Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Alhaji Adegboyega Oyetola, will, today, in Ilesa, be honoured with the Renaissance Award by the Ilesa Grammar School Old Students Association, ILEGSOSA, as the week-long celebration of the 90th Founder’s Day Anniversary of the iconic school climaxes.
Announcing the award, the National President of the association, Engr Obisesan Daramola, said Oyetola earned the honour “for the restoration of the dignity, honour and pride of Ilesa Grammar School” by his administration.
Recall that it was Oyetola, as governor of Osun state, who reversed the very unpopular policy by his predecessor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, who took many secondary schools from their owners to form degrading “mega schools,” wiping out the identities of the iconic schools. The policy adversely affected the quality of education and increased social problems within the campuses.
But Oyetola became a hero when he reversed the policy and returned the schools to their previous owners.
Oyetola will receive garlands and will be celebrated for his efforts at restoring the glory of the school that many across the world consider a citadel of excellence.
Other eminent Nigerians, all of them old students, who will be honoured with different categories of awards include a former deputy governor of Lagos State, Chief Mrs Aderoju Ojikutu, billionaire businessman, and Asiwaju of Ijesaland, High Chief Olayinka Fasuyi, Chief Tayo Ayeni, Owner of Skymit; Chief Mrs Victoria Olufunmilayo Awomolo, the first female Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, ever produced by the University of Ibadan; Prof. Paul Olomolaiye, Pro Vice-Chancellor, University of West England, Bristol, as well as Chief Shola Oshunkeye, a Fellow of the Nigerian Guild of Editors and former Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief of The Sun Publishing Ghana Limited.
Posthumous awards will be given to the late business mogul, Chief Lawrence Omole, founder of International Breweries PLC, “for being the singular provider of Scholarships to Ilesa Grammar School students for long”, the late Chief Olagunju Idowu Asaolu Fafowora, the first registered student of Ilesa Grammar School, as well as the late Jeje Ogunsola Fafowora, whose house was used as the school on the first day.