The management of The Wings Schools in Iwo, Osun State, has organised a send-off ceremony honoring Abdulrafiu Adebayo, the pioneer provost of the Federal College of Education (FCE), Iwo, as he concludes his four-year tenure. The FCE launched from The Wings Schools’ premises, which served as its temporary site before moving to its permanent site. This marked the beginning of the warm relationship Mr Adebayo enjoyed with the management of The Wings Schools while serving as the FCE’s provost. According to The Wings Schools’ management, the event, attended by staff, students and community leaders, provided an opportunity for Mr Adebayo to reflect on the early years of the college and the efforts made by the pioneer management team to establish it. Speaking at the ceremony, Mr Adebayo said his first step after his appointment was to bring together key members of the management team, the registrar, bursar and librarian, in order to build a cooperative leadership structure for the newly established college. He said the team worked closely to navigate the challenges that accompanied the early stages of the institution’s development. Mr Adebayo paid tribute to the late bursar, Adebayo Lasisi, describing him as instrumental to the movement of the college from its temporary location to its permanent site along Oyo Road. A minute of silence was observed during the event in honour of the deceased. “He described the Registrar, Alhaji M. Aderibigbe Yusuf, as a workaholic person and the Librarian as someone who never said no to any role allocated to her. He referred to the college Librarian Dr. (Mrs.) Deborah Funmi Iyanda as an uncrowned deputy Provost,” the statement read. In his remarks, the principal of The Wings Schools, T. K. Sanusi, praised the pioneer management team for laying a solid foundation for the college and acknowledged Mr Adebayo’s role in increasing student enrolment during his tenure. The chairman of the occasion and tutor general of The Wings Schools, Abdulwakeel Situ, noted that pioneering roles in newly established institutions are often demanding and underappreciated. He said those who lay the foundations of new institutions often complete their tenure just as the results of their efforts begin to emerge. Also speaking, the proprietor of The Wings Schools, Lai Olurode, commended the outgoing management team for successfully steering the affairs of the college during its formative years. Mr Olurode, a former national commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission, highlighted the challenges often faced by leaders of new institutions and asked the outgoing provost how the management addressed internal and external pressures, particularly public expectations regarding employment and contract decisions. Responding, Mr Adebayo attributed the achievements recorded during his tenure to teamwork, adherence to a development blueprint prepared by the management team and the support of the Iwo community. He also acknowledged the role of The Wings Schools in providing classroom facilities for the college during its early years before its gradual relocation to the permanent campus. “Prof Rafiu Adebayo said he owes his success to God and to the fact that he and other members of the team saw one another as a family and they followed the blueprint prepared by the team. Also, he commended the people of Iwo for providing a fertile land for them to cultivate and for supporting the new higher institution both in cash and kind. “The Provost was full of commendation for The Wings Schools as the school authorities provided classroom facilities for the College for a couple of years and until the gradual location to the permanent site. “However, he said his leadership of the College wasn’t without challenges. Whenever he encounters challenges, he runs to God and tries never to apportion blames to his team. In lieu of this, he advised students and others present to run to God when they encounter difficulties,” the statement read. Mr Adebayo expressed appreciation to the traditional ruler of the town, Abdulrasheed Akanbi, the Oluwo of Iwo, the pioneer chairman of the college’s governing council, Liad Tella and other stakeholders for their support. The event ended with the presentation of gifts to the honourees, with members of staff of both institutions, students and other guests in attendance.