17102019 - FG cuts travels, estacodes for ministers, other officials

44 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2019
Our character is destiny
— School Director
By Tope Adegbola
While congratulating the
graduands of De Stars International
School, the Director
and Proprietor of the school, Elder
Abiola Odudimu advised the
graduands to aim at nothing but
success. He said they should never
allow themselves to be intimidated
by failure.
In his speech he tagged "Character
and Obedience", he said a
man’s character is his fate. Quoting
the third President of the USA,
Heraclitus Thomas Jefferson,
"Nothing can stop a man with the
right mental attitude from achieving
his goals and nothing on earth
can help a man with the wrong
mental attitude".
He continued, "What shapes destiny
is character, therefore destiny
is character and character is destiny.
Sometimes, we need character,
not necessarily prayer to go far
in life".
He stated that people go about
finding solutions to character-related
issues, thinking that spirituality
would help them get all they
want through prayer, leaving out
character.
"There is no amount of prayer
that can substitute for the character,"
he emphasized. De Stars is a
school that has impacted greatly
on students", says Mr. Oladehinde
David Adekunle, the PTF chairman.
He identified the school as one
that teaches values and characters.
It’s not limited to schools alone to
mold a child, parents also have a
part to play in the lives of the children,
they should be close to their
children in such a way that the
child will begin to look up to them.
They should be their children’s best
friends and be open to them at all
times. This is not something that
should be left to mothers or fathers
alone. They both must work hand
in hand for a better result. The first
lesson a child will get is from
home. They should lay a legacy for
their children so that when they
grow up they’ll be able to stand
for themselves when the time
comes.“
Meanwhile, Mr. Quadri, the
former PTF chairman and also the
chairman CEO of Olakem & Co,
shared his experience raising his
children in De Stars. He said:
"Throughout the period when my
children were in this school, they
performed excellently well. They
sat for external exams and cleared
all their papers. De Stars is indeed
a school with great standards.
"Though my children are no
longer here, I can't leave them
alone due to the great work done
in the lives of my children. They
have impressed me and that is why
even before my wife passed away,
we were always giving the best students
an amount of money to encourage
them. It’s a continuous
thing and though my children are
no longer here, I’ll never forget
these good works."
The school director, Elder
The School Director of De' Stars School, with SS 3 Students of the school, during the end of
session/graduation ceremony of the De'Stars International School, Ikorodu, Lagos.
Odudimu, further appealed to the
parents to keep up the good work
of publicizing the school as he appreciated
the dedicated teachers,
students, sponsors and parents accordingly.
Appreciation went out to former
PTF chairman Mr. Quadri who
presents cheques to the best students
at SS3 WAEC, Junior WAEC,
and the school every year.
The best student in 2018/2019
WAEC results was Lawal Samuel
who had 4A’s (including English
and Mathematics), 4B’s and 1C.
He advised parents that due to the
unstable security situation in the
country, they should continue to
look after their wards very well,
especially during the holidays stating
that they are more important
than any other thing parents pursue.“
The Principal of the School, Mr.
Odudimu Ajibola Emmanuel, who
was also a pioneer student of the
school, stated that as many students
that passed through the
school are doing excellently well
in all spheres of life, they find themselves.
"The school has been in me, I
went through the school and I can
never forget the impact it had on
me. I came back to work or assist
before I got admission but could
not leave just like that. After I
graduated, I had to come back to
work as a teacher, and later became
the principal of the school".
He advised parents to keep
guarding and securing their children.
His words, "Keep an eye on
them so that they won’t derail. We
should never joke about the issue
of security in this country. No one
should be trusted. People can say
whatever they like as being overprotective.
It’s better than biting
your finger in regret. He advised
that parents should train them well
so that at the end of the day, they’ll
make them proud".“He urged the
graduands to know that their lives
are in stages.
"Keep determining to be better,
never give up on yourself. Standout
in every form. Anything your hands
find to do, do well."
During the graduation ceremony,
parents and guests were entertained
by the students who also
displayed their talents in drama
presentations, songs, choreography
and lots more.