AKINWALE ABOLUWADE
The Seminary-St. Anne’s School Old Girls Association has reiterated its readiness to fight encroachers and vandals who are taking advantage of the porous state of the school for their selfish agenda.
The first National President of SSASOGA, Similola Onabanjo, made the disclosure on Saturday at the 2022 Annual General Meeting of SSASOGA held at St. Anne’s School, Molete, lbadan, with members represented within and outside the country both physically and virtually.
Expressing dissatisfaction at the attempts by some members of the public to usurp the school’s properties to their advantage, she called for the intervention of the state government and other stakeholders in the education sector in curtailing the menace.
The SSASOGA president said that “Land matters have gone from selling of our land to numerous squatters building on our fence and along the main road. All of them will be forced out by His Grace. As we embark on this serious and demanding AGM shaping the future of SSASOGA, a few resolutions will be passed.”
In her address titled, ‘Excellence driven by passion and commitment,’ Onabanjo urged the Old Girls to improve upon their participation and commitment, saying, “This year has witnessed quite a few projects including the newly built third staff room for School 2 and classrooms to accommodate the displaced staff and students in St. Margaret to allow for the Construction of Anna Hindera House.
“All projects will be commissioned next year by God’s grace. We are coming to the end of the tenure of the maiden EXCO. It is important we get it right and leave an enduring legacy.”
On students performance, she said that “Six of our girls won at the 2022 Commonwealth Essay and one of our students represented Oyo State at the just concluded National Girl Child day in Abuja. We now have a blueprint for the ‘Adopt-a-child project’ for those interested in sponsorship.”
Among other things, she stressed the need for the publicity group to step up awareness of SSASOGA activities, adding that the Finance group should continue to deliver timely and transparent reports.
While giving the project committee report, Olufunmilayo Kehinde (Akinwale), Vice President 1, listed the projects that were embarked upon by the SSASOGA to include the completion of the Archives and Museum Building; the conversion of the kitchen behind the Old Hall into a reading room for the senior girls; delivery of water works project with overhead reservoirs and ground level tanks and tap beside the Cottage Block; and the completion of the Security Cabin and Generator house.
The report also read that SSASOGA, Lagos Branch and the 1964-68/70 set completed and dedicated a Staff Room each dedicated by the Commissioner for Education in Oyo State.
Other projects that were executed are the renovation of the Cottage block and the completion of the third Staff Room block for School 2 by SSASOGA National, the Solar powered street lights in the school compound, rehabilitation of a borehole, upgrading of the Physics laboratory, repairs of the Main Administrative block and that of the Senior school 1 classroom block.
The committee reported that “A marble stand was made by late Sister Yori Awolesi (1965-69 set), by the Princess Margaret’s Palm Tree by St. Hilda’s entrance, to commemorate the visit of Princess Margaret (Queen Elizabeth’s younger sister) to the school in 1960. This has since been dedicated. We continue to do general renovation in the school such as maintaining school toilets, cleaning and clearing of the compound generally.
“We also called in a tractor quarterly to clear the entire premises from the former amphitheatre area, to St. Hilda, towards St. Faith, including the school fields.”
