Busuyi Ogidiolu
Students of Ekiti Parapo College, Ido-Ekiti, have been advised to stay away from distractions, especially those arising from social media and other activities that could affect their academic performance.
The Head of Department, Media and Communication Studies, Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, Dr. Tiwalola Obajuluwa, who gave the advice during the school’s 72nd Founders’ Day celebration, said discipline, good study habits, learning from past mistakes, perseverance and hard work, are key to achieving academic excellence.
He charged students to see excellence as a daily personal decision, explaining that honesty, discipline, and hard work are necessary tools to achieve success.
“Excellence is a decision you must make everyday. Be honest, disciplined and hardworking. Take your education seriously, pursue your dreams with passion and build your life with purpose”, Obajuluwa said.
Also speaking, the National President, Ekiti Parapo College Old Students Association, EPCOSA, Mr. Lanre Arogundade, expressed concern over the poor state of infrastructure in the school, calling on old students, government and the private sector to jointly take responsibility for rehabilitating the institution.
He called for renewed national attention to public secondary education, describing the action as a cornerstone of national development.
The National President of Ekiti Parapo College Old Students Association however described the College as a product of a visionary movement that began on January 29, 1954, with the goal of building a centre of academic, cultural and social excellence.
Mr Arogundade noted that the college’s impact is reflected in the quality of professionals it has produced, including academics of international standing, while stressing that sustaining such legacy institutions must be treated as a national priority.
The President warned against ignoring the visible decline in physical infrastructure confronting the school, urging alumni, governments and the private sector to see school rehabilitation as a shared responsibility.
He also urged alumni sets to pool resources to rehabilitate staff quarters and other critical facilities, describing the initiative as a practical model for sustainable alumni-driven school development.
He added, “Ekiti Parapo College is not just a school, it is an idea that has shaped generation of Nigerians academically, morally and socially.
“That dream was realised and it continues to speak through the achievements of its alumni across Nigeria and beyond.
“We must not play the ostrich. There are real challenges with infrastructure, but the Ekiti Parapo spirit is unconquerable. Our response is unity of purpose and concrete action.
“If two or three sets come together to rehabilitate one building at a time, the burden becomes lighter and progress will be faster”.
Also, the Chairman on the Occasion, Prince Bayo Adeniran stressed that the survival and growth of historic public schools across Nigeria must move beyond nostalgia to structured national support, saying this deliberate action would sustain quality and functional education in the country.
The anniversary celebration, with the theme “Excelling in Academics: Building a Future Career,” featured cutting of anniversary cake, various performances by the students and it attracted alumni from different generations, education stakeholders and other dignitaries including representative of the Director General, Ekiti State Bureau of Tourism, Mr Wale Ojo Lanre, among others.
