School Lagos – The General Officer Commanding, 81 Division of the Nigerian Army, Maj.-Gen. Isidore Edet in Lagos on Tuesday comended the ex-pupils for their contribution to the development of the Command Children School. The GOC gave the commendation while giving his remarks at the Golden Jubilee of the Command Children’s School at Ann Baracks, Sabo-Yaba in Lagos. “This is a historic occasion and I am happy to be here to welcome all the ex-pupils of the school that have distinguished themselves in various careers. “I believe it is the mental strength, that is, the philosophy of the values of hardwork, self-discipline and integrity that has been the underlying philosophy of education in this school. “It is these same values that have the underpinnings of the success of the students that passed through this school. “So, I want to congratulate you individually and collectively for your achievement in your different fields of endeavour. “Those values that enabled and underpinned your successes I believe should still be the values within which this school should continue to function. “With this, I really want to commend the ex-pupils of this school for the efforts they have made by renovating and re-equipping the school library which will be inaugurated soon,’’ Edet said. The GOC added that the school’s golden jubilee should create a platform for ex-pupils to reconnect and rekindle past relationships, to network and collectively build and raise the school to high standards. He also told the ex-pupils to not stop at only re-equipping the library, but to make the forum to enable them to network and restrategise towards improving the existing infrastructure in the school. The GOC also commended one of the ex-pupils of the school, Maj.-Gen. Tilewa Amusu (Nee Isaacs)
[pro_ad_display_adzone id=”70560″] for her contribution to the development of the school. He said that he was delighted to be with Rtd. Maj.-Gen. Olufemi Olutoye, who pioneered the school. “At the time he pioneered this school, he was not an education officer. “As an infantry officer, after his training in the staff college, he was posted to Lagos and mandated to establish this school. “He did it so well and this school has produced so many distinguished men and women that have contributed immensely to the development of the country,’’ he said. Olutoye, who founded the school congratulate the headmistress and staff, saying: “I am particularly delighted to be associated with the school. “The whole idea was to provide an alternative school that would give quality education to children and wards of military officers,’’ he said. The retired major general also paid his respect to the pioneer teachers of the school like Mrs Joke Kukoyi and the late Mrs Olubobokun among others. “As a parent, I am proud of the successes of the products of this school and wish it many more years of progress,’’ he said. One of the ex-pupils, Amusu, said that she was happy to be a student of the school, adding that she enjoyed her days while in the school. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the school which was formally, called Army Children’s School, was established on Jan. 10, 1966, and was the first command school in Nigeria. NAN reports that the school was opened to pupils on Jan. 26, 1966 with 105 pupils and six members of staff. The Divisional Education Officer, 81 Division, Col. Bello Tsoho, Brig.-Gen. Lateef Abdulahi, Commander, Nigerian Army Education Corps, ex-pupils and other senior army officers were at the Golden Jubilee celebration. (NAN)