Eko Boys Old Students Honour Oba Oniru

The Oniru of Iru Land in the Ibeju Lekki Local Government Area of Lagos State, Oba Idowu Abiodun Oniru, has been honoured by the Eko Boys High School Old Boys’ Association (EKOBA) as a Distinguished Alumnus of the 105-year-old school.

Presenting the Distinguished EKOBA Alumnus Award to the Oba in his palace, a former National President of the association, Adeniji Raji, described the monarch as a great pride to past and present students of the school.
He said the award was for the Oba’s past and continuous contributions to the development of the school, support to the association and his general philanthropic endeavours and support to humanity.

The 1962 graduate of the school qualified as a civil engineer from the London Polytechnic and was capped as an Idejo, a white cap chief of Lagos in 1994.
He was upgraded to a first class traditional ruler and 14th Oniru of Iru land in 1996 according to the citation read at the presentation.

Also speaking, another old boy and classmate of the oba, Alhaji Gbolahan Solabi, solicited the support of all stakeholders towards the development of the school’s new site at Abijo in Ibeju Lekki Local Government Area.

Responding, Oba Oniru thanked the association for the honour and called on old students to join hands with governments to raise the standard of education, particularly in the provision of infrastructure and improved curriculum.
He alluded to drawing inspiration from the selflessness demonstrated by the founding fathers of the school such as the late Rev. William Benjamin Euba and Obadiah Roberts, among others, in setting up the first indigenous, private, non-religious and non-denominational secondary school in Nigeria.

He commended the Lagos State Government for its efforts in relocating the school from Musin to Abijo and in particularly for commencing infrastructural development at the new site.
The oba assured the EKOBA members of his commitment to the rapid development of the new site of the school beginning with the construction of a school hall in his name.
He promised to be involved in other development activities to ensure the commencement of educational activities at the new site in the shortest possible time.

The First National Vice-President of EKOBA, Rilwan Fashina, expressed the appreciation of the old boys at home and in the diaspora to the monarch for the offer of the school hall, his substantial monetary donations during the 105th founder’s day fund raising dinner and at the award presentation.

According to him, the Oniru’s gesture should serve as a wake-up call to other Ekorians of means to give back to their alma mater and return the school to its former enviable height.