Elders Forum

ELDERS' FORUM OF ECIOSA

THE ESTABLISHMENT/ THE AIMS/THE EFFECT

The Elders Forum of ECWA College Igbaja Old Students Association (ECIOSA) was inaugurated on Wednesday, 27th February 2013, at the house of late Chief D.L. Obasa (1953 Set), on Kabba Road, Sabo Oke, Ilorin. Chief Obasa was the first Chairman of the Forum, while Elder O.J. Makanjuola has been the Secretary since inception to date.

All the members of the Old Students Association that are 60 years of age and above are eligible to join the Elders Forum. And membership has now risen to over 50. Meetings are held monthly (except December), at the houses of members, on the last Wednesday of the month.
And to the glory of God, meetings have been held unfailingly from the inception to date. To that extent, the meeting of August 2024 was the 121st meeting! Undoubtedly, the regular meetings have engendered dynamism and effectiveness in the administration of the Forum.

The Aims and Objectives of the Forum include:

  1. To fellowship, socialize and empathize with no distant one another, in the spirit of faith, love and charity.
  2. To share in the joy and sadness of members, as situation may demand from time to time, and to render required assistance, where and when means are available.
  3. To support the National Executive Committee of our Association, in order to enhance the effectiveness of the Association to our Alma Mater – ECWA Secondary School Igbaja.

Over the years, modest achievements of the Forum experiences, it is good to recall the following chorus included:

  1. Liaising with the two principals of the School, and thereby assisting to influence posting of required teachers to the School, as well as improving physical infrastructures.
  2. Participating in the School’s annual activities, like inter-house sports competitions and graduation.
  3. Participating in individual members’ social occasions, like children’s wedding, members birthday anniversary ceremonies and bereavement ceremonies of members’ loved ones.
  4. Sensitizing members periodically on noting that members are senior citizens in the gerontological issues, i.e. issues on social, psychological and biological aspects of aging noting that members are senior citizens in the society. In that respect, special talks (lectures) received from members and non-members, on ways society and means of properly handling process of aging are tips on health remedies, particularly herbal remedies and modes of food intake, as well as tips on personal security.

It should be noted that the 1st Set of the Teacher Training College began in 1944, and graduated in 1947; while the 1st Set of the Secondary School began in 1970, and graduated in 1974.

By the grace of God, the Forum now has at least four members that are over 90 years of age. They are: William J. Memayin, Pa Isaac O. Ajayi, Pa Solomon Olaoye and Pa Joshua K. Aiyedun. The first person had graduated at the College in 195(3rd Set of the College), the second person had graduated in 1955, while the last two persons graduated in 1957. Lo and behold, the first person is perhaps the only surviving member of their Set today, and thus, probably the oldest ex-students of our Alma Mater today!

Finally, in the spirit of the School Motto-CHRIST ABOVE ALL and our inspirational chapel experiences, it is good to recall the following choruses that we used to sing during chapel devotions in those days:

Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in me.

All his wonderful passion and purity,

Oh thou Spirit Divine, all my nature refine,

Till the beauty of Jesus be seen in me!

Elder/Chief Solo Olaoye (1957 Set)