Opinion - Olasore: One of Offa Grams' giants

Date: 2012-08-03

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)

Source

 

Cloud Tag: What's trending

Click on a word/phrase to read more about it.

Oba Mogaji Abdulkadir     Abdullahi Adisa Akodudu     Omoniyi M. Ayinla     Kayode Yusuf     Saliu Ajibola Ajia     Elewu     Erin-ile     John Olajide Adedipe     Kazeem Adekanye     A.O. Belgore     NSCIA     NULGE     Abdullah Janet Amudat     Gaa Olobi     Kwara State Pension Board     Damilola Yusuf Adelodun     Kayode Ibrahim     Tunji Arosanyin     Raliat Islamic Foundation     Ramadhan     Awili Pedro     TETFUND     Tafida Of Kaiama     Farouk Salim     International Aviation College     Millennium Development Goals     Geri-Alimi Split Diamond Interchange     Bamikole Omishore     20 Billion Bond     Yomi Adeboye     Saidu Kawu     Okedare     Iyeru Grammar School     Oya State     Toyosi Thomas     Basit Olatunji     Kwara TV     Femtech     Ita-Nmo Market     Abdullateef Abdussalam     MINILS     Kayode Zubair     Sa\'adu Salahu     Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa     Baba Isale     Ayodele Olaosebikan     Ariyo     Monthly Sanitation     Muhammed Abdullahi     Alaaya     Olayinka Olaogun     Kamaldeen Gambari     Bluenile Associates     Ilesha-Gwanara     Bukola Saraki     Mohammed Ghali Alaaya     Owo Isowo     Kayode Oyin Zubair     Abdulrazaq Adebayo     National Democratic Congress     Olomu Of Omu-Aran     Abubakar Imam     UNIFEMGA     Toyin Falola     Peter Amogbonjaye     Hydroelectric Power Producing Areas Development Commission     Aisha Ahman Pategi     Buari Edun     Raliat Elelu-Habeeb     Abiodun Jacob Ajiboye     Okin Group     Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital     RTEAN     Moshood Kashimawo Abiola     Federal Polytechnic Offa     Quranic Recitation Competition     Saka Isau    

Cloud Tag: What's trending

Click on a word/phrase to read more about it.

Abdulkadri Ahmad Alaiye     Irepodun     Ajibola Ademola Julius     Maigida     Oluwarotimi Boluwatife Adenike     Sadiq Buhari     Abdulwahab Oba     Issa Baba     Olatinwo     Sidikat Akaje     07039448763     M.Y. Abdulrahaman     Ambassador Kayode Laro     Hassan Saliu     Ganmo     Ayobami Akanbi     Raymond Olaitan     Abdullahi Biffo     Roseline Oni Aremu     Olatunde Michaels     Yomi Adeboye     Ubandawaki     Mohammed Alabi Lawal     Bayo Ajia     Iponrin     Borgu     April 11     Ita-Ore     Alabi Lawal     Issa Manzuma     Soffiyyallah Kamaldeen     Kola Adesina     Ganiyu Taofiq     Teachers Specific Allowance     Omu Aran     Ubandoma Of Ilorin     Government Girls’ Day Secondary School Pakata     A.G.F Abdulrasaq     Baba Isale     Pakata Development Association     ASKOMP     Abdulrasheed Akogun     Mashood Dauda     Bayo Onimago     Odogun Olushola Gabriel     S.O. Opowoye     New Model Police Station     AbdulHakeem Ajibola Akanbi     Sarakite     Ekweremadu     Yunus Oniboki     Prince Mahe Abdulkadir     Oluwole Dupe     Busari Toyin Isiaka     Playing Host     Olabanji Orilonishe     Ojo Fadumila     Sulyman Abdulkareem     Amuda Bembe     Saliu Alamoyo     Akande Idowu Ayoola Muhammed     Esinrogunjo     Bayo Lawal     Shettima     Abdulwahab Olarewaju Issa     Tinubu     Kwara Primary Health Care Development Agency     Kwara-SAPZ Project     SAPZ Project     Abdulrazaq Solihudeen     ASMAU PLAZA     Mohammed Ibrahim     Ope Saraki     Ilorin Muslim Community     Olubukola Kifayat Adedeji     Bolakale Kawu     Sayomi