AKINWALE ABOLUWADE
For her outstanding performance as the National President of the Seminary-St Annes’ School Old Girls Association, SSASOGA, members of the group continue to eulogize the virtues of Mrs Similola Onabanjo.
The Old Girls expressed joy over the advancement brought to St. Anne’s School, Molete, Ibadan in four years courtesy of Onabanjo and her team while reviewing their activities during the inauguration of the new SSASOGA executive council members on Saturday, January 27, 2024.
Mrs Olufunmilayo Kehinde, who took the baton from Onabanjo as second National President of the association, lauded the efforts of her predecessor and her executive members for creating a solid foundation for them to work on.
Says Kehinde, “Your footprint is almost too large and great, but I know, because of your prayers, the Lord will help this team. We have already put our feet inside that great foot. We just pray it sizes us at the end of everything.
“Our outgoing president, I want to appreciate you. We want to thank God for you. (Her husband), my professional colleague would come to Ibadan to supervise our projects. Daddy, I thank you for saying you are still there for us. Thank you for allowing the angel beside you (his wife) to be our president for four years.”
On the direction which her executive intends to go, Kehinde said, “We plan to maintain and give continuity to what is on the ground. I am sure you will agree with me that it is paramount. If we don’t maintain what is on the ground, then we would have failed.
“The most important part of what they put on ground that we want to continue with is the education of the girl child so that we will raise godly leaders, great women and great wives with godly character. We had Saint Anne’s School but it has translated to Saint Anne’s Schools with three schools coming together; we now have over 4,000 students.”
According to Kehinde, if the Old Girls had not intervened, the few available infrastructure ‘would have burst’ as they were grossly inadequate and decaying. “There were no chairs, no tables. There was almost nothing on the ground. But SASSOGA national, by the grace of all of you, helped us.”
Prof. Bolanle Awe, who said that she decided to graze the occasion despite all odds, said that with the efforts of SASSOGA at rehabilitating the school, “I always say it with a lot of pride that I was a student of Saint Anne’s School. I pray for the current executive that you will do well.”
Prof. Bisi Sowumi, giving glory to God for the success made during the four-year-tenure of Onabanjo, said, “She epitomizes what God can do in the life of a ready person. I have never seen the kind of commitment and dedication that one can show to the alma mater.
“She will still be thinking of Saint Anne’s School because it is part of her. I want to thank God for her. And, as the pastor said, a tree does not make a forest. I want to thank her executive for their loyalty. Funmi stood out as a very supportive Vice President 1. The standard of Saint Anne’s School had gone down but God helped Simi.”
Bishop Adekola Oladale of Abundant Grace Chapel Inc. rejoiced with SASSOGA for taking the right decision by giving back to the school. The clergyman also congratulated Onabanjo for serving well and for exiting the position in good heal.
Mr K. O. Babajide, Permanent Secretary of the Oyo State Teaching Service Commission, TESCOM, who represented the Executive Chairman of the Commission at the event, stated that by educating the girl child, SSASOGA is doing its part to develop the state and the country at large.
He added that the government only cannot fund education and that what the Saint Anne’s Old Girls are doing is appreciated by the state government.
In her address, referring to the Old Girls, Siminola said, “You are beautiful and amazing and I pray that God will keep you healthy and amazing for all times. A lot had been said about this ‘big shoe.’ I will just quickly point out that there is non like God, and so all human beings cannot claim to be better than the other given the opportunity, the blessings and the support of the almighty.
“I want to remind you about David; he was the youngest of the eight brothers. When Samuel was told to go and anoint the king, he saw the tall man but he was told not yet, and then they called this little funny boy. Because God sees the heart, who can fathom his ways? So, when God is with you, you can do exploits.
“Sometimes when they talk, I say are they taking about Simi? Because, I tell you I only had the enabling grace of God to do this; I didn’t even know what I was doing. My husband probably knows better and keeps on encouraging me to go ahead. Each night, he would listen to me. He would tell me certain things as a professional. So, when I go to meetings and I am dropping these jargons, they would say oh, you are wonderful not knowing that I was just copying and pasting.”
Noting that there is still so much to be done, Onabanjo urged the Old Girls to de-emphasize the achievements of the past. She prayed that the threefold anointing of David will fall on the new president. Making reference to the book of Joshua 6, 1 in the Holy Bible, she said, “Everybody (older Israelites) died coming from Egypt and they were left with Moses, Alec and Joshua. Naturally Moses died, Alec got too tired.
“One would have thought they would have got to the Promised Land and rejoice but the Lord called Joshua and said look, there is still a lot of work to be done. What is the lesson here? The lesson is God does not judge our success by what had been done but by what is left to be done. And so, Joshua went on to conquer Jericho, left all the things God said they shouldn’t touch even when they were so alluring and desirable. What is the lesson? There are so much to be done. And the end justifies the means.”
Oladipo Onabanjo, her husband, enjoined the new executives to stay focused in view of the daunting tasks ahead of them. He also urged the Old Girls to synergize in a bid to make greater progress in their quest to make the school great once again.
Mr Onabanjo advised them to invest more of their time, energy and treasure into the development of the school and association, assuring them of continued support to the association even after the tenure of his wife as SASSOGA president.
Onabanjo swore Kehinde in as president of SSASOGA, while Kehinde thereafter swore in the other 13 new executive members, namely Olubukola Odumeru, National Vice President1; Felica Iyabo Stephen, National Vice President 2; Enitan Adegbite, National Vice President 3; Gbemi Adepoju, National Social Secretary; Tope Talabi, National Treasurer; Bukunmi Afini Mormah, National Secretary General; and Abiola Otaniyi, National Financial Secretary.
Other are Abiade Abiola, National Youth Coordinator; Ebun Amaji, National Welfare Secretary; Odejoke-Maxwell Ibidun, National Assistant Financial Secretary; Bolawa Adeosho, National Students’ Welfare Secretary; Honourable Justice Bola Okikiolu-Ighile, National Legal Adviser; and Tolulope Fagbamila, National Publicity Secretary.
