115th Founder’s Day Celebration
Ponmile Oloyede: From Abeograms to Citi…
When names were being considered for the Old Boy Spotlight in the centenary issue of the Agsoba NEWS, Ponmile Oloyede’s was one that came up strongly. After months of tracking him on LinkedIn, we finally got him to commit to a sit-down with the Editorial team. Armed with a long list of questions, we delved into unraveling the personality of Agsoba Ponmile Oloyede (8893). When the interview began, his excitement was easy to see and we were sure we would have a great time. And a great time, we did have. The first thing you’d notice is a graceful and humble mien presented in a look that belies his person. He wears a short dread on a bespectacled face that might at once make you mistake him for an educated reggae star -save a guitar, a smoldering wrap of the abominable vegetable and a multi-colored wool hat. But Ponmile Oloyede is anything but a musician. He is the Senior Vice President, CCAR Model Oversight, Risk Planning and Analysis at Citi Bank. Prior to this, he was Vice President, Core Modeling, JPMorgan Chase & Co. “I moved to Citi from JPMorgan Chase some three years ago. For Citi I do something called risk model oversight where we help the bank to oversee the models that they use to forecast the possible losses the bank could incur so they can put money (reserves) aside for that,” he said with a crisp accent he attempts to keep Nigerian but repeatedly falls short. When prodded, he confessed his Nigerian Ness despite being away for so long. “There is so much to love about Nigeria despite the despondency, I am a Nigerian at heart, I am very proud Yoruba. In fact one of my proudest accomplishments at Abeo was that I got an A1 in Yoruba. I speak Yoruba and Egba well; these things define me, culturally, as a person, as a Yoruba, iwa omoluabi, all of those are not things that can be replicated within the US cultural milieu. We are essentially economic refugees here,” he chipped in with a tinge of sadness he did well to hide with a grin. Taking us on a journey into his formative years, Ponmile went into a graceful monologue that gave credence to his sense of reflection and deference to self-direction. Born to a father whose education did not pass 6th grade and a mother who barely made middle grade, he had very little familial influence in his education. “I was one of the very few people who attended boarding school right from elementary school. I was 5 years old when I was enrolled at Children’s House School (CHS) Ibara. Unlike many who went to Abeo, I had no legacy affiliation to Abeograms. But there was this senior, I think he was the assistant senior prefect at Abeo at the time, (Senior Makinde) who stayed in our boarding house at CHS, so it was his influence that swayed me and also the fact that Abeokuta Grammar School sounded like the school for the entire Abeokuta and not like, for example, Igbore High School and the likes who seemed to my 10-year-old mind to be for students drawn only from a certain quarter of the city. From the first day (at Abeograms), I felt at home; I knew it was the right place for me, I loved every moment of my stay. For someone who lived his entire childhood in the boarding house, far from parental guidance, its beggars’ belief how he turned out to be such an academically outstanding individual. “I always did well in school. Coming from Children House to Abeo, I had already spent five years in the boarding school so I settled in pretty fast. In my first term at Abeo, I came first in the class and as it turned out, my result was the overall best in the entire JS 1 for that year. Immediately there were eyes on me but I was pretty scattered in school, I’d lose the keys to my lockers every time. But what I did was every holiday, totally self-directed, I would just tell my dad I want to go for summer lessons, finish all the New General Math and all for the year and go back to school. During school, I would not take classes seriously and even during prep I’d be all over the place and people were like “Is this guy reading at all?” He surmises with an infectious laughter you could feel came from a place of grateful reminisces. “Then I went for JETS (Junior Engineers, Technicians and Scientists Club) and became the best student in Nigeria. That was a big deal at the time because Abeokuta Grammar School had barely participated to a large extent. Knowing that someone from Abeokuta Grammar School competed with students from the Kings Colleges of the world, Federal Government Colleges and won…all contributed to the so-called legend you speak of.” On how he came to be so academically driven, he tells the story of a particular young girl whose picture was hung on the wall in the principal’s office. Upon inquiries, he was told the girl had won some competition and so had her photo frame on the wall as a form of honour. “I wanted to have my picture up there too and so that was a driving force,” he said with a smile. He then quickly gave much kudos to the quality of teachers in the school at the time. “I remember Mrs. Thomas Oyedele who taught Science; then Mr. Abass who coordinated the JETS competition as well as Mr Afuape who taught us Chemistry. I remember at JETS, I was the 4th best student in Chemistry in the whole of Nigeria, and that was due to the quality of teaching… even to French. I had learnt French from Children’s House School and by SS 2 I represented Abeo and Ogun State at the National French competition; in fact, the French teacher then was
A Shining Light to The Youths – Agsoba Ayotunde O., DA
– Agsoba Ayotunde Okunowo, DA, 9602 Secretary-General, AGSOBA Global Can we meet You? My name is Ayotunde Okunowo. I was in Abeokuta Grammar School between September 1996 and July 2002 therefore a member of AGSOBA Club 9602. I am proud to be a product of our sartorial, eloquent and charismatic Principal F.O Ogun from whom we took so many good virtues of life aside education. I am the convener and the pioneer president of my Club, AGSOBA 9602. AGSOBA 9602 is the youngest club to convey in the history of AGSOBA. I am the author of the book Thirty Things You Must Do Before You Are Thirty and on which impact, I was honoured and awarded by the Immediate Past Governor of Ogun State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, CON FCA as the Outstanding Personality in Education. Prior to that, I was appointed by late Ambassador Segun Olusola, OFR, mni, as the Honourary Consultant to African Refugees Foundation (AREF). AREF is into the rescue, re-habilitation and re-integration of Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons. AREF has similar objectives with Journalist Forum for International Migration (JIFORM) which I am also a member. I am a product of Quality Academy in Technical & Vocational Education Training (TVET) of the City & Guilds Institute of London. I am an Under-Secretary at the National Secretariat of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and have served in one or two committees. I am currently a pioneer student of the School of Politics, Policies and Governance (SPPG) established by the Former Minister for Education, Mrs Oby Ezekwesili; a school which prepares young Nigerians for public leadership. How active were you before Sec Gen, and what led to your nomination and subsequent election as Sec Gen? After the launch of my book, I was approached by some eminent Agsoba to start warming up for responsibilities within AGSOBA. In 2013, I was elected at a relatively young age as the Secretary of Abeokuta Branch and I served under Agsoba (Honourable) Justice Bode Popoola, JP, FIMC, DA as the President of the Branch. For some strange reasons, we ended spending Six (6) years even though the constitutional limit was four (4) years. All along, I equally served as the Secretary of the 107th, 108th, and 109th Founders Day Anniversary Committee with the kind and unassuming Agsoba W.A Shogbamu (D.A) as the Chairman. I was a member of the Merit Award Committee for six (6) years and a Correspondent to AGSOBANEWS for three (3) years. Permit me to mention that after I relinquished power as the Protem-President of my Club, I became the Chairman of the Education Committee and my Committee was always in the School organising Career Summit for the SSS3 and JSS3 students. We equally organised leadership summit for all the prefects annually. We brought resources persons all across Nigeria to enlighten the students on matters of leadership and career. At this Juncture, I must indeed appreciate my mentor, the then Principal and later Principal-General of Egba Block, Agsoba (Chief) Funsho Olayiwola Ogun DA for giving us the enabling environment. I floated a Prize Award for the Best student in English, English Literature & Government at the valedictory service and was instrumental to the resuscitation of AGSOBA FUNAAB Chapter & Federal Polytechnic Ilaro. In fact, I spoke at some of their Annual Symposia pro bono. This endeavour really gave me and my club a leverage and projected us as the most active young AGSOBA Club. On the account of our activity, my club projected me for the Award of Distinguished Agsoba under the leadership of my President and bosom friend Agsoba (Engr) Samson Akinola Akinrombi. In fact, we started the Agsoba Journey together but he has since relocated to the United State of America. How did I become the Secretary-General? We were at an AGSOBA function sometimes 2015 that the immediate past President-General, Late Agsoba Olatunbosun Lampejo DA called me aside and told me that I will be the next Secretary-General of AGSOBA. This was two (2) years before the AGSOBA National Election. I stylishly countered it with animated eloquence! It happened that while serving as the Secretary of Abeokuta Branch and Secretary of the FDA Committee, I was under close watch. I have this private philosophy that I must put my best in any endeavour. Whilst as the Secretary of Abeokuta Branch, I meticulously ensured that most of my minutes were error-free, and were delivered on time. Punctuality was my watchword! A good Secretary should be the first to get to a meeting and the last person to leave. Later on, I was approached by the Immediate Past Secretary-General, Late Agsoba Taofeek Ola Opaleye DA on the same matter. Agsoba Biodun Durojaiye DA, Diasi Ogunsola DA and Agsoba (Honourable) Justice Bode Popoola, JP, FIMC, DA also called me separately on the matter. Then I knew there was no point contesting my nomination anymore. You’re the youngest DA yet, how does this make you feel? Ordinarily, it doesn’t make me feel anyhow. I have this very private opinion that Cucullus Non Facit Monachum (the hood doesn’t make a monk). There are lots of intrigues attached to that honour in the first place. It was a period that Agsoba (Hon) Lanre Laoshe led administration decided that the Award was no longer going to be a la carte. I served as the Secretary of a 5-man Committee that was constituted to look into the Award issue. While some individuals were of the opinion that I was too young to be conferred and should be deferred till sometimes in the future, some other individuals were moved by my imperishable records of service to AGSOBA. On that note, I must indeed appreciate Agsoba (Barrister) Sunday Olurotimi Oduntan DA, my amicus curiae who stood his ground throughout the nomination process knowing fully well the extent of my contributions to Abeokuta Grammar School & AGSOBA. He was also awarded as a Distinguished Agsoba at a relatively young age but he made sure I surpassed his records
Dipo Sodipo: Remembering the Pope Without a Cathedral
The famous St Peter’s Cathedral Ake brimmed with joy that Sunday morning sometimes in November 1994. Not just the famed there-is fullness-of-joy-in-the-presence of-God kind of joy, but a palpable sense of gratitude nay jubilation at the blessings of a new born to the family of one of its own, the very popular and ebullient Dipo Sodipo. The self-styled Pope, Dipo Sodipo’s sobriquet, haven gotten married years earlier had been without a child and everyone was expectant. When the child eventually came, it was the long awaited answer to the people’s prayers. Pope was a joy giver and a key member of the Cathedral. His jovial mien and outlook to life deserved a personal blessing. The outpour of affection and good wishes was testament to the kind of man Pope was. Dipo Sodipo was born to the famous Sodipo family of Igbehin Ancestral Route in 1954. He attended the famous Abeokuta Grammar School, that renowned school that produced Fela, the filmmaker Tunde Kelani, Guinness World Record holder, Senator David Dafinone, Barrister Olisa Chukwura; and then The Polytechnic, Ibadan, where he studied Music. At school, he cofounded the CHORAL Group with a group of friends that later metamorphosed into the K-12 Voices in the then Western Region. The K-12 Voices regaled the campus with choral music and regularly performed on the Western Nigeria TV (and later BCOS and Radio Nigeria Ibadan). He popularized the one-man band style which the Tunji Oyelanas had perfected years before he started his One-Man band. By the 90s, Pope was the rave of the entire Abeokuta metropolis. It is pertinent to recall that 90s in Abeokuta was a melting pot of media enfant terrible and boundless socialization. The presence of the then Ogun State Polytechnic (now Moshood Abiola Polytechnic), UNAAB & FCE OSIELE aided the nightlife of the ancient city as the Students, whose social activities rivalled their education drove most of the gigs in town. From hosting K1 to Sir Shina Peters, who ruled the juju landscape with his fast afro juju fusion, the Students made Abeokuta a social hub rivalled only by Ife, Ibadan and Lagos. The city is home to Ogun Radio, arguably the training ground for most legendary radio personalities and entertainers of today. Before every other frequency on the FM band hosted a radio station, OGBC 2 90.45FM was the beloved lone ranger. From the late Gbenga Adeboye to Late Toba Opaleye; from Larry Echejile (now Izamoje of Brila FM) to Yinka Ayefele (who now runs his own string of radio stations he calls Fresh FM), himself an Assistant and Content Creator to Kola Olawuyi; from the late Peter Okoduwa, who inspite suffering great personal tragedy when he lost all but one child in a drowning accident, gave classical social and political commentary (think today’s Jimi Disu without the annoyance), to a young Abisade Ologunde (you may know him as Lagbaja) who hosted a late evening show, Ambrose Somide now of Raypower etc, OGBC 2 was the home of broadcasting. And where there was such glowing media presence, a vibrant academic community, the Remembering The Pope Without A Cathedral Dipo Sodipo: 42 nightlife was bound to be a hit. Dipo Sodipo was the royalty of the social stratosphere. From parties to clubs, Pope held sway. He was made the President of the One Man Band Association at some point, perhaps due to his influence which ran deeper than his baritone voice and an ever present , jovial nature which endeared him to many across the social space. It is pertinent to note that at Pope’s passing, the young Orlando Owoh-wannabe, Tunde Soyebi, who took over the mantle of leadership too died suddenly, leaving the Association without a leader for a really long time as the members felt the leadership was cursed. But I digress. Many would recall Pope’s weekly soirée at Wetlands Clubs and then SuperFoods back in the day. Be it sat behind two steps of keyboard, playing to a preset tune he regularly changes to suit the atmosphere, sometimes a carton of his favored Guilder nestled underneath the musical instrument, Pope sang with unmistakable swag and a joy that could only be from within. And he didn’t just sing, he also engaged his audience. Like Fela, he would sometimes go into short sessions of banter with his fans most of whom were either his friends from way back or family or both. Indeed, after their famous Friday night Show on OGBC, Nkan Nbe, Kolawole Olawuyi and his sidekick, Yinka Ayefele, would sometimes drop by at his gig in town to relax after a long day’s work before departing for Ibadan the following morning. His popular saying, elere fe to, Yoruba for the performer needs to take a leak, became synonymous with a musical interlude that stretched into minutes. Many say he took the break not just for biological reasons but for a short smoking stint, same as was renown for the legendary Orlando Owoh. Pope married his heartthrob, Olapeju, a high school teacher & Educator, fellow alumnus of the Polytechnic, Ibadan, and had three daughters, Ayomipo, Ikepo and Dolapo. For most of his years, he lived in a modest apartment next to the Sodipo’s family compound in Iporo Ake, a short drive from St Peter’s Cathedral, Ake. At the time of his demise, he lived at the upscale Ibara Housing Estate. His personal house, a custom built duplex deep inside Obantoko was completed after his demise. Recently, this writer drove past the house and could not but wonder how much changed the house would have become had Pope lived much longer. Not for lack of maintenance, far from it, it was simply a case of a palace missing its king. While he did music and became famous for it, Pope worked for many years with his elder brother, now late, the foremost publisher, Distinguished Old Boy of the very Abeokuta Grammar School, the venerable community leader, Gbemi Sodipo, as the Assistant Director of the hugely popular Gbemi Sodipo Press
One Man in Search of Happiness
By: Agsoba (Chief) Femi Akinfolarinwa Primarily, I wish to concede my incapacitation to offer anything materially o r spiritually tangible. But like Christ told the woman by the well in John 4 13-14 on quote; “Everyone that drinks of this well water will remain thirsty but whoever drinks of the water I will give him, will never be thirsty again. The water I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to everlasting life”. The above quote was from Christ. No living being is at the level of Christ, but the Merciful God has made His g race our common heritage, provided we are ready to offer the required sacrifice to access it and as it is well known, gold is not found on the surface of the earth. He who truly wants gold must dig deep. No other way. This message is aimed at assisting us to have peace of mind that seems elusive to mankind and the pursuit of it appears to be our main occupation. The truth of the matter is that we are generally restless because we have let go the hands of the Lord. Worse still, nothing in the creation can and will ever give us lasting happiness. This is because we are imperceptibly souls, and being originally pure souls that we are, our real self is of divinit y and imperishable. Therefore nothing in this world can ever give our soul any lasting happiness, because everything the ordinary eyes can see is perishable, beneath and inferior to the soul. The cosmic law is, our soul c an neve r find any enduring happiness in anything beneath it. Thus; seeking a lasting happiness in a world of duality is equated to seeking of nectar in a cobra’s venom. It is an utter impossibility The ready question then is: how did we let go the hands of the Lord? The answer is not far-fetched. it is simply for the fact that we have reduced the Lord to a mere doctor that we only remember when we have health challenges. Perhaps we are deeming the Lord as a lawyer that we only need when we have a case to answer, or a mechanic that is only relevant whenever our vehicle develops faults. THE LIST IS ENDLESS. Being our common pedigree, the Lord is the very core of our being that we must be in touch with every moment of our lives. Were it not so, the Messiah wouldn’t have stressed on the importance of ceaseless prayers as He admonished in the parable of the ten virgins narrated in mark 13 vs35 thus: “Watch ye therefore for you can never tell when the husband man will come calling”. In forgetfulness of this injunction, we are compared with a child that follows the parent to a fair. At the fair, the child holding the parent’s hands or having the parent in view is fascinated by the lightings, dollies, games, lollies, candies and other trappings the fair has to offer. He continually feels the fun it is getting is all coming from the fair. Fine we will say. Now let us imagine if by happenstance, the child lets go the parent’s hands, obviously, the child will become miserable at once. All the trappings of the fair are still there, but they have now become insipid to the child, upon letting go the parent’s hands. So with the situation with mankind. We are generally restless because, we have let go the Lord’s hands. No respite for any of us, until we get a grip of our Father-Lord once again. The good news is that the way about this is not lacking in any religion, provided we search for the truth in all the religions and embrace their truths only, as it is taught by the Messiah in John 8 vs 32 that: “Only the truth shall set you free” Searching for the truth is very vital and is an individual thing. We should try to avoid what Jesus cautioned against in Matthew 15 vs 14 as: “A case of the blind leading the blind” While we individuality search for the truth for the purpose of adopting the truth only, it is not out of place to in the interim place at our disposal some axioms about life, until we are able to individuality access the unchanging truth. This is our goal in the coarse material plane. No more no less. GOD IS REAL To start with and to assist us, it is of essence for our peace of mind that we accept there is a Creator and the world is going on according to His Grand Design. In other words, God has not created this world and lost the control of it. on and to gain the right direction To Be Continued In The Next Edition
Someone else’s father’s farm
They were two of a kind, as far as other students were concerned. It was not a new deduction. It had been with them right from their first year at Abeokuta Grammar School. This deduction did not take into consideration their physical appearance. Segun was bean-stalk tall while Gboyega was small, with well-rounded buttocks. Yet they were seen as two of a kind. No doubt, this was premised on their shared love for reading, movies (then popularly referred to as films) and spinning yarns! The last definitely was a product of the first two, which they both had in abundance. Strangely, they do not rival or compete. They give time to each other! Enjoyed each other’s session and on many occasions present joint performance to the delight of their schoolmates. School mates, yes, because they do not segregate who they entertain, juniors, seniors or classmates. Segun and Gboyega were Day students. But you find it hard to really notice. They were always in school from dawn to dusk for extra curriculum activities. Be it sports or literary and debating activities, they had noticeable presence. Noticeable, despite lacking sporting abilities because they had made sure they knew “from a little to everything” about the popular sports in schools then. Mention it and they gave the history and its famous stars. Soccer originated in the ancient Chinese Dynasties, was modernized into an organized game in the United Kingdom. It’s famous stars include the Brazilian teenage World Cup wonder, PELE, Eusebio from Portugal, Frenec Puskas; star goal keepers included Lev Yashin of Russia (as they continued to refer to USSR in the late sixties and early seventies) and Gordon Banks of England. They will do the same for Table Tennis, Lawn Tennis, Hockey, Netball, Baseball, Athletics and even Lacrosse! The information they gave was always more than the school Sports Coach, Mr. Eboda had taught them in theories of sports! People and Places was their forte! And the richly stocked Library of Abeokuta Grammar School in the “New” science complex was their resource centre. It was little wonder that Segun and Gboyega were most intrigued and excited when rumours had it that the school was planning an excursion to Kainji Electricity Power Generating Plant in New Bussa, Northern Nigeria in the coming year, 1971. Their immediate concern was whether they would be lucky to qualify for the trip i.e. if it was going to be an open one and not restricted to science students (being Electricity generation) only. They were not really concerned about restriction to senior classes as they were in form four. They were seniors in their own rights and by the third term that year, some of them will be appointed Acting Prefects alongside HSC I students, to run the school while the final year students will be taking their examinations. So, whether open or restricted, they and their classmates will qualify for the excursion trip. However, the latter was the case. The trip was restricted to students from form three upwards and it was not restricted to science Prince Adegboyega Toyin Gbadebo2 “The whole bus was first aghast, then, they scrambled to hug him Segun who was suddenly a “star” for daring a greater “dare” than those who walked the Niger bridge!” 24 students. The sound reasoning of the school authorities was that “although the Kainji Dam Electricity Power Generating Plant was all about Science and Engineering, its impact on the society was of tremendous value to development and progress, the management of which rests on squarely on the shoulders of the social scholars”. The day of the trip finally came and take-off point was the old site main gate at Isale-Igbein. Take-off time was at dawn which only presented challenge for Day students coming for different parts of the town. The parents were up to the task. Many of them ensured their wards slept in the homes of relatives not far from the old site, while others contracted taxi-owner friends to convey theirs wards to the school in time for the trip. In the grey dawn of the morning, the students took their appointed seats with their travelling bags (all sorts, cloth, leather and portmanteau) under their seats. Baba Iyabo, the trusted and tested school Head driver, was ready. So one of the accompanying teachers said the prayers. At this point one of the students raised his voice seeking attention of the teacher. It was Gboyega and he reported that he has not seen Segun, his friend who was to sit beside him! The teacher was blunt as he was stern-faced. “We are not waiting for any student that is not here by now (15 minutes after expected take-off time). Such as student is deemed no longer interested in the trip and his or her money is forfeited”. And with that, Baba Iyabo hit the road with a long blast of the horns. The journey to New Bussa has started with buzz of excitement pervading the bus; everybody talking at the same time. Gboyega, feeling the absence of his buddy, Segun, was a little bit uncomfortable wondering what could have gone wrong. Finding no plausible answer in his ruminations, he remembered the teachings at church and asked God to guide Segun wherever he might be! Raising his bowed head after the prayer a little later, he noticed that the bus was no longer buzzing with chatter but was in a smooth slumber that sways to the weaving of the bus as it ploughs the early dawn towards Ibadan the first stop for mineral water and refreshments. The tour left Ibadan just a few minutes before 8:00am and travelled through familiar sights of schools, villages and farmlands up to Oyo town. That was about 10:00am, and the students had proper breakfast of “Amala Isu” (to Egba people who have the cassava flour amala known as Lafun) and goat meat and choice mineral water such as Coca-Cola, Pepsi Cola, Miranda, Fanta and Seven-Up were called in those days. They
Echoes From The 113rd Founders’ Day Celebrations
The hugely successful dual celebrations of the 113th Anniversary of the founding of Abeokuta Grammar School, Abeokuta, Ogun State as well as the 100th Anniversary of the known oldest Old Students’ Association in Nigeria, Abeokuta Grammar School Old Boys’ Association (AGSOBA) – founded in 1921 – had come and gone but their attendant reminiscences would linger on for some time to come. According to history, Abeokuta Grammar School was founded on 8th July 1908. That explained the reason the Founders’ Day Anniversary celebrations had always started on 8th July of every year of celebration, except in 2020 when the Anniversary did not take place, no thanks to the COVID-19 Pandemic. It was, therefore, a great relief that God made it possible for the dual events to take place in 2021. The two-in-one programme of events started on Monday 5th July, 2021 and ended on Sunday, 11th July, 2021. The first day of the Event was set aside for the arrivals of Agsoba from across Nigeria and the Diaspora. Unarguably, every event on the programme was successful. Apart from the World Press Conference on Tuesday 6th July, 2021, the Anniversaries’ logos were also unveiled that day. It is pertinent to state that the logos were products of a keen competition that had taken place previously. The best of the logos (one each for the 113th and the 100th Anniversaries of the School and AGSOBA respectively) were unanimously selected at the Central Executive Commmittee (CEC) Meeting that took place a month or so before the Celebrations. Equally worthy of mention at this juncture and for the records, too, is that the logos that were selected and used for the Celebrations were designed by Agsoba Oluwaseun Asimolowo. Wednesday, 7th July, 2021 was the Education Summit which featured three Lectures. The first was a Lecture on ‘The History of Abeokuta Grammar School’ which was well delivered by Agsoba (Chief) E.B. Adeyanju, DA, 4954, an Author and Authority on the History of Abeokuta Grammar School and by extension, that of AGSOBA. The Lecture was well received and applauded by the audience. The second Lecture was titled ‘Worsening Insecurity as Hydra-headed Catalyst of Disunity: Nigeria at a Cross Road’. It was delivered by Hon. (Chief) Benjamin O. Ogunmodede, a former Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Abeokuta Branch. His Lecture, too, received a thunderous applause. The third Lecture, entitled ‘Managing the Disruptive Economic Effects of Covid -19 Pandemic in Nigeria Society’ was delivered by Honourable Justice Olugboyega Ogunfowora, the Vice President, Baptist Boys’ High School (BBHS) Old Boys’ Association. His Lecture, too, was equally well received and appreciated with rounds of applause. The Education Summit Session was chaired by Professor Alao Adelekan, the Chairman of the Conference of Old Students’ Associations, South West Region of Nigeria. A retired Permanent Secretary in Ogun State Civil Service and a friend of many Agsoba, Alhaji Kunle Adegbite, availed AGSOBA of his wealth of experience as the Rappoteur for the three Lectures. On Thursday 8th July, there was a Football match between Abeokuta Grammmar School and Ijebu Ode Grammar School Teams. It ended 2- 0 in favour of the Host Team, Abeokuta Grammar School. The same day witnessed Cultural performances by four Schools, namely: Egba High School, Baptist Girls’ College, Revd. Kuti Memorial High School and Ijeun Titun High School. The four Schools performed creditably well to the admiration and enjoyment of all. The Event was chaired by Agsoba Lanre Laoshe, DA, 6872, the out-going President General, AGSOBA Global who showed personal appreciation to each of the four Teams which he described as ‘all Winners’. On Friday, 9th, a Jumat Service was held at the Central Mosque, Kobiti, Abeokuta where prayers were offered for the continued progress of the School and all – AGSOBA FEMI KOLAJO, DA, 6872 the communities in Egbaland. That same evening was ‘The Variety Night’ – a great night which was well attended. It was fun galore as usual. The Anniversary T-Shirts and caps were worn by not a few. Love was really shown to one another. Joyful screams, by Classmates and or Schoolmates who had not met for years, rendered the air. Assorted meals ‘adorned’ all the tables which were arranged and occupied, mainly, according to Club sets. ‘Poisons’ were freely destroyed while soft drinks competed, unsuccessfully though, as their patronage – by the few likes of this Writer – was extremely low. That same night of 9th, the out-going President General, Agsoba Lanre Laoshe. DA, 6872, gave out Certificates of Service to various individuals who assisted him in the course of his tenure in the spirit of ‘Recognition and Reward’ Perhaps, the highlight of the Night was the Launch of the Centenary edition of AGSOBA News Magazine which was described by not a few as a Collector’s item. The Chief Launcher was Agsoba Reuben Oluwambe Sogaolu, DA, 7681. He was supported by his 7681 Classmates. The UK/Ireland as well as the North America Branches also bought sizeable copies as a way of supporting the Launch of the Magazine. For this Writer, the major highlight of the Anniversary took two place in the morning of Saturday, 10th July 2021. That was the Annual General Meeting during which new Officers were appointed to lead our Association, AGSOBA, for two years. That was after the dissolution of the two terms of a four-year administration led by Distinguished Agsoba (Hon.) Lanre Laoshe, 6872. Agsoba (Dr.) Femi Kotoye, 6771, DA, a US – based Agsoba was appointed ‘Electoral Officer’ to conduct the election. He was assisted, and ably too, by Agsoba Aderibigbe Adesola, 7782, DA, a Past President, AGSOBA UK/Ireland and AGSOBA Dunni Amode, 7984, who at the time was the Sitting President of AGSOBA, UK/Ireland. The atmosphere under which the elections were carried out was peaceful. In the end, Agsoba (High Chief) Sunday Olurotimi Oduntan, 7681, DA, was elected, unopposed, as President to lead our Global Association for a two-year term, 2021/2022 – 2022/2023, the year of Nigeria’s General elections
Olodo Rabata: Dealing with poor academic performance in a Child
There is a fair chance that at least one pupil, probably more than one, in at least one class or the other in one of our primary or secondary schools, is facing a firing squad in his/her class. Yes, a firing squad, that barbaric method of executing a criminal which has become untenable almost everywhere in the civilized world; but in this case, the execution is carried out with a hail of hurtful words and the victim is often the confidence and morale of the pupil. More often than not, the execution is carried out with this song: “Olodo rabata, oju eja lo mo je….” I must confess that I am no longer familiar with what obtains in our schools these days but back in the day, there was a consensus that a poorly performing pupil was either lazy, unserious or utterly useless. These pupils were severely punished with harsh ‘words and whips. While it is true that poor performance could stem from poor effort, scientific evidence suggest that a fair fraction of these students have disabilities which must be addressed before any improvement in performance can be seen. This essay is about those who fall into this latter category. Developmental pediatricians have a methodical, evidence-based approach to the child with poor academic performance. The first step is often to rule out any psycho-social stressors – abuse, parental conflict, deprivation, lack of a supportive learning environment etc. – which could be responsible for poor performance. Once these are ruled out, the next step is to determine if the child has an intellectual or learning disability. The mean intelligence quotient (IQ) in the population is about 100 with a standard deviation of 15. A person whose IQ is two standard deviations (70 and less) below the mean is said to have an intellectual disability. This could be mild, moderate or severe depending on how low the score is. The IQ is tested via standardized IQ testing by trained specialists. The causes of intellectual disabilities are extensive. They are often genetic – fragile X syndrome, Down syndrome. Fetal alcohol syndrome seen in babies who were exposed to alcohol in utero is another well-established cause. On the other hand, children with a learning disability often have a normal IQ on the standardized test but have problems with reading, written language or maths. Dyslexia and dyscalculia are examples of learning disabilities. It is important to note that these diagnoses should be made by those who are trained to do so. Punishment with whips or harsh words will not improve the grades of a child with an intellectual or learning disability. Making them repeat classes, as we used to in the past, will not bring about the desired improvement. In fact, more often than not, they are counterproductive. In rich countries, the disabilities are unlikely to cope in a regular class without a targeted support structure. With the right intervention some of these children acquire enough skills and knowledge to play important roles in the work force of their various nations. Though we do not have the humungous resources of these nations, the time has come for us to start brainstorming on creative and affordable interventions that will give these children a good shot at maximizing their potentials and contributions to national development. For a start government needs to invest in the training of various specialists who can diagnose and prescribe appropriate interventions. It is equally important to educate the public about these disabilities so that the populace will become empowered to make prudent choices. In summary, this article sought to make it known that not every child with poor grades is lazy and making such children work harder or repeat classes will not improve their performance. While the grades of many children can be improved by intensive coaching and hard work, children with intellectual or learning disabilities have underlying issues that must be addressed in a systematic manner by those who are trained and competent in managing these conditions. It is time we began to think of ways to create policies and structures that can help these children reach for the sky despite the challenges they face from their disabilities. Jide Sowemimo is pediatric resident doctor (PGY-3) with New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation.
Agsoba (Chief) Sunday O. Oduntan, DA.
Agsoba (Chief) Sunday Olurotimi Oduntan, DA, 7681, President-General, AGSOBA Global High Chief (Barr.) Sunday Olurotimi Oduntan is a resourceful Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria with excellent interpersonal and communication skills. He is currently the *Executive Director, Research & Advocacy of ANED (Association of Nigerian Electricity Distributors) and the official Spokesman of all the 11 Electricity Distribution Companies in Nigeria. (formerly called NEPA)* Prior to this appointment, he was head hunted from the United Kingdom in 2013 and took up the role of the pioneer *Company Secretary & Chief Legal Adviser* of Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company Plc. (IBEDC) at the inception of privatisation of PHCN in November 2013. He relocated back to Nigeria after over 26 years in the United Kingdom. He is an experienced Manager of personnel and resources, a trained Teacher and seasoned Administrator. Sunday Olurotimi Oduntan attended St John’s Anglican primary School, Alaha near Obafemi in Obafemi/Owode Local Govt area. He was born when his father was 80 years old, hence he had to go and learn Tailoring in Lagos when his father could not send him to school immediately after his Primary education (and the old man was 91 years old!) He was a Tailor for three years whilst waiting for two of his elder brothers to finish secondary school, due to lack of funds. Barr. Oduntan attended the prestigious Abeokuta Grammar School after being a Tailor for three years (from 1973 to 1976), hence his nickname, Baba Tailor. He worked for one year as a Clerical Officer at the then Obafemi Local Government Obafemi from 1981 to 1982. He attended the Ogun State College of Education, Ijebu Ode where he studied Fine-Arts from 1982 to 1985. He became a Teacher of Economics and Fine-Arts in various schools, the last being at Egbado Technical Institute Ibooro, Yewa North Ogun State, from where he relocated to the UK in the 80s in search of the golden fleece! High Chief Oduntan studied Law at the London South Bank University, United Kingdom, from where he holds an *LL.B (Hons) Degree in Law. He also obtained an LL.M in Energy & Natural Resources Law from the University of East London. He started his working career in the United Kingdom, first with a Law Firm where he made his mark, and later joined the London Underground Limited, a subsidiary of Transport for London, where he was an Operational Manager on the Northern Line (one of the very few blacks or Asians at that level in that time). During his many years of his working career in the United Kingdom, he has gained vast experience in the area of Legal Administration, Company Secretariat and Operational Management. He also has wide experience of Human Resources Management, Project Management and Performance Management. High Chief Oduntan is a Certifi ed Mediator & Arbitrator as well as a Certifi ed Relationship Counsellor. The Alake and Paramount Ruler of Egbaland, HRM Oba Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo CFR, honoured Barr. Sunday Olurotimi Oduntan with the double Chieftaincy titles of; Baamofi n of Ijeun and Asiwaju Baamofi n of Egbaland. He is a former President of AGSOBA UK 1996-1998 (Abeokuta Grammar School Alumni, UK Branch) and a member of Abeokuta Club. He is the current National President of OSCE REUNION GROUP, an Alumni group of all former students of the then OGUN STATE COLLEGE OF EDUCATION, IJEBU-ODE. He is married to Abisoye and blessed with three children namely, Abosede (a First Class Lawyer), Babatunde and Olufunso.
