The Tutor-General/Permanent Secretary (TG/PS), Education District I, Agege, Mrs. Titilayo Solarin has commended the retired Director of Education and Principal, Tomia Community Senior Secondary School, Alagbado, Mrs. Sefinat Abiola Bankole, for her hard work, commitment and dedication to duty while in the State Teaching Service.
The Permanent Secretary, represented by Mrs. Kehinde Oyegbile, Director of Administration and Human Resource Department of the District, spoke during the Last Day in Office ceremony to commemorate Mrs. Bankole’s retirement after attaining the statutory age of 60 years and 33 years of meritorious service.
Her words: “Your journey from classroom teacher to administrator demonstrates your dedication to public service. I applaud you for a good race. You must be proud of yourself to have finished well”.
“Now that you have retired, you should learn how to take care of yourself; there are things you have been doing that were not previously planned. You must now look after yourself as your health is now the most important factor; consume more vitamins, vegetables, and water. Make time for family and friends, get closer to God, and your family”.
Earlier, the Chairman of the occasion Mr. Adio Ojekunle, who was the former Principal of Orile Agege Junior Secondary School, congratulated the retiree for her unblemished records while in the State Teaching Service.
Ojekunle described the retiree as dedicated, hardworking and reliable while she served as the Vice Principal of Orile Agege Junior Secondary School, stating that she rarely had issues with students or teachers.
Advising Mrs. Bankole to be cautious in dealing with people who offer business ideas and opportunities in retirement, the Chairman urged the retiree to spend more time with her children and family after active service to the State Government.
“Retirement is simply another stage of life; as you retire, you will have the opportunity to re-examine yourself, to reflect on the activities that you have engaged in. It will provide time for you to be closer to God and engage in Godly activities; it will provide time for you to do selfless service for your immediate community”, Ojekunle said.
In his remarks on behalf of the family, the husband of the retiree, Mr. Oduntan Bankole, said, “My wife is a nice and intelligent woman. She is committed to her teaching profession and loves to take care of children in her care. We are both government employees, she is in the teaching service while I am in the civil service. She is a wonderful mother”.
Responding, Mrs. Abiola Bankole expressed gratitude to God for preserving and directing her footsteps throughout her teaching career, just as she acknowledged the opportunity of positively influencing others as a teacher.
She enjoined Principals and Teachers still in the service to be on top of their responsibilities and set good examples for others, saying they should always exhibit good behaviour so that students can learn from them.
The event was attended by members of the Association of Nigeria Conference of Principals of Public Secondary Schools (ANCOPPSS), the Association of retired Principals from the district, staff, students, friends, and other family members.
