The Ekiti Parapo College Ido Ekiti Old Students Association (EPCOSA) has called on Governor Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji and the government of Ekiti State to upscale their commitment to making Ekiti Parapo College a model legacy post-primary school in the State.
The National President of EPCOSA, Mr. Dotun Adekanmbi, made the call at Ido Ekiti at the commencement of activities to kick off the platinum jubilee of the school, which was founded on January 29, 1954.
“Given the history of EKPACO as the first and only community post-primary educational institution owned by all sons and daughters of Ekiti, we believe it is just right that it be designated by the State government as a model legacy college with better and fully funded boarding facilities to align with the vision of the founders of the College,” Adekanmbi said, adding,
“We have already tabled these requests for support by the Ekiti State Council of Traditional Rulers, which is ably led by our forward-looking father, Oba Ayorinde Ilori Faboro, the Olojudo of Ido Ekiti.”
Adekanmbi said the degradation of the physical infrastructure of the College, the absence of a boarding system and the watered-down quality of admission that is largely restricted to Ido Ekiti community and its environs as well as the acute shortage of qualified teachers and growing encroachment on school’s land, were some of the key indicators of neglect suffered by the school.
“The sad truth is that our College is neglected for the simple reason that all its former proprietors (Ekiti communities) now have their own community schools to which they have diverted their attention and resources. Today, the College suffers the fate of orphans: it is owned by everybody yet owned by none. In this situation, both the College and the people of Ekiti are the ultimate losers,” he said.
Continuing, Adekanmbi said: “We aim to seize the opportunity of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations to embark on the restoration of the decaying infrastructure of the College but more importantly, to re-establish EKPACO as an institution globally known for academic excellence,” Adekanmbi said.
“Working in close collaboration with the State government, we aim to restore the boarding system, which is the backbone of any good educational institution and, generally, make the College fully compliant to achieve academic excellence in the short to medium term,” Adekanmbi explained, stressing, “The sum of our interventions over several years is the investment in the rehabilitation of existing physical infrastructure. to engender the transformation of the College to a ‘Legacy’ College by the government of Ekiti State.”
Ekiti Parapo College was founded on Friday, January 29, 1954 as a memorial to the unity of Ekiti people particularly during the 16-year (1877 – 1893) Ekiti War of Independence that was fought to achieve the historic liberation of Ekiti land from the grips of Ibadan, their internal colonial masters.
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