Opinion - Olasore: One of Offa Grams' giants
The passage, on June 1, 2012, of a foremost banker and traditional ruler of Iloko Ijesa, Osun State, Oba Oladele Olasore, is no doubt a huge blow to Nigeria, even if this great loss was clouded by the Dana tragedy that occurred two days after. To us old students of Offa Grammar School, Offa, Kwara State, it is a bigger blow.
Offa Grammar School may not be in the class of the Kings Colleges, Barewa College, Queens Colleges and Methodist Boys High Schools of this world, but clearly the school has made quality contribution to the roll call of men and women that shaped and are still shaping Nigeria.
From the military are General Alani Akinrinade, the man that played a central role in bringing order to Nigeria and averting the greater disaster that would have followed B.S Dimka’s coup of 1976, to General David Jemibewon, Group Captain S.A Latinwo, Air Commodore Bayo Lawal and Vice Admiral Ganiyu Adekeye - the last two, like Akinrinade, also former service chiefs. From the judiciary, Offa Grammar School has given Nigeria the embattled Justice Isa Ayo Salami, the late Justice M.B Belgore, the current Emir of Ilorin, Justice Ibrahim Gambari, all former Appeal Court Judges.
From the academia, the first African professor of Geology, Professor M.O Jamiu Oyawoye tops OGS’ list of distinguished alumni, a list that has no fewer than five vice chancellors, including Professors A.B.O.O Oyediran and S.A Adeyemi, former VCs of the University of Ibadan and Federal University of Technology, Minna, respectively. The list is endless.
But if OGS old students were picked at random and asked to pick the greatest product of the school, I am willing to guess that Oba Oladele Olasore will feature top of the chart. That is how much we respect this banker, who was not only very active in old students’ activities but also a former president of the national body.
When the Pa James Osanyin-led Offa Grammar School admitted the 16-year-old boy into the school in 1951, little did it know a future shiny star had just been enrolled into the community secondary school.
Like a prince that he was, Olasore was not the most gentle pupil in the school, as Chief Emmanuel Adesoye of the Okin Biscuit and Adesoye College fame, and a one-year junior to Olasore in OGS, narrated how the prince used to send them to buy wine outside the school in the mid-1950s.
Interestingly, today, both men are founders of two of the most successful private secondary schools in Nigeria, Adesoye College, Offa and Olasore International School, Iloko Ijesa.
Olasore completed his secondary education in 1956. He proceeded to Ghana and thereafter England for further schooling. He returned to Nigeria to pick up a job as an Accountant in British Petroleum Nigeria Limited before venturing into banking as a director in the Central Bank of Nigeria.
Suraj Oyewale,
Edinburgh Business School, Former President,
Offa Grammar School Old Students Association (2000 set)
Cloud Tag: What's trending
Click on a word/phrase to read more about it.
Omupo Mohammed Saidu Idiagbon Jide Ashonibare Emir Of Ilorin Ita-Ore Geri-Alimi Split Diamond Interchange Apaokagi Biliaminu Aliu Abdulsalam Firdaous Amosa NYSC Oloruntoyosi Thomas Just Event Online Albert Ogunsola IF-K FERMA Idowu Laro Mohammed Khadijat Kubura Lanre Badmus Yusuf Lanre Badmus Yakubu Shaaba Awili Pedro Offa Poly AGF Abdulrazaq AGILE Programme Ishaq Salman Bisi Kristien Toyosi Thomas Manzuma Bolaji Aladie Wole Oke UNILORIN Alumni Association Cassava Growers\' Association Yunus Lawal Saliu Ajibola Ajia Olayinka Jelili Yusuf Sunday Fagbemi Amada Jidda Abioye Bello Crystal Corner Shops Awodun Amule Lanre Badmas Eleja Yusuf AbdulRasheed Pakata Patriots Arik Abdulrazaq Akorede NULGE Noah Yusuf Ahmed Dankaya Kolawole Akande Agor Isaac Gbenle Suleiman Rotimi Iliasu Idris Garuba Rashidi Yekini Bolaji Nagode Kazeem Adekanye Tafida Yusuf Lawal Bayo Onimago Sunset Workers Yusuf Abdulraheem GGDSS Pakata Abdul Jimoh Mohammed LAK Jimoh Jeunkunu-Malete-Bani Muhammed Danjuma Ndakene Raji AbdulRasaq Femi Gbajabiamila Kassim Babamale Abdulrazak Shehu Akorede Kwara Politics Abraham Ojo Ilorin Central Mosque

