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Government College, Ibadan Old Boys' Association (GCIOBA), Ibadan branch, in a press conference, to herald its 85th annual luncheon, billed for August 3, 2014, has challenged the Oyo State Government on the poor state of facilities at the school. The theme of the event is, ‘A day of reminiscences’, according to Engr. Femi Babalola, the chairman, organising committee who said, “it has become a tradition to gather ourselves as old boys of the school to rob minds together on burning issues which could positively affect the lives of the current students in the school.”
Unimpressed with the prevailing situation in their alma mater, he opined: "We want to talk about our lives, the kind of life we led then, up to the present moment, based on different generation-upon-generation. This is the reason why we are also involving government representative, to present a situation report, so that the government of the day could see a need to return the school to its glorious state.”
He added that because of the interest of the school which the old boys have at heart, the association has donated many things to the school: “There have been a lot of intervention and restoration projects, which are even still ongoing.”
The national first vice-president of the association, Chief Leye Falore, regretted the current situation of the school, saying that many things pertaining to growth and development of a quality school, as it was, have phased out. “We know many things have been phased out of the school system, unlike in our days. It is terrible that what happened during the first generation of the school can no longer be witnessed, because of the trend of impossibility which does not allow it.”
Falore, however, attributed the moral decadence, stagnation and lack of progress of the school to the unseriousness and dishonesty of the government in handling educational matters, challenging the government to give the old boys' association enough free hand to operate the school, and return it to a model one. His words: "The major reason why the school is in such state is because we are not in total control. We can do better things because we have passion for the growth of the school.”
The public affairs coordinator of the association, Mr Elvon Jarret, noted that the old boys are not happy with the ongoing developments in the school, and urged government to take a bold step to revamp the state of the school.
•Photo shows, from right: National First Vice-President of the Association, Chief Leye Falore; Engr. Femi Babalola, the Chairman, Organising Committee; The Public Affairs Coordinator of the Association, Mr Elvon Jarret and Mr Niyi Oredeyin, during the press conference, held at the Hall of Grace, Jogor Centre, Ibadan.