Multiple award-winning journalist and founder of online TV channel, TV360, Deji Bademosi, has donated three blocks of classrooms and other infrastructure to St. Ambrose’s Catholic Secondary School, Ondo in Ondo State
The school, which was established by the Catholic Church in October 1977 before it was taken over by the government, had become dilapidated due to lack of maintenance and lack of infrastructure over its 42 years of existence.
Bademosi, an alumnus of the institution and Senior Prefect of the 1994 set, said he had revisited the school last year with the aim of calling the attention of the government to the sorry state of the school.
However, after seeing the horrible condition of the classrooms, he decided to build three blocks of classrooms, pulling down the old ones. The three new blocks comprise nine classrooms and three staffrooms in total in the junior secondary section of the school. Each staffroom is fully furnished with workstations, seats and text booksfor the staff to aid teaching.
In addition to the classrooms, Bademosi put up a separate building housing 10 toilets for both staff and students and erected a borehole for water supply.
The Journalist also erected a perimeter fence round the school for safety.
According to the broadcast journalist, the gesture is borne out of his deep passion for education.
“This whole project is borne out a very strong belief that education remains the best chance to achieving one’s dream. And I’m a clear example of what education can actually do for people from very humble backgrounds. The majority of students who attend this school come from very humble backgrounds. But they also deserve to get a good and quality education. And that is what this is all about. I’m only contributing my own quota to ensure that the poor students who attend this school get the best of education.” Bademosi said.
The new buildings were commissioned on Friday, September 18th, 2020 by the Governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi.
In his remarks, Fayemi pledged his support to the donor and St. Ambrose’s Catholic Secondary School.
“No matter how committed a government is or no matter how dedicated we all are in our service to the state, when it comes to education, I personally don’t believe that government is the best vehicle for education. Government should provide policies, government should regulate but government should work with the community and all those who are interested in rendering service in the line of education,” Fayemi said.
“I believe that the seed that has been sown today is not just going to be limited to this, it’s going to grow in leaps and bounds and we all have to find a way to join Deji and all those who have already contributed to this to ensure that this seed keeps growing,” the Ekiti Governor added.
On his part, the Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu who was represented by the commissioner of education, Femi Agagu, lauded Bademosi for his contributions to the promotion of public education in the state.
Other dignitaries in attendance at the event were Olusegun Mimiko, former Governor of Ondo State; the Catholic Bishop of Ondo Diocese, Dr. Jude Arogundade among others.