Daud Olatunji
A socio-cultural organisation, Tobade Progressive Club, has called on the Ogun State Government to urgently renovate the dilapidated MKO Abiola Primary School, Kemta Ilawo, in Abeokuta North Local Government Area, Ogun State, describing the facility as a historical legacy that deserves urgent attention.
The call was made during the commissioning of a newly constructed modern toilet facility at the school, donated by the club as part of its community development efforts.
Speaking at the event, the President of Tobade Progressive Club, Mr. Tunji Keshinro, said the gesture was in memory of the club’s late patron, Oba Abdul-Sobur Bakre, the immediate past Agura of Gbagura and founder of the club.
Keshinro said the donation was part of the club’s broader initiative to give back to the community.
He said the school was established in 1958.
He said, “This school has produced great minds including Chief MKO Abiola and the late Agura of Gbagura, Oba Halidu Laloko. We felt it was necessary to support this school by providing a modern toilet facility to promote hygiene among pupils.”
Keshinro disclosed that since its establishment two years ago, the club has renovated the Agura Palace, held a medical outreach for over 2,000 residents, and distributed N10,000 cash support to at least 100 beneficiaries.
While urging the government to rehabilitate the school’s aging infrastructure, he pleaded with the Abeokuta North Local Government Chairman, Hon. Lanre Oyegbola-Sodipo, to take up the matter with Governor Dapo Abiodun.
Also speaking, the headmistress of the school, Mrs. Solola Olubukola, expressed appreciation to the club for the gesture, describing the toilet as timely and essential to the welfare of the pupils.
In his remarks, the chairman of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Abeokuta North chapter, Mr. Olusesi Olayinka, lauded the group for its intervention, saying the toilet would enhance learning conditions in the school.
In his keynote address, Chairman of Abeokuta North Local Government, Hon. Lanre Oyegbola-Sodipo, acknowledged the poor condition of the school and pledged to prioritise its rehabilitation as part of his administration’s plans to improve public infrastructure.
“My coming here today has opened my eyes. This is a historic school that produced legends like Chief MKO Abiola and Oba Halidu Laloko.
It is unacceptable that it remains in this state. We will work to change that,” he said.
The council boss noted that the renovation of the school aligns with his administration’s broader goal of revamping historical sites and educational institutions in the area.
He further praised the club for addressing one of the most pressing needs in the school and community—sanitation.
He said open defecation must be eradicated across Abeokuta North.
“As a local government with multiple traditional kingdoms—Agura, Oke-Ona, Owu—we cannot allow practices that threaten the health of our young ones.
“Starting this Thursday, we are launching a community sanitation campaign. We will clean the streets ourselves and visit households to ensure every home has a toilet.”
He warned that homes without toilet facilities would be mandated to construct one, adding that the local government had previously been flagged as a cholera-prone area.
“If we can prevent diseases like cholera through hygiene and sanitation, why spend huge sums treating them later?” he asked.
Oyegbola-Sodipo urged other social clubs and groups to emulate the Tobade Progressive Club by initiating projects that meet the real needs of the communities.
He concluded by stating that his administration was committed to leaving Abeokuta North better than it was met.
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