Oluseye Ojo, Ibadan
The Chinese Embassy in Nigeria on Friday donated Information and Communication Technology (ICT) hub worth over N10 million to the Origbo Community High School (OCHS), in Ipetumodu, Ife North Local Government Area of Osun State.
Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to President Muhammadu Buhari, Mr. Femi Adesina, who facilitated the project, is an alumnus of the school, whose foundation stone was laid on December 26, 1959 by the late Ooni of Ife, Oba Adesoji Aderemi.
Items include: 15 HP computers, HP server, 10KVA solar power, two HP split air conditioners, computer tables, and networking materials. The monetary worth of the project was put at N10, 250,000.
The formal commissioning of the project was personally graced by the Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Dr. Zhou Pingjian; Femi Adesina; Commissioner of Police in Osun State, Mrs. Abiodun Ige; Director of Schools and Special Education, Ministry of Education in Osun State, Mr. Olagoke Obi, who represented the permanent secretary, Mr. Festus Olajide.
President, OCHS Ipetumodu Old Students’ Association, Mr. Oyegunle Adesiyan; Secretary of the association, Mr. Rahman Adedokun; Mr. Fatai Awoyeye, who represented the Tutor-General, Osun East Education District Office, Ile-Ife, Mr. Adelani Aderinola; Principal of the School, Mrs. Abosede Alalade; Executive Secretary, Nigerian Computer Society, Iyiola Ayoola, who is an alumnus of the school as well as royal and spiritual fathers were also in attendance.
Speaking, Pingjian who promised that the Chinese Embassy in Nigeria would assist the school with another N5 million for capacity- building, said the gesture was born out of the fine tradition of respecting teachers and valuing education, adding that investment in students should not be taken with levity because the children are leaders of the future.
His words: “The Chinese have a fine tradition of respecting teachers and valuing education. So, I believe Nigerians too have the same tradition. And I can tell from the presence of the senior officials of the state government. From the dynamic old students association, I can tell. From my frequent conversations with your old boy, my friend and brother, Mr. Adesina, you have in Abuja, I can tell.”
Presenting the vote of thanks, Adesina, appreciated the Chinese Embassy in Nigeria and Chinese Ambassador in the country, for the gesture, saying: “Regularly, the Chinese Ambassador invites me for dinner. One night, I was at dinner with him and he said, “we want to do something for your home secondary school. I was surprised. He continued by saying, ‘we’ll like to do something up to N10 million for your home secondary school. That sounded quite unbelievable to me.
“So, the next thing I did was to get in touch with old students’ association. I said this is the offer from the Chinese Ambassador. The old students’ association began to talk back and forth with the personal assistant to the Ambassador, and that’s what brought us here today (yesterday). So, thank you very much.”