School Bus

August 19, 2012

To: Alumni USA
Copy: Alumni UK
Copy: Alumni Nigeria

Fellow Alumni:

On behalf of the executives, I wish to inform you that the USA Alumni Association has on July 30 2012, completed the project to get a school bus for our alma-mater.

For several years, the school did not have a bus. The Toyota Coaster bus donated by the late Chief M.K.O. Abiola broke down sometime before 2006. The 783 Set repaired the bus but it broke down with major engine failure soon after. Since then, the school Parent Teachers Association (PTA) has been sourcing for funds from parents, teachers, alumni members, etc to rent commercial bus from public motor parks for taking the students to sporting and educational competitions.

The AACHSA USA National had deliberately not given fund to the school to rent commercial bus because of an alternative strategic vision that entailed raising and conserving fund to buy a bus. The project to buy a bus for the school was initiated in 2006 by the ex-President Mr. Ola Famuyiwa. Through sheer determination and endurance, Mr. Famuyiwa raised a significant amount of money and by the time he left office two years ago, he reserved $20,019.13 (twenty thousand, nineteen dollars and thirteen cents) in an interest bearing investment account for the purchase of the bus.

The responsibility of purchasing the bus fell upon the current executive when it took office in September 2010. Consideration of getting an American bus from the US was nixed because the school insisted on either a Toyota or Nissan brand that could be easily maintained in Aiyetoro. Since these brands of buses are not available in the US, we considered other sources like Dubai without success. Whilst the search continued, the school PTA made a passionate plea to our Vice President, Mr. Yomi Lawal in January 2011 when he visited the school for the association to trust the PTA with the money to buy the bus.

In March 2012, the school renewed the plea in a formal written letter and also requested for N1,000,000.00 (One Million Naira, $6,349.20) to buy a befitting bus with the proviso that the PTA would argument the amount if necessary. The executive reviewed the request, approved it and released the one million naira directly to the school bank account in trust and in partnership.

The school searched for Toyota and Nissan buses in both Apapa Wharf, Lagos and Cotonou, Benin Republic and settled for the latter. An additional N450,000.00 (Four Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira, $2,760.74) was formally requested when the PTA was handicapped in raising the extra money needed. The executives reviewed, approved the second request and paid the fund directly into the school bank account.

With the total fund of N1,450,000.00 (One million, four hundred and fifty thousand naira, $9,109.94) received from the USA National, the JSS Principal led the effort that resulted in the purchase of a used Nissan Urvan 18-seater bus from Coutonu in early July 2012 including official payment of customs duties at Igono customs post, repainting of the bus in the school colors at Otta and finally driving the bus to the school on July 14 2012.

We show image of the thank you letter received from both the SSS and JSS Principals together with some pictures of the bus.

The bus is already in use with the first official duty being the transportation of the students and staff of the school cricket team to Abeokuta to meet with the Ogun State Governor who honored the students for representing the state and doing well in a recent national cricket competition.

I personally took a ride in the bus when I visited the school on July 27 2012 to see first hand the projects recently completed by USA National. The bus is compact, functional, not flamboyant. It was being well taken care of. It should perform the simple job of transporting the students to/fro sporting and educational events safely if it continued to be well taken care of. The two school principals and the staff were very happy at having a functional bus for the students and expressed their gratitude to the alumni in USA. The school has made a wise choice of a compact bus and a brand with history of reliability. We would not have a role in the maintenance of the bus.

Many may wonder at the word “Original” before “Compro” in the picture of the front of the bus. The school principals explained that many “Comprehensive” high schools that came after our alma-mater tried to call themselves “Compro” hence the qualifier “Original” to remind everyone that our alma-mater was the first and truly comprehensive high school in Nigeria if not the whole of West Africa.

On September 2nd 2010, the balance in the special interest yielding account for the school bus was $20,019.13. Since then, the account has yielded interest of $282.20. The balance in the account as of August 17 2012 was $11,191.39 after deducting the $9,109.94 cost of the bus. The remaining amount ($11,191.39) would remain in the special account, yielding interest until the USA National decides what to do with it.

The core of the fund for the school bus was raised at the 2007 Reunion in Atlanta, Georgia. We wish to profoundly thank every alumni whose donations formed this fund. Special mention is made of Mr. Folarin Oshinuga, a real estate developer in Atlanta whose singular donation of $10,000.00 (Ten Thousand Dollars) really boosted the fund. Without sacrifices like this, there would be no school bus. We thank our Ex-President, Mr. Ola Famuyiwa for his foresight in launching the project and the fortitude with which he handled opposing views.

This has been a long project. We thank God that it has been brought to a successful completion. When we work together, maintain continuity of purpose from one executive to the other and handle differences gracefully, we can achieve a lot that would benefit our alma-mater. May God continue to bless us all.

Sincerely,

Kola Ogunyomade
President AACHSA USA National
On Behalf of USA National Executives