Opinions

Owo High School at 60: The view of Argonaut

Count your blessings and name them one by one, is a song of the faithful. Owo in Ondo State may not be rich but it is very blessed, blessed in human and agricultural resources, blessed in honest and transformational leadership. But what should be expected of a town whose name is Owo- honour? King Solomon never asked for wealth but wisdom and God added the rest. The name for an example is unique to the town, “Ile gbogbo ni ile Owo’’ Only Owo could have produced two Governors, Chief Adekunle Ajasin, and the incumbent, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu.

In the 60s, education of the teeming youths became a problem due to lack of enough secondary schools in the town. Those from wealthy homes could find solace in schools in other towns and like in Oliver Goldsmith’s poetry, ‘’where shall poverty reside’’. There was only Imade College for boys and St. Catharine’s, female only. But the situation was to change in 1963 when Chief Michael Adekunle Ajasin founded Owo High School for boys and girls. Chief Ajasin, Governor of Ondo State in 1979 had been the principal of Imade College from foundation in 1948. He was reputed to have prepared the blue print of the free education policy of the Western Region under the Premiership of Chief Obafemi Awolwo.

Due to Ajasin, being a seasoned educationist, Owo High School became an instant lodestar, attracting students of different tribes from far and near. In January 18, 1963, the first Argonauts, about 60 students neatly dressed in white uniform started the school and ever since there has been no looking back. From that modest of 60 students, the school population has risen to over 2000.

The instant result of this was the bridging of the gap between the rich and average. Social stratification was reordered. Self-esteem was born and psychological conflict fled. Children of the rich and the average could now rub shoulders. There was balance of confidence. This was aided by the humanitarian gesture introduced to prevent dropouts. For instance, students were not deprived of classes on the ground of debt. Baba as Ajasin was fondly called by students always remembered that he was dealing with children of largely cocoa farmers whose income is seasonal. Of course every father was proud to send his child to the ‘’school of Ajasin’’ .Why not, they were his fervent political supporters especially during the Owo ‘’roaring 60s and 70s’’.

To maintain a high standard of education and discipline, Chief Ajasin was for many years the pioneer principal and a master teaching Latin, English language and literature while his wife Mrs.Babafunke Ajasin, Bible knowledge and Home Economics. In the language of our English literature master in form five, Mr Akin Akinbodewa, Mama was ‘’a symbol of eager and endless industry.’’ When her chalk was at rest, her knitting kits were at work. Before opening the Bible mama would ask us to follow her in prayers, “O Lord, open thou my eyes, that I may behold wondrous thing in thy Holy Book, That we know not, please teach me’’. I discovered later that the prayer was adapted from Psalm 119. She was very adept in Bible studies. She gave the names of the three wise men who brought gifts to baby Jesus at the manger. The youngest was Casper which instantly became my nick name. The other two were Melchoir and Baltasar.

Chief Ajasin the Asiwaju of Owo, was a strict disciplinarian. It was an offence to punish a junior student. “Is it an offence for you to be here before him. After all you paid the same amount of fees”, he would charge at the senior student who like a gibbet would bow his head in remorse.

When junior students complained to him that senior students were eating double ration to their disadvantage, the Principal ordered that junior students should be eating ahead of their seniors especially during lunch as both boarders and day students were taking launch. We day students were consequently nicknamed ‘’day, boarder’’ because day students were taking lunch which boarders had taken for granted as their exclusive right. The best meal was rice usually served with fried fish on Wednesdays. That day there would be no absenteeism recorded because no student could afford to miss rice, the doyen of all foods. However, there was a student; name withheld that would not eat rice because according to him, “rice is for Christmas day only.” I may use this opportunity to deny ever throwing away the fork of a junior student who told his wife and some friends may be as a humour that I threw away his fork in the dining hall. But some of his friends had told me same. It could not have happened because I was neither a border nor a prefect. Even at lunch time, tables were arranged class by class. Every Student rushed to his or her table to search for a plate with fish head. I told his wife it was a mistaken identity. Fortunately some friend told him before his wife at a chanced social gathering that I was never a bully and I had never looked like one.

As we are counting our blessings, the 60th anniversary drums have already been rolled out. A week long activities will commence on November 6th with a motor float carnival round the town with stopovers at strategic places like the house of Chief Ajasin, the Palace of Olowo of Owo Oba Gbadegesin Ogunoye 111, and the Palace of The Ojomo of Ijebu Owo, Oba Kofoworola Oladoyinbo Ojomo, Major Gen, Rtr, once a Mathematics and Physics master in the school.

Looking back, the school has richly produced for the country and international community, manpower in various aspects of endeavor including Military General , Military Governors, captains of industries, big time investors, Professors, Medical Directors, Judges, Senior Advocates of Nigeria, Media Executives, Chartered Accountants, permanent secretaries, an Oba the Olowo of Owo,Oba Gbadegesin Ogunoye II1, the Chairman Board of trustees, Eng.Fola Alamudu, former General Manager of, NITEL (SW). President of Owo High School Students’ Association, Dr. Foluso Falaye, Chairman, Anniversary planning Committee, Prince Akinwale Amakaye-Ojomo. The incumbent Principal, Mr. Tunde George etc.

Anniversary projects include planting of 2001 trees, renovation of science laboratories, and school blocks, round about beautification, volley ball and badminton courts renovation, provision of furniture for students while fencing of the school land is ongoing to prevent encroachment.

Meanwhile, the President of Owo High School Old Students Association Dr. Foluso Falaye, an IT expert of international repute has appealed to old students to turn up en mass for the week long celebration. Congratulating members for living to witness the occasion, Dr. Falaye thanked God for making the country to be peaceful without which the celebration would not have been possible. “I would like to appeal to everyone to come out and participate in this great celebration as a mark of thanksgiving to God for preserving you to this day”, he said.