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*IICG Class of 1979-84: 40 years after school, the story, the glory*
That September in 1979; young precocious children filed into the embrace of Ijebu Ife Community Grammar School. They had been successful in the common entrance examination that qualified them for a place in the young school which was just about five years old.
The school was the effort of several Ijebu Ife indigenes. It was an ambitious project with the future in mind.
In no time the school was up and running and students streamed in from far and near.
A number of Ijebu Ife Indigenes had the privilege of enrolling their children in the school, but many also came from outside the town.
The 1979 set was the fifth set. The set had the rare privilege of having a taste of the communal life the school was known for.
The vestiges of the impact of some indigenes of the Ijebu Ife were still very much around. But just as the set was resuming the hostel facility for boys was just being completed.
It was donated by Chief Adeyemi Oyemade the then Olootu of Ijebu Ife and was so named Olootu Oyemade Hostel. The Adebanjo hall, donated by Olajide Adebanjo had also been built.
The classrooms and dining hall as well as girls hostel were in place.
The school environment turned out to be the quintessential ambience for study. The lush grass and the enchanting sports centre in the large expanse of land made the school stand out.
A couple of structures for teachers who were mostly Ghanaians and Indians were put in place.
The principal’s house stands directly in from the gate of the school as you move in. Serenity defined the space. And the classrooms were standard.
*Oblivious of the future*
As we settled down to study that September nobody had an inkling of what the future had in store
We were young and sometimes lost in thought. Our actions were largely ill-informed.
But no sooner than we resumed, many started feeling the heat. The principal then, Mr. Segun Sosanya had this ferocious look that sent jitters down the spines of every student.
You only needed to hear his voice. At his appearance, students run to take cover. It was impossible to look straight into his eyes without being filled with fear.
He was trained to reset the brains of wayward students. Nobody needed to be told that the school was a no-nonsense school where characters were formed and talents were built.
Gradually but surely the 1979 set blended with all the seniors in the school. They heard tales of excellence and were also determined to become excellent.
Just after one year in school, the results for the West Africa Examination Council Exams for the first set were out. It was a bang.
Most of the students had passed very well. It was a consequence of the investment of the principal and some indigenes of the town.
Notable among them was Chief Adebanjo who on almost a weekly basis came to motivate students in the hostel and inspire them to do well.
The outcome of the WAEC of that year set the pace for those coming behind. Then, it was customary to refer to the excellent feat of the seniors.
Secondary school then was just for five years unlike what obtains today. And then there was the HSC programme afterward.
Some gained admission straight to the university after writing JAMB. But then there was a kind of monitoring that goes on while in school.
After a few years in school, news flittered in that an ex-student of the school Mr. Niyi Afolabi had excelled in the advanced level WAEC and had the best result in the whole of West Africa.
What a feat. Such news came to us as a big inspiration. It spurred us to greater heights. And then it was hard to joke with your studies with all the principals we had.
Sosanya’s high-handedness reset our brains and made us to stay in line. A couple of students were expelled for the slightest misbehaviour.
But their parents soon came to plead for them and they were restored to school. In the alternative erring students were made to weed large portion of grass in the school’s premises.
*Daily routine*
It was fun to live in the hostel. A typical day starts around 5.30 am when the bell went up and all students had to be roused out of their sleep.
This was followed with some form of early morning exercise. And then we settled in front of the hostel for pep talk and rancorous songs that bothered on jokes and anecdotes. It was fun while it lasted.
From there we went about early morning duty. Each student had been assigned a portion to clean including the homes of our teachers. By 7.30 am every student in the hostel would have been set for school.
And there we go; first to the dining hall for breakfast and then to the assembly ground. Usually, the breakfast was bread and egg, yam and egg and sometimes beans on weekends. After breakfast the assembly beckons.
There the songs of Praise booklet came in handy. Hymns like Brightest and Best, Let us with a gladsome mind trailed the session.
But on Friday, we prayed in the Islamic way. One could still recite Bisimillai ramoni raheem. We had no objections just as some of the Muslims among us followed us to Church on Sunday.
The principal comes up to address us at the assembly ground and then students that have messed up the previous day were called and served some punishments.
Sosanya had a peculiar way of dealing with stubborn students. He would ask them to shoot up their mouth; meaning inflate your cheeks to form a ball on your mouth.
You remain in that position until he descends on you with a deafening slap to deflate it.
He used the cane in a skillful way and had a way of sniffing unrepentant students out of their holes. The fear of Sosanya was the beginning of wisdom. Nobody ever wished to encounter him.
The school session begins around 8.30am and closes by 2pm. And then we go for lunch.
From lunch we moved back to the hostel for our siesta. It was compulsory.
After siesta we are back in the class to have one hour reading time before we were freed to go to the sports centre for games and sports.
That was a relief for us. After the sporting time we would be back for dinner and then preparatory class from 7-9 pm. After the reading session in the night, we moved back to the hostel to sleep. By 10pm the hostel light would be out.
That was the routine for five years. By the final year of the 1979 set the boarding facility was cancelled for all schools in Ogun state.
But there was a good option. The Otegbeye hall in town came handy. The owner of the hostel was one of the illustrious daughters of the town and wife of Dr Tunji Otegbeye, a prominent politician and trade unionist in Nigeria. That was where we hibernated for our final year.
*The social life*
But life on the ground of Ijebu Ife Grammar School, had been ingrained in our memory. The comraderies, the love and the fellowship were invaluable moments together.
Weekends were peculiar. We had a Saturday Night where we entertained ourselves.
We had our own version of the trio of Jacob, pappylolo and Aderuboko. Those artistes were the reigning thespians in the country then. But a group of students; Kunle Adelaja, Bamidele Adelaja and Segun Oyefeso came together to form the acting company that entertained us every night. There is the cultural dance and other skits that were performed to make life in the hostel a delightful one.
Many of us bonded and became more like blood brothers and sisters. There were many other Day Students. But it was one big family.
For two years we had Mr Mathew Adedeji as our principal after Mr Sosanya. He was another no-nonsense principal. But was not as ferocious as Mr. Sosanya.
He had a passion for students and ensured the standard of the school was maintained.
Mr. Adedeji earned the tag Foka for his dexterity in applying the cane to hit the tip of your fingers whenever he beats you for erring. His time as principal experienced great improvements in the school.
And then came Mr. Segun Adebanjo. He was the principal that led us to write WAEC. Mr. Adebanjo had a bit of modern touch to his approach to discipline. He had this British outlook to life.
He was gentle, jovial, easy going but yet firm. He had a large heart. Students had access to his house to watch television. That was a rare privilege in those days.
We could relate to him. There was no fear of staying around him. But then, he did not allow us to slip into forgetfulness. It is gratifying that Mr. Adebanjo is still alive and he is able to witness our 40 years after school.
The 1979 set is peculiar in many respects. By 1984 when we were to sit for WAEC, soldiers were mandated to invigilate us. You dare not look anyhow in the exams hall.
We wrote the exams and today many of us have carved niches for ourselves across the globe.
Reminiscences
UK-based Abiola Anjolaiya; known then as Abiola Osi; who was part of the 1979 Class has an exciting story to tell on how God has helped her in her journey.
She recalled with nostalgia the painful memory of getting pregnant while in school. But then, today, she is grateful that the experience did not sink her career.
“My father was a teacher. My mother a businesswoman. When I got pregnant, hell was let loose. I thought the end had come.
‘My father did not take it kindly. He was furious and would have loved for the pregnancy to be terminated.
‘But my mother stood by me. She encouraged me and was always certain that I would make it in life. Some of my friends were taken aback. With time, they came around me and offered me comfort and encouragement.
‘I carried the pregnancy was able to put to bed successfully. Today that baby is also 40 years along with our anniversary.’
A consummate businesswoman, Mrs Anjolaiya has carved a niche for herself in the textile industry. Her brand is a global brand. She has gone a step further to be a source of support for many indigent children and individuals who lack means.’
She said it was only God that could have helped her to survive the turbulence of those years.
The beauty of her case is that she later got married to the same man who impregnated her while in school. Together they have five children and are living happily in the UK.
‘Upcoming students should not allow mistakes to define them. I made a mistake. But my own mistake has become a miracle so to say. The child is a source of joy to me today. She is doing quite well along with her siblings.’
Also sharing his story, Gboyega Osifowora a trained journalist said, ‘ It’s difficult to forget my years in Ijebu Ife Community Grammar School. I have gone through a lot since we left school. But I can say it is the foundational training in that school that has helped me to remain focused. Each time I look back and remember where I was coming from. That remembrance does something to my psychology.’
He recalled the commissioning of the Albert Osisami Library which incidentally is the signature project for the 40th anniversary of the class of 1979/84
‘ I remember that day like yesterday. Pa Albert Osisami who donated the library to the school said, every phase in life is always a begin again phase. You reflect on the past, look at your mistakes but you don’t dwell in the past.’
Osifowora said those words have helped to make him trudge on in life. ‘ I have since discovered there will be ups and downs in life. Many of us in the Class of 1979 have gone through ups and downs.
“Today we have cause to thank God. It’s only painful that some of the classmates who should be celebrating with us have passed on. We still have cause to thank God for giving us the privilege to see ourselves again after 40 years of leaving school. I do not think anybody should take this grace for granted.’
For Muyiwa Taiwo a maritime consultant who is president of the Old Students Association for the Class of 1979, ‘Ijebu Ife Community Grammar School was a peculiar school. We had the best of environment for study. We had the best of teachers.
“Those are the things that made the school stand out. In those days, it ranked among the best schools in Ogun state. I am proud of the products of the school.’
He recalled with nostalgia the days of sleepless nights of study while in school and the bond among students. ‘We will always be grateful to God for his mercy as we celebrate our 40th anniversary after school.’ He said.
Story by Gbenga Osinaike
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