GOING DOWN MEMORY LANE: The Day TASCE Prayed for Mercy
When in 2008, Tai Solarin College of Education was sequestered from the Tai Solarin University of Education, there were more issues boiling than anyone would want to recount now. nobody may have been able to accurately predict the upheavals that lay ahead of the new institution now located at Omu-Ijebu. It was totally unexpected because everything started without pointers of trouble. the immediate challenges were infrastructure and other challenges the sudden relocation was bound to cause.
Then came the financial problems and suddenly, salaries and allowances became very major issues as unpaid salaries and allowances built up. the situation led to several confrontations between the staff unions and the management of the College led by Dr. Abiodun Ojo. there seemed no end to the crisis in sight as situations continued to degenerate. Dr. Abiodun Ojo, being a man who believed in the efficacy of prayers, suggested that the staff should pray for God’s mercy and support to carry the College.
So it was that the Muslims held their own prayer session and the Christians held theirs on the football pitch with music and supplications for God to intervene in the crisis ravaging the school. it all went down on July 7, 2016.
On the field, the students came. Different fellowship groups took their turns to make music, to dance and to join the congregational prayer. it was an experience to remember as people surrendered to the will of God and prayed for a better future.
Perhaps, it was these prayers that took the college past all the upheaval that have been overcome, and still carrying the College forward, we may never be able to establish, but if we were to sustain the legacy Dr. Abiodun Ojo left behind as Provost 2008 – 2016, we would pray some more.
But there remains in the history of TASCE, Omu (now SACOETEC) when staff and students came out as one to make supplications to God so that the College would not die. While we bask in the recollection of the euphoria created by the many voices rising up to heaven in unison, we need t pray some more for good health, for life and for breakthroughs for ourselves and for this College that is ours.
