Again, Kola Animasaun re-echoed at Oniwaya, as Anwar-Ul-Islam School holds Inter-House Sport in Lagos

By KEMI KASUMU

The Anwar-Ul-Islam Primary School, Oniwaya, Agege, in Agege Local Government Area of Lagos State, held its annual Inter-House Sport Competition for this year, on Tuesday 23 November, 2021.

It was a great and fun-filled day for the management, staff, pupils and parents of the school, as it also marked its 40th of such competition.

The event was well attended with Patron and Matron of each of the four houses either present in persons or represented. The houses namely, Alhaji Animasaun House – Green House was represented by Sumayyah Adefaka of Defender Media Limited, publishers of The DEFENDER Newspaper, a media organisation nurtured by Patron of the House, who is now late, Alhaji Kola Muslim Animasaun, and Alhaji Ibrahim Tafidah, who was physically present as Patron of Alhaji Tafidah House – Purple House.

The Blue House, which is an endowment of 1991 Set, had representation in a former student while Mr. Monsur Taiwo physically attended as Patron of Mr. Taiwo House which is also called the Yellow House.

Alhaji Tafidah House, Purple, came first in the competition, while the 1991 Set, Blue House picked the second position and Alhaji Animasaun House, Green, came third with Mr. Taiwo House, Yellow, picking the fourth position. All got trophies for their respective performances.

Special Guest of Honour at the event was Alhaji M. K. O. Wasiu, with Chief Guest of Honour being the Education Secretary, Agege, Local Government Area, Mrs C.M. Ogunyomi, and other guest being the Agege Local Government Area Sports Officer, Mrs S. B. Ajasa.

Speaking on the Occasion, the HeadMistress of Anwar-ul-Islam Primary School, Agege, Mrs. Afolabi A.O., expressed her joy and give vote of thanks to the management, parents, patrons and matrons, for their support toward the success of the just concluded annual event.

“Sports is not only a fun way for students to stay active, but can also be helpful for academic growth. The benefits of sports for students include improving their self-esteem, building interpersonal social skills and more,” Afolabi said.

On the state of the school, headmistress lamented the deplorable condition, saying, “The school lacks a lot amenities, which is making learning difficult for pupils.”

Stating the needs, she said, “We have no toilet. The classes have no doors and windows. No comfortable tables and chairs for pupils and management, making the environment insecure and unsuitable for pupils and teachers,” the headmistress complained.

She appealed to the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, to come to the aid of the ageing learning institution by renovating and giving the Anwar-Ul-Islam Primary School, Oniwaya, Agege, a new look in terms of quality infrastructure and conducive environment.

This, if done the headmistress said, will forever be appreciated.

Anwar-Ul-Islam Primary School was founded on 1 January 1970.

Kola Animasaun re-echoed

A takeaway from the event is that, it re-echoed the name of Nigeria’s Journalism icon, father, teacher and builder of professionals, Alhaji Kola Muslim Animasaun, who had traversed the earth having been given birth to by his mother in London, United Kingdom, on 5 July 1939, grown up and schooled in London, Nigeria and lived in Sweden working as diplomatic staff with designation being Senior Information Officer at the Nigerian Embassy up till 1972 and a little beyond.

Recently, organisers of Nigeria Media Merit Award (NMMA) in Lokoja, Kogi State, echoed the name of the late sage, Alhaji Kola Animasaun, when they honoured him with a posthumous award for his contributions to Journalism in Nigeria.

Alhaji Kola Muslim Animasaun, in his quest for more challenging working environment in life, later returned to Nigeria where he joined the popular Vanguard Newspapers as Chief sub-Editor and grew through the ranks to become Chairman, Editorial Board of the newspaper organisation until his retirement in 2006. Because he only retired but not tired, Baba Adinni of Gbagura Abeokuta and So’otofaye of Aiyede Kingdom, Ekiti State, remained the fiery pen-wielder that he had always been as owner of the Sunday Vanguard’s Voice of Reason column.

He launched the first edition of his book, Voice of Reason in 2020 and while the second edition was launched along with his autobiography, ‘Nineteen Thirty Nine’, on 5 July 2012 in commemoration of his 73rd birthday anniversary, held in event hall of the prestigious Nigeria Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), Kofi Abayomi, Victoria Lagos, coordinated and hosted by then Oyo State Governor Ishaq Abiola Ajimobi and attended by other eminent Nigerians including Sultan of Sokoto Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, ably represented, former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Bola Ajibola (SAN), former Governor of Ogun State, Chief Segun Osoba, and his former deputy governor and then serving Senator representing Ogun East, Alhaji Gbenga Kaka, among many others.

Alhaji Kola Animasaun, while in office as Chairman Editorial Board of Vanguard Newspapers, had, on sabbatical, served as Caretaker Chairman, Abeokuta North Local Government Area of Ogun State, on the invitation of his friend and Governor of the state, Chief Osoba, between 2001 and 2003.

The husband of Alhaja Dupe Animasaun and father of her doing-well children had his marks in many places before his shocking death at age of 80 on 30 June, 2019. Those marks included his roles in building lives in terms of humanity and institutionalised entities, many of which are actively alive and successful today. Among them are Anwar-Ul-Islam Primary School, Oniwaya, Agege, where he had an endowment in the Inter-House Sport Competition known as Alhaji Animasaun House (the Green House).