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  • Christ’s School 1978-80/79-81 set reunites

    Over 250 students, males and females, met in 1979 at Christ’s School, Ado-Ekiti when they constituted the Lower and Upper Six HSC classes. The encounter was uniquely distinct because the two classes paraded students from various secondary schools of repute in the old Ondo-State and other parts of Nigeria including those that had their first five secondary classes at the school.

    Another interesting thing about the two HSC sets is the fact that a considerable number of us were friends from secondary school days and the HSC created an opportunity to reunite again while we made new lasting friends in the school and built enduring relationships till date.

    For the past 17 years, we had a yahoo-group  platform for the two sets where we exchanged views through emails. However, since June 2017, it has been refreshing for 130 of us to have a Reunion Platform called Christ’s School HSC 7881 family, where we compare notes and reach out to one another. It is a joint forum for the two HSC sets that parade professionals who have distinguished themselves in their respective callings.

    Christ’s School experience remains indelible in our minds that those who spent few days, weeks, months, a term, a session and the two sessions together remain bonded in the spirit of Up School for life.

    Consequently, members of HSC 7881 decided to hold an exclusive reunion this Easter in Lagos primarily to give thanks to God for keeping us alive for the past 40 years since we met at the great School on Oke Agidimo and to see as many faces as possible that can make the event.

    Our Special Guest of Honour is Chief Mrs Oyin Ade-John, nee Odesanmi, of Usi-Ekiti. Mama is the founder and proprietress of Omoleye Group of Children Schools in Lagos. The octogenarian was of the 1946 set with school number 46/001.

    God willing, we will plan our maiden Homecoming and a bigger reunion that will hold at Christ’s School premises at a later date. It is our hope that we will be able to consider lending our support to the collective effort on the restoration of the lasting values that made the school great with the hope that the handing-over scheme would happen soon under the leadership of our distinguished Alumni President, Dr Justus Uduimo Itsueli.

    Up School – Not in Name Only But in Deed and in Truth.

    • Seye Adetunmbi is a member of the HSC 7881 set.

  • Christ’s School holds homecoming

    Old and current students, as well as staff of the famous Christ’s School, Ado Ekiti will gather from all over the world in the school October 51-21, 2018 for their yearly homecoming anniversary.

    The homecoming is the annual reunion of all the school’s stakeholders — old students, current students, staff of the school as well as guests and friends. It is a time when old students gather to give back to the school through various projects.

    According to the Planning Committee of 73/74-78 set, the hosts, the homecoming and reunion will kick off on Monday with radio and TV enlightenment programmes in Ado Ekiti.

    Workshop for non-teaching members of staff holds on Tuesday at the girls’ school while that of the teaching staff holds on Wednesday, October 17 at the Boys School.

    There will be a Spelling Bee competition on Thursday among current pupils, as well as the presentations of senior sets marking milestones. On Friday, there will be a Novelty match and later a Variety Night at the popular Quadrangle later in the evening.

    The Extraordinary General Meeting of the Alumni Association will hold on Saturday morning while commissioning of projects by the 1973/74-1978 set, which is celebrating its 40th graduation anniversary, will hold later in the day.

    The week-long event will be rounded off with a thanksgiving service at the Chapel of Living Hope in the boys’ school.

    Founded 85 years ago by the Christian Missionary Society, Christ’s School, Ado Ekiti has produced eminent Nigerians, including Dr. Yemi Farounbi, Prof. Kayode Osuntokun, Late Gen. Adeyinka Adebayo, Chief Samuel Asabia, and the incoming Ekiti State governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, among others.

  • Christ’s School Ado Ekiti – Future Not in Change of Ownership

    Christ’s School Ado Ekiti – Future Not in Change of Ownership

    We had thought that the issue of the future ownership of Christ’s School would be exclusively dealt with internally and not subject to media report or exposure. Being a sensitive issue many Alumni members have argued passionately either for retaining the present status of public ownership, returning it to its ‘original’ owner or concessioning it, as it were, to Ekiti Anglican Diocese in collaboration with Alumni members. Events in the last few days have prompted us to put the case openly to the public particularly stake holders comprising; parents, Alumni members and what is left of the ‘original’ owners.

    What are the facts:

    • During the contest for National Presidency of Alumni Association some years ago (leading contestant being Dr. Kayode Obembe and Chief Olusegun Ogunkua) these two illustrious Alumni members and their backers took different positions about the future ownership of the school. The Ogunkua group was supported by some alumni members particularly in North America. At the end of a keen competition, Dr Obembe emerged National President. He performed wonderfully, harnessing resources, putting his hands in his deep pockets, constructing new structures in the schools, renovating and refurbishing dilapidated buildings. There was a breath of fresh air into the activities not only in the Alumni Association worldwide but also within the administration of the two schools. Unfortunately, the administration was followed by another one headed by a respected woman, who for obvious reasons could not perform effectively. One significant outcome of the two regimes was that everybody seemed to have forgotten a change in the structure of the ownership of our schools
    1. The resurgence of the clamour for a change in the ownership came with the new administration of Sir Justus Imo Itsueli whose candidature was largely promoted by our worthy colleagues in Lagos plus a sizeable number of home branch leaders. The new administration assumed office believing rightly or wrongly that its core mandate was to get Christ’s School back to private hands, this contest includes Alumni members and they pursued this conviction with all hearts and soul.
    • It would appear that in pursuit of their goal, less attention have been drawn to more practical and mundane needs of the school e.g. maintenance and repair of the Alumni hall, and other structure yearning for attention.
    • Some decisions have been hurriedly achieved at less than exhaustive deliberations, affirming preconceived goal of ownership. Consequently at the midterm period of the National Association, not much was achieved except by Sets of Old Students for which we would remain externally grateful.
    • It is true Christ’s School was conceived and born by Archdeacon Dalimore, then head of Ekiti District Church Council. It is also true that the school was completely CMS, later Anglican when headed by successive principals; Chief Babalola, Acting High minister (1946) Canon Lesile Mason the Builder, Rufus Ogunlade, teacher of all times and various notable educators –Fasoroti, Lafihan, Agbebi, Bayode, up to our present Christopher Abe.
    1. Since Secondary Schools in old Ondo State (present Ekiti & Ondo States) were compulsorily acquired by Government, Christ’s School has her fair share of dislocation, loss of core values and in some cases the relics and some unkept structures. But since Ekiti State was created in 1996, there has been tremendous improvement in physical appearance, structures, ethos and general direction. This improvement has been due largely to the appointment of old students as principals. Significantly, all round improvements have been noticed as a result of active involvement and valuable contributions by Old Students.
    • With the above preliminary observations, there are two main issues to be addressed:
    • What is wrong with the present state of the school to warrant a change in ownership?
    • What is the performance of schools being managed presently by the proposed new owners? We shall attempt to analyze.
    • (a). Are the buildings and structures of the school condemnable to the extent that only new owners can rectify them?

    (b).       Is the performance of the school in public examinations getting poorer by the day?

    (c).        Is the reputation of the school dipping?

    (d).       Are notable Alumni members kept off from the School? In order words are Alumni members not building hostels, lecture theaters and staff quarters etc.?

    (e).       In short, what is in Christ’s School today that is repellant to erstwhile friends and admirers that cannot be rectified.

    9           (a). We are presuming that the recommended new owners (Church, Alumni members) are running privately owned schools today. What is the position, quality and general acceptance level that these schools possess that will make a new Christ’s School gravitate to their levels?

    (b).Is it school examination performance?

    (c). Student population?

    (d). Affordable and acceptable fees?

    (e) General acceptability by the public, etc?

    1. In summary, it is our view and conviction that the present ownership of Christ’s school should continue

    (a). In terms of admittance and accommodation, no private school owned by the envisaged new  proprietor can match Christ’s School. For example, Christ’s School has six arms in JSS 1, Christ’s Girls’ School six, while Anglican High School Ile Abiye has two arms in JSS 1

    (b). Arising from the above Is that while Christ’s School and Christ’s Girls’ School remain open to the ‘ordinary’ students and school fees affordable by ‘ordinary’ people, the situation will certainly not be possible in any other institution run by Anglican Church or the Alumni Association which can be classified as elite School on account of low attendance and high fees.

    (c)         The effective supervision of government owned schools in the last two years has shown positive results. The state moved up dramatically from the bottom of the national league to the top in public examinations. Observers have attributed this phenomenal progress to the close watch put in place by high government officials especially the Deputy Governor and the Commissioner for Education. The Christ’s School Group apparently is a beneficiary of this welcome development. Shall we now abandon this and plunge headlong into uncharted waters?

    (d)        We are not unaware that there is a document prepared by promoters of change of ownership with its claim to viability. Complete with data, figures and postulates, the paper paints a picture of viability and a gradual withdrawal of public ownership. Unfortunately, the document is unrealistic in an environment where the upkeep and maintenance of even the Alumni Hall is near-impossible by the National Association, in a society where local capital formation remains a dream and where the majority of the people eke out a living.

    (e)  Finally, let us continue to nurture our institution that will perpetually attract the fervor, emotion, commitment and attachment of former students to this citadel of learning where the total man (and woman) are built. Let us also learn to thank God for little mercies and not frenetically seek to topple the applecart.

     

    • Fasuan is of the 1946-51 Set. Elder Allen Alebiosu is of the 1959-63 Set.
  • ‘No cultural revolution, no national resolution’

    ‘No cultural revolution, no national resolution’

    Former Deputy Editor, ‘The Guardian’, Mr Ben Tomoloju, who has just turned 6o, recalls how his alma mater, Christ’s School, Ado-Ekiti, shaped him. Chinasa Ekekwe reports

    Friends, relations and colleagues of Ben Tomoloju, playwright, journalist, culture communicator, activist and director gathered at the Afe Babalola Hall of the University of Lagos, in honour for his 60th birthday celebration. There was a lecture and presentation of Tomoloju’s three books.  One of Tomoloju’s  mentors, Prof Niyi Osundare chaired the lecture. Prof Tony Afejuku delivered the lecture titled: Thoughts on the Nigerian media in a deadly season. Tomoloju’s is former Deputy Editor of The Guardian.

    The three-day birthday celebration, which started penultimate Friday also featured dance drama presentation, Art forum and poetry performances at the Freedom Park, Lagos.

    Interestingly, the Sunday feast at Freedom Park, Lagos was full of nostalgia and reminiscences for the celebrator, whose plays such as Jankariwo and Flowers’ introspect were put on stage. During the Art Forum session, Tomoloju observed that one great advantages of designers of the nation’s educational polices was the liberalism that was entrenched into such policies. He said it created room for diversification of skills and very profound and deep moral thrust.

    “‘Christ School, Ado-Ekiti (my alma mater) has a romantic appeal even till now because it is located on the hill. From the main gate to the theatre, there is an ascending of a gradual slope surrounded by mango trees by the left and right hand sides. Right at the tip of the hill, there is an ark made of concrete with a garden of shrubs. There is also the art gallery shielding the theatre designed like the roman theatre.

    “Then, students like Niyi Osundare and Moyo Ogundipe were my seniors, but the interesting thing in the school was that the age grade was similar in every class. Admission was not just for anybody. For example, if admission was for 12 and 13 years old, the school will stick to it. Like when Osundare was in Upper Six, I was in form one. All these inspired me. It was so much that Osundare won the first prize of the senior category for the Western States poetry contest in 1968 while I came second in the junior category for the poster designing,” Tomoloju recalled his  Christ School days.

    Prof. Osundare, according to Tomoloju, was the ‘head of table’ in the dining hall. “In fact, he taught me how to use the cutlery,” he added.

    He continued: “Also, back then we just pick a piece of paper and scribble something down and the house will present them during the inter-house drama competition. The works were more like test by our teachers to see if we could do it like our masters. And so you would not know that you have written something that would be preserved in the history books.

    “The first play I wrote was The Son of a Witch and Sweet Poison in 1971 followed by The Walnut. Interestingly, The Walnut was the kind of total theatre. It predicted the Flowers Introspect. I believe in the ideology that informs a statement which also sometimes influenced the kind of style you adopt.

    “In those days, we spend 50k per day for food and you will eat to satisfaction. The younger generation needs to know this so as to analyse how bad things have gone in the country.”

    Monuments and art structures, he noted, have been abused and destroyed, describing such act as charlatanism in high places. According to him, ‘intellectualism is of the highest value in social development and “so we have to train the younger generation so that we can hand over the industry to them”.

    He noted that having produced skilled and talented artists, it is important for the government to create an enabling environment such as neighbourhood theatres for them to practice.

    “Take for instance, the late reggae legend, Bob Marley and the late Afrobeat legend, Fela. They were revolutionary artists of the highest possible political dimension. Their songs were the most popular all over the world in their time and so the artists should be able to accept the politics practised in his time. I tried twice to be in the House of Representatives. Some artists should be involved in politics for the centrality of culture to the cause of nationhood. Artists should go there and transform the nation culturally with authority. If we know how to get it right, there will be a change, but without cultural revolution there cannot be a national resolution.

    There is a disconnect between intellectualism and popularism. But, I believe that there is so much complacency within the academia and theories are being propounded without trying them. In Nigeria, we never had articulate proletariat and a revolution will not happen in Nigeria. We had a test case in the ‘Ali Must Go’ campaign in the 70s. Unfortunately, we have been reaping anarchy because rather than produce vanguards, we produced vandals.

    “I knew right from time that Marxism theory cannot work in Nigeria. The old Soviet Union were highly educated and would discuss philosophers from Aristotle to Karl Marx. So, revolution cannot work in Nigeria except the minds of the masses are cultivated, without it, anarchy will be the order of the day,” he said.

    Oba Gbenga Sonuga described Tomoloju as a complete cultural communicator. “Before Ben Tomoloju, one could hardly find articles about culture in the newspapers. Now, one of the most outstanding things I remembered that he did was going to the National Theatre to see a play, Ori and writing a superb and insightful article ‘clearing the ritual thoughts on it,” he noted.

  • Christ’s school  ado-ekiti  at 80

    Christ’s school  ado-ekiti  at 80

    In a particular year at the University of Ibadan, Christ’s School accounted for 8 out of the ten University Scholars

    As all roads lead to Ado-Ekiti this weekend for everybody  that ever had anything to do with our truly remarkable school- Christ’s School, Ado-Ekiti, which we call The School: alumni, parents, spouses, family  and the lot, it is all glory to God that He inspired some of His anointed men to plant and water what has turned out to be a truly phenomenal institution molding men and women of intellect,  not only in Ekiti, its location and primary catchment area, but all over Nigeria. Today, hundreds of Christ’s-School products are professors in all areas of study; from the Humanities to Medicine, to the professions, even to Aerospace science and are spread all over the world doing what they know best to do – banishing ignorance and expanding the frontiers of knowledge just as thousands of its alumni, as medical doctors, engineers, teachers, administrators, etc are providing various services to humanity both at home here in Nigeria and overseas. Amongst our alumni are two of the earliest winners of the Nigerian Merit award, just as The School has produced university Vice-Chancellors and state governors – military and civilian.   Or need I say that two of Nigeria’s most celebrated professors of Neurosurgery, the late Professor Kayode Osuntokun and Professor Adelola  Adeloye cut their teeth in The School? The Ekiti State governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi is, for instance, a distinguished alumnus of The School just like his deputy, Professor Dupe Adelabu and the Secretary to the State Government, Dr Ganiyu Owolabi. Such is the sheer profundity of Christ’s School that a whole page of this newspaper will be infinitely inadequate to tell its story.

    Our School is so unique that not a few has  accused us of acting like a cult because whenever or wherever we ex-students  meet, irrespective of age and when exactly you  attended The School, you immediately become like uterine brothers and sisters.

    This was precisely the objective of the founding fathers.

     Archdeacon Henry Dallimore who founded The School in 1933 was clear in his mind as to what sort of education he intended and what manner of character he wanted foster among the students from the very beginning. ‘The total impact of the education to be given,’ wrote Professor Olofinboba and co in THE BUILDER, ‘was to make the individual a useful person to himself and his community’. For this reason, initial subjects taught in The School included the following outside the normal academic subjects: Tailoring, Brick-making, Plastering, Building, Carpentry for boys and Weaving and Knitting for girls. Agriculture and Cattle keeping were added in 1945, thus by many decades before, Christ’s School was already doing what today’s 6-3-3-4 and all its other newer variants had been grappling with for decades. Above all, however, the founders wanted to nurture the ‘total man’, whose entire life will be rooted in and around Christ. To amply demonstrate this, everything about the school revolved around Christ: the name, the motto, Christus Victor, just as the first two letters of the word ‘Christ’ is inscribed in Greek.

    But if Apollo (Archdeacon Dallimore) planted The School, our Paul, who watered and nurtured it to world renown is the Rev Canon Leslie Donald Mason, C.B.E, O.O.N, M.A, Dip.Th, Dip Ed, whose children we all are since he never was married. To all Christ’s School students, Canon Mason was Principal, father, counsellor, benefactor, friend, teacher, all. He ensured you never dropped out of  The School for financial reasons. He indeed paid the fees of many a student.  He knew all the students by their first names and could identify thousands by their voices.

    For a very long time, he was our doctor and dispenser as he converted one of the rooms in his hilltop house to a dispensary. A strict disciplinarian, all the same, Canon Mason was a man of simple taste and life style and so was able to handsomely impart in the students respect, simplicity, humility, honesty, loving kindness and diligence. It should therefore not be a surprise that wherever you find an old student of Christ’s School, you are face to face with a complete gentleman/lady who is ever willing to lend a helping hand, whatever the circumstances.

    In appreciation of all that Canon Mason did for us at The School, a book: The Reverend Canon Leslie Donald Mason (1908-1989): THE BUILDER, was written in his honour by the alumni association under the lead of the late Professor M.O.Olofinboba.

    He was succeeded in 1967 by Chief R.A. Ogunlade, another truly remarkable man of God who also gave his all. Indeed, he made Biology easier for us than eating very ripe banana. He was such a gifted and exprienced teacher.  An old student of The School himself, Chief Ogunlade ensured there was not the slightest diminution of all the good standards Canon Mason with whom he had worked very well had laid down. One of his key achievements was the seemingly effortless manner in which he successfully achieved the tasking merger of the Ekiti Anglican Girls’ Secondary School which was founded in 1955 by the Anglican Church, with Christ’s School; a thoroughly daunting  assignment.

    Christ’s School had been founded in 1933 as Ekiti Central School, taking students into classes V and VI and took in students from within and outside Ekiti. It moved to its present AGIDIMO HILLS site in 1936 and it was there, on a visit by the Governor-General of Nigeria in that year, that he named The School, CHRIST’S SCHOOL.

    Christ’s School has, however, also had unsavoury stories to tell. For a very long time you would think it was taboo for an old student of The School to be appointed the Principal. It was even rumoured at that time teachers of some specific subjects, like Mathematics, were being deliberately denied the school. This time, therefore, coincided with that period when a series of individuals for whom our culture, history and practices meant nothing, or principals who were, in fact, jealous of its popularity were appointed as principals over it. This was mostly during the military era but there can be no denying the fact that some principals in the same period did their very best for The School. A good example of the latter is Chief R.F Fasoranti who gave impeccable service to The School that he is still fondly remembered till today.

    Christ’s School will always remain a pace setter and its products exemplars. In a particular year at the University of Ibadan, Christ’s School accounted for 8 out of the ten University Scholars, chosen solely on performance at the entry point examination. Today, there is hardly a university of note without some of its professors being ex-students of The School. In Medicine in particular, where it must have close to a hundred professors, if not more, Christ’s School continues to make terrific impact even in the UK, and the U.S.A, just as it has produced men and women in the professions and in the Episcopacy, especially the Anglican Communion where it has produced many Bishops.

    The 80th Anniversary, which is a mammoth home-coming for ex-students from every nook and cranny of Nigeria and the Diaspora, kicked off to a wonderful Thanksgiving service in many churches locally, and abroad on Sunday, 23 June, 2013. In my church, at the Archbishop Vining Memorial Cathedral, Oba Akinjobi Road, Ikeja, Lagos where the Lagos branch had its own thanksgiving, it was a wonderful sight-seeing  the entire congregation, not only joining us to mellifluously sing The School song, CHRIST IS OUR CORNER STONE,  but for most, who must certainly be aware and appreciative of the huge impact Christ’s School has made and continues to make, to  actually join us at the altar for the blessings.

    Friday, 28 June, 2013 will equally be awesome as the one and only, Sir Christopher Kolade, himself an old student and former Nigerian Envoy at the Court of St James’, London, takes to the rostrum to give the anniversary lecture. Saturday will be unique as we spend the day with the students and the evening, is already billed as an evening of fun at the evergreen Quadrangle where I had last been in my final year which is exactly 50 years ago this year. On Sunday, we shall return again to church to thank our Lord Jesus Christ for all He has done for us individually and collectively and, very importantly, for The School.

    All these will then come to a befitting end with The School Prayer:

    Grant O Lord

    That Christ’s School may continue

    To be a Christian School

    Not in name only

    But in deed and in truth

    For the sake of Christ

    Whose name we bear

    Amen.