The Executive Chairman of Mosan-Okunola Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Hon. Akindele Adunni Opeyemi, on Monday led the executive and legislative arms of the council, alongside management staff, to welcome primary school pupils back to school as the new academic calendar year commenced.
The welcome-back exercise, which was held amidst pomp and pageantry, featured the distribution of notebooks, textbooks, school bags and water bottles to pupils as part of efforts to support their learning and ease the burden on their parents.
The council chairman was accompanied by the Vice Chairman and Supervisor for Education, Hon. Akintola Falade; the Secretary to the Local Government (SLG), Hon. Abdulhameed Alawaye; members of the legislative arm led by the Council Leader, Hon. Babatunde Tosin Afuwape; supervisors and special advisers; as well as management staff led by the Council Manager, Pastor Abiodun Joseph.
The schools visited were African Church Primary School, at Akinogun, and Housing Primary School, Estate Primary School and Abesan Estate Primary School, all located within Abesan Estate.
At the assembly ground, Akindele engaged the pupils in light-hearted banter and joined them in singing popular educational children’s songs, drawing enthusiastic responses from the pupils, who sang along with her.
Among the songs were Eko Dara Pupo and Bata Mi Adun Kokoka, popular educational songs by Princess Bunmi Olajubu, whose songs have long been associated with encouraging children to value education and learning. She also sang Ododo Niwa L’owo Yin with the pupils.
Speaking during the exercise, Akindele said the council’s presence in the schools was a demonstration of its commitment to supporting pupils as they commenced the new academic session.
According to her, “This is the first day of the school calendar year in this new session and that is why we are here to give the pupils writing materials, school bags, water bottles among others to ease the burden off their parents.
“If you look very well, you will see that my entourage included every member of the LCDA. The pupils are our future. We have a whole lot of programmes in store for them, which includes inter-school competitions. We will engage them positively and ensure that they come out in flying colours in their academic pursuits.
“Like I said earlier, they are our future. There’s a president among them. Governors, professors, doctors, lawyers, teachers, etc. Therefore, we need to guide them properly.
“The *L.E.A.D.E.R.S.H.I.P. blueprint,* which is my ten-point agenda for the LCDA, the E stands for education. We have achieved over 80% and we will continue to improve on it. We are going to make sure that Mosan-Okunola LCDA becomes the envy of other local government councils across the state,” she averred.
The council chairman also prayed for the pupils, expressing optimism that they would grow into accomplished individuals in the future. She urged them to remain diligent, obedient to their parents and dedicated to their studies.
She said, “As a mother, educationist, and passionate advocate for learning, I will continue to place education at the forefront of this administration’s priorities, and have been working tirelessly to create an enabling environment where every child can thrive and achieve their full potential.”
She further encouraged the pupils as they returned to their classrooms, saying, “As you return to your classrooms, may this new phase of the term bring renewed enthusiasm, determination, and outstanding academic success.”
Akindele also extended her goodwill to the parents of the pupils, urging the children to convey her message of affection to them.”Say me hi to your parents and tell them that Adunni loves them,” she stated.
