ACAOSA donates Sporting equipment to alma mater

By Bukola Olamona
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To motivate the excellent spirit of sport in the students of St. Thomas’ Aquinas College, Akure, the Old Students Association of the college(ACAOSA)  has donated sporting equipment worth five hundred thousand naira to their alma mater.

The National President of the association, Justice Adesuyi Olateru-Olagbegi made this known  at the presentation.

He disclosed that this year alone, about N100 million had been expended on the school by the association.

Olagbegi who said the presentation was a collective effort of old students who voluntarily came together  for the purpose of contributing to the preservation of the glory of the school, posited that they realised that government is incapable of funding education alone hence the need for ACAOSA to come in.

He said  unless stakeholders begin to assist in funding education, it will be very difficult to get quality education.

Olagbegi therefore used the occasion to renew the request of the old students that the school be returned to the Catholic Mission.

According to him” you have not seen anything yet, we will do more”.

In his opening speech, the Chairman, Games and Sporting Committee, Prof Babatunde Asagba said ACAOSA frowns at the present state of sporting facilities in the school and wants to return it to the golden years of  the past, saying that one of the major reasons identified by the association as the causal agent for the fall in the standard is the taking over of the school by the government.

“ACAOSA has decided to start by supplying these sporting equipments for the use of the students, more shall come as plans are on the way to help surpass previous records of our alma mater” he said.

Also speaking, was the representative of the State Commissioner for Education, Mr Femi Agagu, the Zonal Education Officer, Akure South, Pastor Olabanji Ogundele said  there is critical funding gap in the sector where the need has far outstretched the resources and as a result of this it has become imperative to allow relevant stakeholders to give necessary assistant where needed.

He therefore commended ACAOSA for a very good intervention they have done in the school and for not leaving the school for government alone and also called on the students to make judicious use of the equipments.

The Principal of the School, Pastor Babasola Ayibiowu who said he was happy to identify with the school, said it is a rare privilege to be a student and an old student of the school.

He commended ACAOSA for what they have done in the school ,saying”I work as a stakeholder and not a principal here” because the association has done a lot.

Some of the equipment presented are, track suits, soccer boots, running suits, spike shoes, Javelin, shot put among others.