…tackle infrastructure deficit

By James Ogunnaike, Abeokuta

The Methodist Comprehensive College Old Students Association (MECCOSA), Sagamu, has pledged to partner with the Ogun State government to address the infrastructural challenges confronting the institution and restore its lost academic excellence.

The National President of the association, Col. Dele Oyefuga (retd.), made the pledge during the inauguration of the association’s newly elected national executive in Sagamu at the weekend.

As part of activities marking the inauguration, Oyefuga also performed the foundation-laying ceremony for the association’s proposed national secretariat, which he said would strengthen coordination among members and promote unity across all alumni sets.

He disclosed that the secretariat, expected to be completed before the end of the year, would serve as the administrative headquarters of the association and a rallying point for efforts aimed at reuniting estranged members.

According to him, restoring unity within the association is the foremost priority of the new executive.

“My major plan is, first and foremost, to unify all the sets of our great school. I am aware that there have been disagreements and divisions over the years, and my primary aim is to bring everyone together because I cannot do this work alone.

“I must galvanise our members for the enormous task ahead. That is why the first project on my agenda is the construction of a befitting national secretariat. The Ministry of Education has graciously approved a site for us within the school premises, and we are confident that before the end of this year, the secretariat will be completed.”

Oyefuga acknowledged that disagreements had led some alumni groups to withdraw from the association, stressing that reconciliation remained critical to achieving meaningful development for the school.

“There are rancours and some sets have pulled out of the association. I need to bring them back because it is only when we are united that we can collectively undertake impactful projects for our alma mater,” he said.

The retired military officer also expressed concern over what he described as the alarming overpopulation of the school, attributing the situation to the absence of a common entrance examination for prospective students.

He noted that the current admission process had overstretched existing facilities and was undermining the quality of education.

“One major issue we must urgently address is the overpopulation of our school. Presently, there is no common entrance examination, and student enrolment has far exceeded the carrying capacity of the available infrastructure.

“In such an environment, quality education becomes difficult to achieve. We want to work with the Ministry of Education to restore the common entrance examination so that admission into the school will once again be based on merit and capacity.”

Recalling the school’s reputation for academic excellence in the past, Oyefuga said the association was determined to restore Methodist Comprehensive College to its former status as one of the leading secondary schools in Remoland.

“In our days, Methodist students ranked among the very best in Remoland. We are determined to restore that lost glory and preserve the school’s reputation for academic excellence.”

He also appealed to the Ogun State government to collaborate with the alumni association in tackling the institution’s worsening infrastructural challenges, noting that the increasing student population had continued to outstrip available facilities despite interventions by old students.

“We are appealing to the Ogun State Government and the Ministry of Education to pay closer attention to our school. The infrastructure is deteriorating at an alarming rate despite the interventions of old students.

“Whenever classrooms are renovated, within a few months they become overstretched because of the sheer number of students. In some cases, students sit on windows when there are no available chairs. These are urgent issues that require collective action.”

Earlier, the immediate past National President of MECCOSA, Dare Adebisi, thanked members of the association for their support throughout his four-year tenure, saying the successes recorded during his administration were made possible by the collective commitment of the alumni.

He urged the new executive to provide purposeful leadership anchored on integrity, transparency, humility and selfless service, while building on the foundation already laid.

Adebisi also advised the new leadership to embrace innovation and always place the interests of the association above personal ambition.

Also speaking, the Vice Chairman of Sagamu Local Government, Alhaji Isiaka Salami, an alumnus of the school who graduated in 1986, commended members of the old students association for their sustained contributions to the development of the institution.

Salami called on alumni to continue supporting the new executive, expressing confidence that a united association would further reposition Methodist Comprehensive College for greater academic excellence and infrastructural development.