Senator Rildwan Adesoji Akanbi, Senator representing Oyo South Senatorial District at the upper chamber of the Nation Assembly on Monday said he restores the school build by the later premier of Western Region Obafemi Awolowo to further propagate his progressives ideology and part of his four cardinal programm which includes free and qualitative education.
Senator Akanbi said this during the official commission of the renovated Agbeni Methodist School, a school built by the late sage in 1967 in Ibadan .
According to him, ‘Chief Awolowo invested heavily in the education sector and the essence is to increase the knowledge base of the people so that they can access information that will be useful for the advancement of their lives and the society at large.
‘Awolowo empowered the Southwest with the most powerful weapon and invested heavily in education, adding that the region is reaping the benefits. He added that Awolowo was not only a political leader, but also an intellectual, a type of philosopher king, describing him as an ‘everlasting light’ saying that people will continue to propagate his good works.
“The benefits of education are endless for groups and individuals. I saw this renovation as an opportunity that came my way and cannot afford to let slip away”.
Prior to the Senator’s intervention the school was not too conducive for learning and teaching as the roof was leaking and some of the facilities were not in proper shape but the Senator renovated the buildings and furnished the classrooms.
The school principal Mrs Anthonia Yerokun in her tribute to the Senator said the gesture is an ‘Open Heaven ‘ on the school which has for long been yearning for help from the government and private individual
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He urged Nigerian leaders to shun selfishness and emulate the first Premier of the old Western Region, the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, by ensuring that their children and wards attend schools here in Nigeria, rather than sending them abroad.
Now that the school has undergone a major transformation, a clear departure from what was described as “open heavens” owing to leaking roofs, the Head Teacher, Methodist Basic School II, Mrs Yerokun Anthonia paid a glowing tribute to Senator Akanbi for completing the renovation within six weeks.
Also, some old students in their separate remarks, Mrs Orefuwa Ayanbadejo (Head girl, 1966/67), Professor Boluwaji Ajayi (1957), and Mr Babatunde Oyedokun while saluting the lawmaker noted that the building renovation was among several ways of preserving Awolowo’s legacies, especially his commitment to education.
