Kunle Adelabu
– Ikorodu Premier College wins more awards
The Principal of the Oriwu Senior Model College, Ikorodu, Alhaja Abiodun Ogunniyi, who will be retiring after 35 years in service, is exiting the premier college in Ikorodu Division a period the school is winning more awards and honours as the best in the Lagos State.
The premier college had, last week, emerged as the Best School in the State and is currently representing the State at the national level.
Alhaja Ogunniyi, the winner of the Best Secondary School Administrator in Nigeria in 2017, had led the school which was established in 1949, in winning many international, national, regional, state, district and community awards and honours, and will be retiring at the end of this month.
The award winning school administrator disclosed the new feat of the school as the best in the state at the special retirement reception organized in his honour by the Class of 1995 of the Oriwu College old Students’ Association of Nigeria (OCOSAN) on Thursday, September, 2020.
The school had, in recent time, won the Outstanding Achievement Award as Best School, Senior Secondary School Category, August, 2020; Outstanding School of the Decade, 2020 African To Schools Award; 2nd Position, Year 2020 Lagos State Schools’ Governor’s Quiz Competition among others.
She also revealed that the school, which has been the pride of Ikorodu Division and Lagos State, was recently adjudged as the Best School of the Decade in Africa.
The unassuming administrator and seasoned educationist said that students of Oriwu College, which clocked 70 years last year, did Ikorodu proud last month as they came second in the Secondary School category of the 2020 Governor’s School Debate.
“Last week, we were all sleeping in the school preparing for the award of the Best School in the State and we eventually won it. We are currently the Best Secondary in Lagos State”, Alhaja Ogunniyi proudly declared.
“We were all gathered in this school to prepare for that feat. You see wives calling husbands and children calling mothers from various homes. At a point, I had to tell my grandson to place video calls to those at home to see their parents working”, she stated while explaining how the school prepared for the contest.
“It is not me alone but a team work and we won the award and we are currently representing the state at the national level which I know that by the special grace of God, your great school will also win at the national level”.
The outgoing Principal also revealed that the foremost secondary school has also won international award and other laurels in the recent time.
“Just recently, we won the Best School of the Decade in Africa.
“Our children also came second at the 2020 Governor’s School Debate in Lagos State. Thanks to our wonderful children. We practiced through the pandemic period. We camped them in the school and we give glory to God that we emerged second”, she said.
She also revealed that many students of the College currently sitting for the WAEC recorded outstanding scores in the JAMB examination.
“We have many of our students that scored 349, 320 and 305 in their JAMB examination. This is due to the effort of the government, the wonderful team that we have in the school and our able and ever – ready old students. You provided us with everything”.
She ascribed the success the school has recorded during her tenure to the support and commitment of the Lagos State Government, Old Students and staff and students of the school.
“I want to again appreciate my wonderful Class of 1995 because you have always been there for us in this journey. Hardly there is any term that you don’t come to the school to do one thing or the other and this has actually helped the school.
“The government also provided us with everything that we needed to excel. We have our interactive board in this school and how many schools can boast of that? We have computer systems all over the school. In actual fact, we have four computer centres in Oriwu College.
“You have been there for this school. The Lord will be there for you and endow you with all that you will need to continue to do more for your great alma mata as well as your community and for your individual growth and developments”, she prayed.
