Welcome to OGS at 70

by Chief Jide Falokun, OGOSA National President

Let us give glory and thanks to the Almighty God who made it possible for us to be at this 70th Anniversary of Offa Grammar school. Education is an instrument for social political and economic development in the life of any nation.

It has even been more so in the life of Offa and the environs and all people sojourning at Offa where the oldest community secondary school in the whole of the then Northern region was established. Offa grammar school was established In the year 1943 through the dedicated communal effort of the people of Offa. It is important to note that in spite of the second world war of 1939-45, the people engaged themselves in pursuing the ambition of establishing an educational Institution at that time. It was the commitment that brought all the indigenes together, regardless of social and religious perspective.

It was the establishment of Offa grammar school that eventually earned Offa a recognition and place of pride in the then Northern Region and the entire country. It brought people of different ethnicity working in Offa together, might be ljeshas, Egba, lbos, Hausa and others then working in different federal establishment like the railways and those who came to teach at Offa or do other business. The reason why the catchment area was wide and bought all of us together under one roof.

Those who have studied and left Offa grammar school were more than 15,000. We thank God and the Offa people especially the ODU for this golden opportunity given to all of us. We thanks our pioneer Principals Chief J.A. Osanyin, Chief Adelowo and others for their good work in building the school.

We thank our Old students who have been doing their best that new buildings are built and old one renovated. We specially thank our first president of Offa grams school old students association Mr Sofoluwe for establishing the old students association, A hall has been built in his honour and though completed. the dedication and opening ceremony will be for another day.

We thank the past presidents of the association Chief Okobi, Prof. M.O. Oyawoye, Justice M.S. Belgore FIRM Dele Olashore the Owa loko of Ijesha land who left us recently for higher glory, Chief Oluwafemi Olukanmi the eketa of Olubadan who also has gone for better glory with the lord. We thank all the executive member of OGSOSA, the chairman of our building committee general Alani Akinrinade and the chairman of the 70th anniversary committee Chief Otun Adeyemi MFR and all the member of his committee. I also thank all members of OGSOSA.

Educational Standard- No doubt good infrastructure have been provided for the school by the founder and the old students and recently by the Central Bank of Nigeria. We however are yet to see brilliant students now coming from the school. Last year the Principal gave the following report and I quote “our senior school certificate for 2011 is not that impressive but a bit better than the previous year i.e. 2010. In both WAEC and NECO we have about forty students with at least minimum entry requirement for University admissions" end of quote. We were not given details. We tried to find out the reasons for the poor results the Principal reported that the school then had g 0 teachers though he complained that they were in adequate. No teachers for core subject in science. The Old Students association then gave authority for the recruitment of three teachers for the science subjects. We still pay the teachers till now.

We tried to find other reasons for the poor results and we discussed with the members of staff. We are made to understand that entry into Offa grammar school is no longer by entrance examination. Students are brought in by government- officials mostly from them, and for our chiefs and notable people at Offa, the back ground of these students are not tested and students of different standards are put together, we also note that the catchment area is mostly restricted to Offa indigenes, thus step is not good for the growth of the school and old students association. The lack of good result is already affecting the association as we don't have many of our students entering the universities. We should do something about this. We now have lbo traders and others now at Offa why can't we admit their children for a mix.

SPORTS- We noticed in our conferences that the school has jettisoned sports. There are not Inter-house sports, nor competition among the secondary schools at Offa and environs. We are aware that there are no sporting facilities, the field is now used for parties, no lawn tennis or other courts no table tennis.

OGSOSA will build two lawn tennis courts the new hall. The football field will be reconstructed and fenced. Table tennis table will be bought. We are aware that the school is very good in football, this will be encouraged the association will continue to pay for three teachers as we have been doing.

We appeal to all of us to help the school in our small ways.

Wishing all of us happy celebrations.