Kunle Adelabu
The new Principal of Oriwu Senior Model College, lkorodu, Mrs Iyabo Agnes Elusakin, who won the 2019 Best Teacher in Nigeria, and also winner of the Lagos Productivity and the National Productivity awards, has unveiled her plans for the premier school.
Elusakin, who resumed to her duty post last Monday, speaking with THE IMPACT at the retirement ceremony of his predecessor, Mr Akeem Oladimeji Bello, said that her target is to ensure that Oriwu College emerges as the best school in WAEC in Nigeria and best global community school.
Mr Akeem Oladimeji had earlier said that whoever is going to be his successor should aim to win a global award for the school. He said this at a mentorship programme in December, organized by Oriwu College, Ikorodu, in conjunction with Prof. Olanrewaju Shitta – Bey, a Professor of Philosophy & Humanities, University of Maryland, Global Campus, United States of America (USA) and a former student of the school. The programme was tagged, ‘Home Coming for Prof. Shitta – Bey’. The foreign based professor and friends engaged students in senior terminal class at the event.
Mrs Elusakin, a celebrated administrator who is taking over from Mr Bello who is the current Best School Administrator in Nigeria, and himself also took over from Alhaja Abiodun Ogunniyi who during her principalship also won the prestigious award as the best administrator in the country, said that she will continue with the tradition of excellence in the premier College, while adding that she intends to also add the award of the best school in the world to the trophy laden college.
She described her return to Oriwu College as a privilege and an opportunity to give back.
“I give glory to the Almighty God for giving me the grace to be back to where my story started as the Best Teacher in Nigeria. I was in Oriwu College for many years and to the glory of God, majority of the honours that I received were as a teacher in Oriwu College”, she said.
“Coming back to give back to the school is a privilege for me. I am happy and I know that the school is known all over, but we still have some areas which I believe that God will assist us in correcting and take us to where we are still aspiring to attain.
Speaking on her plans for the school which is the darling of everyone, Mrs Elusakin said:
“Soon, I want people to know Oriwu College internationally and not in Nigeria or Africa alone. At the moment, Oriwu College has produced the Best teachers, Administrators and has also emerged as the best school, but I also believe that we can win a global community award as a school, because we have all that it takes in Oriwu, we just have to put some things in place”.
“If a school like Bayeku Community Grammar School can emerged as the best school in WAEC in the District, Oriwu College can be the best school in WAEC in Nigeria. I have no doubt that God will take us there.
“I know many areas that we can work on and we would be there.
Speaking further on what stakeholders and people should be expecting from her administration, the new Principal said:
“They should be expecting the sustenance of the tradition as the Best Administrator in the world and Best Community School in the world and not Africa. Enough of state, national and African awards, it is mow time to win global awards”.
“I have been trying something with the Bayeku Community School, but I know that it would be very easy to achieve this with Oriwu College”, she added.
While commending the Oriwu College Old Students’ Association of Nigeria (OCOSAN), Elusakin assured the association that the school, under her administration, will continue to make them proud.
“In fact, I want to say a big thank you to OCOSAN for supporting us. They are giving us an enabling environment to work in. Their hands are all over the school and what we can give back to them is just to make their school proud”, she said.
“They are wonderful people and I want them to keep up the good work. God will continue to lift them up and as stakeholders, we will not disappoint them”.
Speaking on the retirement of her predecessor, Mrs Elusakin said:
“I give glory to God for Mr Bello, for finishing his journey well. The award as the best administrator in Nigeria, is an honour to his retirement. I want to wish him all the best”.
“As I told him on the Assembly Ground on Monday, that some people retired and became Commissioners, Governors and Presidents, I believe that his skills will find him out and we will be seeing him in higher places when the time comes”.
