Funmi Olaitan, Ibadan

A university professor, Mr Bolaji Omitola, has observed that the real essence of keeping alumni associations was to impact positively on the alma mata, as well as  members, rather than just organising meetings and celebrating.

Omitola who is Head, Department of Political Science, Osun State University, made the observation  in Ibadan, Oyo State capital, while delivering a lecture at the annual general meeting and re-union of Alumni of Urban Day Grammar School, Elekuro (1985 Set).

A former Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in Oyo State, Mr. Adebayo Ojo, who led members to celebrate the annual event, said though government had converted the school to a Technical School, the association influenced the government to procure some sets of computers for the school last year, adding that the association will work with the government to restore the school to its original status.

Omitola said, "I am very delighted and happy to be here with you, and I also wish to use this medium to advise you, my colleagues, to use this our annual gathering to affect ourselves and our Alma Mata positively. This will go a long way to help our association, as well as members to be receiving a lot of blessings if we can donate any useful materials to our alma mata. 

"I want us all to let us have the orientation of affecting ourselves positively in mind, and we can do that by patronising each other's business. This, I believe will go a long way in helping ourselves. We should nevertheless be grateful to God Almighty for keeping us this far, because many have died and we are still alive, it is by His grace and not by our might".

In his opening remarks, Adebayo, Chairman of the association, was full of praise to God for keeping the members alive after 32 solid years and still hale and hearty. 

He lauded all the members "for your efforts in making this year's annual general meeting a fruitful one. My prayer is that it will be well with us all as I wish you all a merry Christmas and prosperous New Year in advance". 

One of the members of the association, Mr Jubril Alabi who was Senior Prefect of the School in 1985 reminisced that God was merciful unto many of them,  saying, "if we can look back at those days that we were young students of the Urban Day Grammar School, you will all agree to the fact that we are supposed to be grateful to God in all aspects as many of us then wore torn and ragged uniforms to school. But today, we have our own cars and houses and to the glory of God, we are grandpas and grandmas".