By Bolanle Ayeni
The Interim National President of the National Alumni Association of the Emmanuel Alayande College of Education, Oyo (EACOED), Mr. Kola Amole has charged the Alumni of the association to always have the interest and development of the Institution in their heart.
Amole stated this in his address at the maiden NEC Meeting of EACOED National Alumni Association in Oyo on Saturday, July 22nd, 2022.
According to his address, “Firstly, I want to give all glory, honour and adoration to the Almighty God, for sparing our lives till this day, and making today’s meeting possible. I would also like to express my sincere appreciation to his Honour, the Ag. Provost, Dr. Nelson Aderemi Oyewo and the entire management team, for the privilege to serve at this level. I also want to thank every distinguished Alumnus/Alumnae seated here today. You are all highly appreciated for attending this maiden NEC meeting, even at such a short notice.
“Today’s event is an epoch-making one in the history of EACOED. Even though we’ve been having meetings and reunion events as class-sets (which only represents fragments of the larger body), today is the first ever official congregation that cuts across class-sets of EACOED, OYSCOED and SACOED. This was made possible because the school management in its wisdom, under the able leadership of Dr. Nelson Aderemi Oyewo, saw the need to integrate all the graduands across the class sets of EACOED and her predecessor institutions (SACOED and OYSCOED) into a virile national body.
“The primary aim of an alumni association like ours, is to provide opportunities for members to interact and help each other grow in our personal and professional lives, contribute to the development of our Alma-mater and impact positively on the students.
“There is power in numbers. So, if we are united under one umbrella, we can all make our association better and greater. The partnership thus generated is to the mutual benefit of those involved – that is, the Alumni body, the college and the students. When we operate under a large, well-structured umbrella, we don’t only receive benefits, but we also have the opportunity to sacrifice for our fellow colleagues in various ways.
“In building a strong and vibrant global Alumni body, we must always focus on team success, under a trusted leadership, towards individual progress and the development of the Alumni and our Alma-mater. We should not be after what we can gain as individuals, but as a team. But at the same time, we can develop and share ardent desire also in individual development.
“I am highly appreciative of the roles that the individual class-sets have been playing, and will continue to play, in coordinating the affairs of their respective groups, especially in human capital development, and enhancing the welfare and social experience of members. We must continue to play these roles in order to alleviate distress and poverty among our members.
“The interest and development of our Alma-mater must also be paramount in our hearts. There are roles to be played by the national body, class-sets and branches, as well as individuals from across the globe. We must therefore build a strong relationship with the great college that made us whom we are today, via the Alumni Relations Division. The natural tripartite relationship between the Alumni, our Alma-mater and the students must be well established, maintained, sustained and coordinated.
“The head cannot operate without the body, neither can the body operate without the head. Every branch of our nascent association is therefore very important and have crucial roles to play as major stakeholders, for our dream of a virile Worldwide Alumni Association to come to fruition. We must therefore jointly mobilize and integrate more members into the global body.
“To facilitate the development of a database for our association, every class-sets and branches are required to submit a list of their members (including their names, telephone numbers, email, matric numbers etc.) to the national secretariat as soon as possible.
“An enabling constitution is very essential for the smooth running of the association, especially for the conduct of a free, fair and credible election of National Officers. A draft constitution of our association is being worked on, and will be forwarded to you very soon.
“The first primary commitment from every class-set is the payment of Annual Dues to the National body. This will automatically validate each class-set/ branch’s participation in general matters. We are also saddled with the responsibility of seeking more support for our Alma-mater. I would therefore like to humbly implore us to do everything within our capability to help mobilize resources for the development of our great school, which was once the citadel of higher education in Nigeria.
‘At this juncture, I want to use this medium to call on all class-sets, branches and well-meaning members of this great association to embark on laudable projects that will enhance the development of the school. The school management, especially the Alumni Relations Division, is always willing and ready to assist us in this regard.
“While thanking you once again for honoring our invitation to this maiden NEC meeting, I want you to know that as servant-leaders, we at the National Secretariat would like to keep tab of how all the class-sets and branches are fairing, and how every Alumnus/Alumnae is taking the world by storm! Please share your stories with the National EXCO and the Alumni Relations Division.
“I wish you a pleasurable time in Oyo and a safe return journey to your respective destinations. Thank you all and God bless.”
