The much talked about commissioning of the ultra modern hostel built for use at the International College of Arts, Science and Technology (ICAST) has come and gone but the memories of the day will not be forgotten.
It was a day the creamiest in the society gathered in Ibadan, the capital city of Oyo State to witness the inauguration of the modern hostel and link roads built by the Proprietor of the school, Engineer Dotun Sanusi.
The monumental edifice, which is located at No. 123, Oyinloye Olawale Street, Off Elebu Road, Oluyole Extension, a suburb of Ibadan city was constructed with the capacity to accommodate 750 students with three sources of electricity supply from Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC), solar inverter and standard power generating sets.
The ICAST hostel with the focus to make teaching and learning easy for both students and teachers, and also to inculcate virtue and value into the lives of teenagers is equipped with two industrial standard boreholes, sick bays with quality and qualified personnel, kitchen and well organized dinning, laundry of standard quality, security and security apparatus.
To cap this all is the construction of 2.5km concrete link-roads to ensure easy access to the community where the school and hostel are situated.
The hostel and link roads commissioning, which was chaired by a former Special Adviser to Governor Abiola Ajimobi on Health and Managing Director, Ibadan Central Hospital and Academy Suite, Dr. Abib Olamitoye witnessed the presence of personalities from political, business and academic settings in Nigeria and beyond, including the Deputy Governor of Oyo State, Moses Alake Adeyemo, a member of The Federal House of Representative, Hon. Bosun Oladele, present and former Commissioners of Education in Oyo State, Adeniyi Olowofela and Adetokunbo Fayokun, Commissioner for Land and Housing, Ajiboye Omodewu, and Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Toye Arulogun.
Also in attendance was the father of the school’s Proprietor, Alhaji Ganiyu Oladosu Sanusi, Rtd. Major Femi Sanusi, Prof. Omitola of the Osun State University, Mr. Ademilua, Chad Basin of NNPC, Pastor Ibiloye, Olori Oladapo Oyeniran, wife of Onpetu of Ijeruland, Hon. Wahab Oladejo and Hon. Opaleye, Chairmen of Ido and Ibadan South West Local Governments respectively, PTA chairman of the school, Alhaji J.K. Najimdeen, Chairman, Residents’ Association, Elebu and Miss Favour Sanusi, who stood as the representative of the school’s old students.
While presenting his speech as Special Guest of Honour and representative of the state governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi at the event, the Deputy Governor, Otunba Moses Alake Adeyemo described ICAST Proprietor, Engr. Dotun Sanusi as an educationist per excellence, whose interest in educational development of Oyo State and Nigeria at large is worthy of emulation.
He established that gone were the days in the state when government was fully responsible to the financial commitment of education, noting that education has become very costly and no government can take full financial commitment of it alone.
Otunba Moses Adeyemo reiterated that in order to allow every stakeholder to take part in the development of the education sector, the state government, under the leadership of Senator Abiola Ajimobi inaugurated School Governing Board (SGB). He called on well-meaning indigenes of the state to emulate the gesture exhibited by Engr. Dotun Sanusi by investing in the state’s education system for the purpose of improving its standard.
He implored the school management and students to ensure that fear of God remains paramount in the course of carrying out responsibilities.
Professor Adeolu Akande, in his keynote address challenged federal and state governments for not keying into UNESCO budget recommendation of 26% for educational system development, establishing that this has been the major factor contributing to the general slowdown of educational development in the country.
The former Chief of Staff to Governor Abiola Ajimobi commended the management of ICAST for the effort put in place to ensure a meaningful and quality education system for the people of the state and Nigeria in general.
Prof. Akande acknowledged that the level of infrastructure put in place by ICAST is equal in standard when compared with many private and public higher institutions not only in Nigeria, but elsewhere in the world.
The occasion was also used to commemorate the birthday anniversary celebration of the school’s Proprietress and wife of Engr. Dotun Sanusi, Mrs. Joyce Belema Sanusi, who added another year to her age on that day.
Packaged by Kunle Gazali
