Osogbo Grammar School Global Alumni

f all saints Church Osogbo, Messrs John Koledowo, Thomas Ajani (Alaran and later Baba Ijo of All Saints' Church Osogbo) Moses Oladipo (Tailor of Olobu Compound Osogbo), Adeleke Laniyan, Inspector J.A Ajani, Ayo Oyaniyun, P.A Mosadomi, Reverend Maxwell, D.B Ladiran Mrs. M.L. Odetola (mother of Professor Tunde Odetola) - all of blessed memory. They were subsequently, greatly assisted by His Majesty, Oba Samuel Adenle 1, The Ataoja of Osogbo and eventual proprietor of the school in the arduous time of finding funds for planning and establishing the school. It was discovered that funds provided by a few Christians could not provide the strong type of school envisaged, it therefore, became necessary to secure the interest and co-operation of the other people in town at large as well as those of people in the neighbouring towns of Ede, Ikirun, Odo- Otin, and Ifelodun areas of Osun Division. As there was not a single secondary school in the whole of Osun Division at that time, and as the ministry of Education was stressing the need for all the people of these areas to join hands with Osogbo to establish one, the neighbouring communities also found it necessary to join hands with Osogbo to establish the school. Moreover, the number of primary schools in the whole area could provide the school population sufficient only for a single Secondary Grammar School. The Osogbo Secondary School movement them devised a system whereby funds could be raised for founding the school. One Mr. Jacob Adeoye was authorized to collect funds from indigenes of Osogbo at home and abroad. This he did on commission basis, of ten percent of collections, plus payment of all his transport fares. The Osogbo Secondary School movement under the guidance of Oba Adenle, thought it fit for one of the Osogbo “Son” with requisite qualification to be chief executive of the proposed school. Oba Adenle himself knew of only one experienced school-teacher that would soon complete his degree programme then; thus, a letter was written to Mr Julius Omigbodun in free town in 1947, inviting him to come home and head the school as he finished his degree programme the following year. Earlier on in 1945, Oba Adenle used his personal money to buy over the premises vacated that same year by the army that was using it as a base during the second world war and magnanimously donated it to the Osogbo Secondary School movement. Oba Adenle also gingered up the traditional rulers of the neighbouring communities to action. This made the then Olokuku of Okuku, the Akinrun of Ikirun, Timi of Ede and their colleagues to spread the Gospel of the need to actively support the efforts of the Osogbo Secondary School movement amongst their respective people. Precisely on 7th April 1947 the foundation stone of the first classroom block was laid; and its er****on commenced in earnest. It was built with mud and consisted of five classrooms and an assembly Hall. Oba Adenle personally monitored the progress of the building. The block was ready within a short period and awaited the headmaster to be until January 1950. As soon as Mr Omigbodun came back from Sierra Leone, he reported at the palace and was briefed about the development so far on the school project and the duo later visited the proposed site to inspect the facilities on the ground.The entrance to the site was full of fear: fear of the deadly silence, sounds of reptiles, rodents and birds. It was through the good offices of Mr. Hunt cooke, the then Senior Education, officer for Ibadan Division that permission was granted to the school, in May 1950, to open. The school was registered as Osogbo United Grammar School. In consultation with the ministry of Education a steering committee was inaugurated on 21st June, 1950 to manage the school. Members of the steering committee were drawn from Osogbo, Ede, Ikirun, Odo-Otin and Ifelodun District Council areas.The members present at the first meeting held on 21st, June 1950, were:

His majesty, Oba Adenle 1 the Ataoja of Osogbo
His majesty, Oba Adetoyese Laoye 1 the Timi of Ede
His majesty, Oba Sanusi Araoye, the Olobu of Ilobu. J.A Ajayi Esq. retired Nigeria Police Inspector
S.P Oloyede Esq, District Supervisor of Anglican Schools, Osogbo. Councilor A.O Ojewunmi. S.O Ola Esq, protem Secretary
J.L Omigbodun Esq, Principal – designate
Mr. W.O Famuyiwa, Chairman Osogbo Secondary School Movement. The Board of Governors was first constituted on 27th July, 1950; and members present were:-

His majesty, Oba Adenle 1, Ataoja of Osogbo Chairman
Councilor Bolarinwa;
The Akirun’s nominee;
ouncilor Adeniyi;
J.A Ajayi Esq;
W.O Famuyiwa Esq;
S.P Oloyede Esq;
S.O Ola Esq;
J.L Omigbodun Esq;

The first entrance examination for the admission of students into the school was conducted by the principal Mr J.L. Omigbodun on 8th July 1950. One hundred and two candidates took the examination and the following eight boys were admitted:-

Samuel Odegbinrin
Samotu salami
Raufu Ajadi
Alfred Bamidele Parkinson
Sunday Samuel Adejoro
Raimi Lawal
Timothy Ojo and
Gabriel Ogunrinde. Osogbo Grammar School, begun in 1950 with 8 students,2 teachers and ven J.L Omigbodun as its founding principal. The eight boys admitted in July 1950 started in a sort of preliminary class since it was far in the year to commence class one. In 1951 there were twenty-six boys on roll in class one, four of whom were boarders sharing the same building with the principal in Olobado compound, Osogbo. The number of boarders rose to thirteen in 1952, out of forty-nine students on roll. The first four sets of students that passed through Osogbo Grammar school did not have things easy at all. The lack of funds seemed to have taken out on the principal, the staff as well as the school-boys. Whilst they had their normal classes between 8.00anm and 1.05pm,the boarders would quickly swallowed their lunch and every student including those attending classes from home were led into the jungle within their school grounds to uproot trees. There was no dodging as “Oga” (master) himself was there in the jungle with them monitoring the felling of the woods….”keep pushing boys”, their principal would shout at them in encouragement; after all, that is the motto of Osogbo Grammar School. In 1952, Mr I.O Ajiboye joined the staff of the school and thus there were the principal, Mr J.L Omigbodun and two members of staff, Mr D.A Olugunna and Mr I.O Ajiboye to manage the two classes. It was Mr I.O. Ajiboye that started the teaching and practice of Agriculture in the school. In January, 1953 Mr M.B Lapite joined the staff and classes increased to three. It was also in 1953 that government responded and gave scholarship to the following six boys:

Samuel Adejoro
Alfred Bamidele Parkinson
Ganiyu Salami
David Oyeyemi
Olusegun Lanihun and
Yekini Ajani

Mr E.A Etudeo the first graduate member of the teaching staff joined the school in June 1953 and in 1954 with the class increasing to four the need became pressing to build more classroom blocks and the first of such to be built was the one containing the geography block. It was also in this year that Mr T.A Babalola, another graduate teacher from Ibadan University joined the staff and the school approved for class four by the government. As a result of the efficient performance shown during the full scale inspection conducted in the school in 1955 by the Education Department, the school was recognized for the West African School Certificate Examination. It was also in 1955 that the first hostel building designated block A, was erected for the boarders.The teaching of science commenced in earnest in 1956 when Mr. L.S. Johnson joined the staff having obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics and Mathematics of Ibadan University. It was also in 1956 that the first batch of the school certificate class namely: Messrs Samuel Adejoro, Adeyemi Mosadomi, Alfred Parkinson, Mudasiru Atoba, Ikudaisi Idowu, and Richard Adejoro sat for the West African School Certificate Examination. It was in the same year as well as that the school became a full secondary school with 151 boys on roll. The site was 56.4 acres in area and was incorporated under the land (perpetual succession).The site now occupied by the new building under construction by Aregbesola was the first farm site and later became a football field

A piece of land measuring up to 5 acres was later devoted for the farm yard with a portion devoted to citrus trees. The motto of the school was coined from the following poem when the founding principal- Mr J.L Omigbodun, staff and students considered the need to get going in spite of initial difficulties. Keep pushing! – It is wiser
Than sitting aside
And dreaming and sighing
And waiting the tide
In life’s earnest battle
They only prevail
Who daily march forward? And never say “fail”

The school was officially registered as “Osogbo United Grammar School” to reflect the fact that it was the united effort of communities in today’s Osogbo, Olorunda, Ede, Egbedore, Odo- Otin, Ifelodun, Irepodun and Boripe Local Government areas of Osun State that made the School a reality. It was so called “Osogbo United Grammar School” between 1950 and 1953 before the removal of “United” to give the name Osogbo Grammar School.