families should read. It’s also available in audio and video. It is a story of triumph and, today, the college is more like a university,” Akhimien added.
He stated that the book project required much hard work and commitment such that he conducted extensive interviews with old members of the school and others before distilling it into a readable prose meant to preserve the legacy of the school.
The book reviewer Prof.Lawrence Okoror hailed the author for his ideas and constructing such an interesting book that chronicles experiences in the school.
