By Adesina Wahab

As part of the activities to mark the 50th anniversary of the Federal Government Girls’ College, Benin, Edo State, wife of the Edo State Governor, Mrs Betsy Obaseki and other old girls have lined up various programmes through which they want to give back to their alma mater.

Addressing newsmen in Lagos yesterday on the activities lined up for the event, the Chairperson, Board of Trustees, Mrs Eyono Fatayi-Williams, gave the theme for the anniversary as ’50 years of inspiring young minds’.

Fatayi-Williams, who is a member of the pioneer students in 1973, said the school that started with 72 students in a temporary location at Idia College before moving to its permanent site two years later, had produced over 40 sets of accomplished women who have made impact on national and global stages in various fields of human endeavours.

“The Alumni of the Federal Government Girls’ College, Benin, fondly called FEDIBEN, are found all over the world and can be identified by their excellence. The school authorities and the alumni are collaborating to celebrate the jubilee with events that are tagged the “mother of all reunions”.

“Among the programmes lined up are the implementation of anniversary projects by the global alumni, renovation of the school’s two dining halls. We are privileged to have the wife of the Edo State Governor, Mrs. Betsy Obaseki as an alumnae of the school and she is also sponsoring an electrification project and clinic refurbishment. There are other multiple projects by individual class sets too numerous to mention.

“There is also going to the publication of a coffee table book titled ‘The Coral Beads’, which is a collection of memories, articles, pictures and stories of our time in FEDIBEN. A gathering of alumni in Benin, not only to celebrate, but also to give back to the school by way of career talks for students, health screening for staff, with the main plenary event taking place on Saturday the 14th of October 2023,” she said.

Also speaking, Mrs. Elozino Olaniyan, President, FGGC OLd Girls Association, Lagos chapter, who is also the Chairperson, 50th Anniversary Planning  Committee, stated that a scholarship fund for indigent students had been set up to ensure no girl drops out of school.

“Government needs to strengthen institutions running education in the country. We should ensure that no child is left out. We have a scholarship scheme in place and if the government wants to sell the school, they should give us the privilege of the first right of refusal. Education is vital to the growth and development of any society to be left to rot,” Olaniyan said.