The former Deputy Governor of Oyo State, Barr. Hazeem Gbolarumi on Saturday honored as the Patron of the Old Student Association of Timi Agbale Grammar School in Ede, Osun State.
In his acceptance speech, he wrote: “I am extremely honored to receive this recognition as the Patron and a Worthy Flaming Arrow of the Old Student Association of Timi Agbale Grammar School, Ede, today 1st October, 2022”.
In the speech titled, “Timi Agbale Grammar School (TAGS) 60th Anniversary & Awards Ceremony Chief Host’s Speech”, he wrote below;
Good Day, My Dear Alumni- Schoolmates, Classmates, as well as, our Current School Students, and Our Wonderful Principals, Vice Principals, Teachers & Other Staff.
It is with utmost honour, pleasure, gladness, and gratitude to God that I serve as the Chief Host to this auspicious and Special 60th Anniversary & Awards Ceremony of Our Distinguished School, Timi Agbale Grammar School (TAGS), Ede, Osun State, Nigeria. On this unique day, October 01, 2022.
An Alumni meeting is one of those times when you get to meet your old friends who you might have lost contact with or whom you might have not met after you have graduated from your school or college. This event is just like any other formal event where you meet not only your friends but also your teachers and the principal. This day is very important, as it provides an opportunity for everyone to meet each other, after so many years. It also provides a chance for every graduate from the previous years to meet their farmer teachers and other staff members. It also helps the alumni to notice various changes the college has gone through, over the past few years.
I would thus, like to extend a warm welcome to all the attendees at this epoch Reunion, which coincides with the national anniversary of our nation, Nigeria! I sincerely extend my profound heartfelt appreciations to all those who have worked hard in preparation for this gathering. I wish to express my kind regards to all the Old Students who are unable to attend this Special occasion, due to various reasons. In particular, I would also like to express my heartfelt gratitude and lofty respect to the teachers who have worked hard to impact our lives across decades, while performing their professional and humane responsibilities, some of who may be present here today! Thank you All and You are highly welcome!!
In about 60 years, the young boys and girls of the past, are now adults belonging to different spheres of life existence. We therefore, have enough reasons to meet together today as, classmates with same Timi Agbale Grammar School fate for a life. It is really demanding lot, to take some time out of your busy schedules to be here, and for that I thank you. But I can assure you that after today’s event, you will miss your old days at Timi Agbale Grammar School. By the end of this special Reunion, your take-home experience will be worth the time you all spared today.
In a decade or decades ago, we were mostly teenagers with full dreams and visions of prosperity, and we have emerged, after various stages of metamorphosis, into who we are now, even, if some faces here today, may not be that clearly familiar. We might have also forgotten many school experiences that bound us together, but our passion to be better and move higher over the years, has transformed us, from youths of yesteryears, to the solid feet standing on different higher grounds today. Our special, too many memories of love, truancies, sports, naughtiness, rascality, best subjects, best friends or groups, best teachers, most-feared teachers and senior students, school daughters and sons, etc. are still with us all the way. Unforgettable as all the memories of our alma mater can be, we, today say Thank You to Our Teachers, including our Principals and Vice Principals, as well as, the other Staff of our School. We also wish them all, a long and healthy life, happy family, and happy future!
Dear Alumni, for about 60 years, the educational status of our alma mater has changed from simple to modern, and there is therefore, the need to collectively support the future of TAGS. We need to ensure that teaching and learning are up to the 21st Century standard, not depending only on the government. Our school buildings and infrastructures, more befitting and beautifully clean, with less-polluted environment, and in particular, our Teachers and other Staff constantly improving, and up-to-date, in order to be more dedicated and productive, in cognisance with outstanding school-based curriculum, and transformation of teaching style, study style, and school spirit. We All carry the future of our alma mater and each success story must be the success story of the other individual in our TAGS Bond,, as well as our alma mater, and thereby, the entire society.
For some of us, the last time we sat in a classroom was the last day we wrote our final secondary school examination. To us decades past, there were many rivers to cross, some or many of which we have waded through. Some careers, love and family lives, enthusiasms, visions, etc., are successful, while others might have not yet been successful. Some of us did not further our education after secondary school, while some of us furthered to tertiary level. Some of us got married, while some of us are probably unmarried or not remain married. Some of us are still struggling with life, while some of us have already settled in life. Some of us are still finding it difficult to eat two meals per day, while some of us are hiding our hunger with fasting. Some of us have travelled abroad, while some of us went back to the village. Some of us have seen real hell and still facing hell, while some of us are dead. But we must not forget, that in short, life is not good to everyone, as judged by humans.
One of the characteristics that made football exceptional among all sporting events is that, there is always the second half! I therefore, wonder if you have thought about how to make the second half of life more meaningful? My suggestion in this wise is that, as from today, We, as Old Students / Alumni of TAGS must stick to a Special Bonding Friendship, which must transcend every existence! Whenever we call or run into our old classmates, please, let them or conversation be not simply that we are still alive, which in any case, deserves being celebrated. We should stop making our old school mates feel less of a value because we are married or engaged, have families doing well, comfortable, travelled / travelling abroad, have multiple degrees, etc., and much importantly, We must ensure that our in-need mates’ lives can turn around, through us.
There are many of us who are not here today because they feel they are not with better testimonies to be here. We can therefore, stretch our hands, and be a blessing to our fellow classmates, seniors, juniors, as well as, our teachers. Let there be no one begging among us!! Life is actually not predictable. But we can be humble before God, in touching lives, starting with those nearer to us, in the family of TAGS! We can assist our mates’ children and grandchildren in seeking for jobs, scholarships, fellowships, admission, etc. We can celebrate ourselves yearly, in marking our birthdays, wedding anniversaries, children’s / sibling weddings, etc. Let us build a bridge of friendship that is indeed deep, and very touching, with our schoolmates, alma mater, teachers, other staff, and entire society.
What I want us All to take away from here today, is that, WE MUST LEAV|E OUR MARKS IN THE WORLD!
Finally, I hope that today’s gathering will be a wonderful beginning for our future life, and cheering for our classmates! I am very proud of Us All. Today is a historic event for all of Us, so, let us seize this opportunity to have a good chat together, have fun, talk about old things, talk about the past, present and future, talk about work, career and family, and believe in classmates. The relationship between us will be deeper and the meaning will be heavier.
Thank You All very much for the privilege of Welcoming you, as the Chief Host, to today’s Timi Agbale Grammar School (TAGS) 60th Anniversary & Awards Ceremony!
•H.E. Barr. Hazeem Gbolarumi,
Chief Host,
Timi Agbale Grammar School (TAGS) 60th Anniversary & Awards Ceremony
