Ado Salisu
The gates of the retirement home opened slowly that morning, but what entered was anything but quiet.
Led by their president, Mrs. Damilola Igbasan, members of the Muslim Teachers College Old Students Association, Class of ’83 (MUTECO ’83), arrived not with fanfare, but with purpose. Thirteen men and women, bound by shared history and strengthened by compassion, came bearing gifts, warm smiles and something far rarer—remembrance.
For the elderly residents, many of whom have learned to measure time in long, silent hours, the visit felt like a sudden burst of light.
Food items and essential supplies worth millions of naira were presented—bags carried with care, boxes unpacked with reverence. Yet beyond the rice, provisions and toiletries lay a deeper offering: dignity. The unmistakable message that they had not been forgotten.
The outreach, confirmed by the Technical Director of the Lagos State Sports Commission (LSSC), Uthman Ola Okunnu, and made available to journalists, forms part of an annual tradition MUTECO ’83 has sustained for decades. Year after year, the alumni return—not out of obligation, but out of conviction.
Standing among the residents, Mrs. Igbasan spoke not as a distant benefactor but as a daughter of society.
“This is our way of giving back,” she said, her voice steady with emotion. “What we are doing today reflects what we all pray for tomorrow—to be cared for, to be seen, to be loved when age has taken its toll.”
Her words settled heavily in the room. Some of the elderly smiled softly; others nodded in appreciation. A few wiped away tears they did not attempt to hide.
This was not charity for the cameras. It was continuity—former students honouring the values that shaped them and returning those virtues to society in full circle.
Then came the promise.
“This is only the beginning,” Mrs. Igbasan declared. She revealed that next year’s intervention would be bigger, broader and more impactful. What the public witnessed, she stressed, was merely the tip of the iceberg.
Her vision extended beyond MUTECO ’83. She issued a heartfelt call to well-meaning individuals and corporate organisations to walk the same path—to recognise that the elderly are not a burden but a treasure; living libraries of sacrifice, resilience and wisdom who deserve, above all, love and respect.
As the delegation prepared to leave, the atmosphere lingered—warmer, grateful, transformed. What began as a routine visit ended as a powerful reminder: a society is judged not by how it celebrates youth, but by how it honours age.
For MUTECO ’83, the mission is far from over. It is, indeed, only the beginning.