Francis 'Jide MAKINWA

 

On Thursday 9th October, 2025, a new 2-storey building was commissioned for use for the students and staff of Our Lady and St. Francis Catholic College (OSCCO), Isale-Aro, Osogbo, Osun State by the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Osogbo; Most Rev. John Akin Oyejola.

  The occasion was glamorously witnessed by the students, academic and non-academic staff, twelve priests and Sisters.

  The new building accommodates an underground Sacristy, the ground floor of a big hall with counselling offices, while the two upper floors are for classrooms and staff rooms.

  In the homily of Rev. Fr. Ambrose Olasinde during the Mass presided over by the Bishop for the commissioning of the building in the new hall, he appreciated the Bishop for his life and the beautiful and laudable things that have been taken place in his time and also his courage to lift the college to the present status. He equally appreciated the Bishops who have contributed their parts to the growth of the school.

  Fr. Olasinde said according to the school motto; "Ex parvo, magnus" which translates; 'From little, comes much', he recalled those days when the classrooms were few and the students had their lessons in 'cubicles' and some of the classrooms were jam-packed, yet, the students that graduated came out in flying colours and they have become big people in the society.

  He said further that now we do not have the academic and moral excellence to present to the world, but we have also good structures to show, OSCCO must continue to maintain the uniqueness and distinction of being the best it can be in all things.

  In conclusion, Fr. Olasinde prayed that the building would become for all those who use it, a tool to enhance the process of evangelization through education which is the main purpose of establishing a school by the Church, and eventually a means of salvation.

  The School’s Principal; Rev. Fr. Peter Akinsanya in his own message, said the occasion was a day when hope became heritage and the dream with vision became reality. He said the edifice with eighteen classrooms, a thousand capacity hall with counselling offices took a period of three years and six months to complete. He appreciated the Bishop; the Proprietor of the school for initiating the edifice which has now been transformed into reality.

  He extended his gratitude to the Vice Principals, the Staff and the Students for their resilience while the construction was ongoing on the edifice.

  Fr. Akinsanya urged the students to maintain the building with its facilities properly and hoped that the edifice would inspire them more than ever before to maintain the culture of academic and moral formation for which their parents brought them to OSCCO.

 At the end of his speech, he appreciated Mr. Ademola Gbadebo; the construction Engineer, Mrs. Rita Akinyosotu; the Architect, and all the artisans that worked at the site.

  The Osun State Commissioner for Education; Honourable Dipo Eluwole, ably represented by Mr. R.O. Kareem, in his goodwill message at the occasion, congratulated the Proprietor, the Management and the Students of OSCCO on the remarkable achievement. He said he had no doubt that the new edifice would take the institution to greater heights. He said the Catholic Church's dedication to education is truly commendable and Osun State government appreciates the contributions of the Church to the development of Osun State's education sector.

  The Commissioner said OSCCO's impressive array of awards and accolades is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the students, teachers and the management. OSCCO has made its mark in academic excellence from the State to the national and even to international recognition through the performances of their products.

 He said the new edifice is a significant milestone in the history of OSCCO and the state-of-the-art facilities would surely provide an enabling environment for students to learn, grow, thrive and would furthermore enhance the academic performance and personal development of the students. He urged the students to take full advantage of the facilities and the opportunities they provide. 'Work hard, strive for excellence and make your parents, teachers and community proud', he admonished the students.

  Bishop Oyejola in the final comment, appreciated the Engineer who conceived the idea of the design with the topography of the terrain. He also thanked the Architect, the Surveyor and all whose efforts and cooperation have produced the beautiful edifice. He thanked the Principal, teachers, staff and the students for their endurance and cooperation.

  The Prelate emphasized that the Catholic Church exists to help and serve everybody particularly the poor and the vulnerable. The Church serves all without discrimination in any form, he said.

  He reminded the students that the Church is involved through the school in total formation; physical, academic, spiritual and mental. "We want to form you to be fully human persons that would love and serve everybody equally without discrimination. This is what it means to have salvation; to know God and love God for what He is", he explained.

 In conclusion, the Bishop welcomed the Commissioner of Education through his representative and stated that the Catholic Church always respect and cooperate with the government but complained that the government should not make life difficult for the Church by enforcing all the schools to pay unnecessary taxes like paying water taxes when the school dug boreholes in her compound. The mission schools are meant to serve, he clarified.

 At the close of the occasion, the students appointed for the executive and as prefects for academic year 2025-2026 were called out and prayed for to have a successful tenure by the Bishop.