Oyo State Governor, ‘Seyi Makinde, has donated the sum of N10m to Queen’s School Ibadan, as part of Oyo State contribution, to fast track the completion of the ongoing building project named after the Ebola Heroine, Dr Ameyo Stella Adadevoh.
Makinde made the donation during the 70th Anniversary of the School organised by the Queen’s School Old Girls Association, QSOGA, held recently at Solam Event Centre, Oluyole, Ibadan.
Representing the Governor at this occassion, the Oyo State Head of Service, Mrs Amidat Ololade Agboola, who is also an alumnus of the school, conveyed the felicitation of the governor and the readiness of Oyo State government to further encourage girl-child education and progress in the state.
At the event, the Old Girls Association appealed to the government at all levels and members of the society to encourage girl child education and involvement of women in political activities of the country.
Chairman of the occasion, Dr Wale Babalakin, equally donated the sum of N2.5 million to the project, saying “the continuous growth and development of the school is paramount.”
In his opening speech, he called on stakeholders to make efforts to continue to rebuild the school without waiting for the government, saying that, in actualising the aspiration of giving back to their alma mater, the Alumni Association must lead the way to rebuild the school and invariably the society.
President Worldwide of the Association, Dr Mrs Taiwo Adamson, a consultant Psychiatrist, former Provost and Medical Director of Neuropsychiatric hospital, Aro, Abeokuta, in her brief remark, called on the students to be futuristic, dedicated to their studies and have a vision to achieve the best in life.
She said: “Today, we clocked 70 years and we old girls of Ede/Ibadan set out to celebrate ourselves. We have had a week of activities to thank God. So, this is the grand finale of the programme.
“Sincerely, I want to use this opportunity to call on our students to be dedicated to their studies and have a vision for their lives. If you don’t see something, you cannot achieve or attain it. It is what you see that you can achieve. So, they must be able to strive to achieve their purposes in life.
“This is a school of excellence, that has turned out wonderful and successful women, who are pillars in various aspects of their professions and endeavours in Nigeria and worldwide.”
Berating the low participation of women in government and politics of the nation, she lamented that women lack the economic power, opportunities and are always sidelined in political activities.
She said: “We women don’t have the economic power and that is why men brush us aside. We don’t have the money but they must remember that women are the pillars of any society. Any man who does not appreciate this is always the worse for it and everybody should know that.
“I want women to be given that opportunity because we come out but they end up pushing us away. They need to make conscious effort to let women rule this country. I can tell you if a woman is voted as president, there will be a change.”
Also, the guest speaker, Prof. Mrs Mabogunje, who was a former provost of College of Medicine, University of Lagos, emphasized that development of a nation is determined by how the leadership of the nation is able to harness the human resources of the population without leaving a particular gender out of the equation.
She added that there is a need to make and enforce constitutional laws that will attend to the needs of the girl child, starting from the family level to the educational stage and up to the professional sphere.
“I must sincerely add that mass education and enlightenment programmes are needed to ensure that families across the country, irrespective of religious or ethnic background, must see the girl as being equal to the Boy child,” She added.
Highlight of the occasion was the presentation of awards to distinguished, elders, entrepreneurs and foundation members of the association.