Oyebanji Re-unites With 90-year-old Ex-principal, Teacher

Gbenga Sodeinde in Ado Ekiti

Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Biodun Oyebanji, on Monday re-united with his former secondary school principal, Chief Daniel Ogboja and his wife, Mrs Dorcas Ogboja, who was also his English and Literature teacher at Christ Apostolic Church Grammar School, (CAPOSTO), Efon Alaaye,  after leaving the school some 40 years ago.

The governor, who had earlier during his town hall meeting at Usi Ekiti seen the former English teacher directed the event’s Master of ceremony to recognise and invite her to the high table.

Oyebanji, after the town hall meeting accompanied her home to visit her husband, who was his principal.

During the visit to the principal, the governor described the nonagenarian as his mentor, saying he imbibed the principles of hard-work, honesty, fear of God, contentment, and tenacity from the training he got from the old man during his days as principal of CAC Grammar School, Efon Alaaye.

Oyebanji, who relished his former principal and teacher with old memories, recalled how the old man took time, during morning devotions, to give them lectures which according to the governor, helped in shaping the lives of all the old students.

While appreciating him for being so good to him and for his selfless labour on all his students, the governor prayed God to grant him long life as he continued to eat the fruit of his labour.

“I still recall vividly my sojourn at CAPOSTO. Daddy was a disciplinarian but daddy will discipline you in love. Most of the things I leant about hard work, about been truthful, about fear of God, about contentment, I learnt from daddy, because at every morning devotion, daddy will take his time to lecture us.

“Daddy took each and every one of us as his children and that is why every old student of CAPOSTO will refer to daddy and mummy as their parent,” he said. 

He however, promised to organise a visit by the old students of the school to Chief Ogboja.

“We will come and spend an afternoon with you one of these days. Just to appreciate you sir,” he assured the retired nonagenarian.

Responding, Ogboja, who expressed his profound gratitude to the governor for remembering him and for deeming it fit to visit him, said he was very proud of him and his achievements in less than one year in office, saying Ekiti has never had it so well.

His wife, Mrs Ogboja narrated how she rolled on the floor in excitement whe she heard the news of Oyebanji’s election as governor of the state in June 2022, said she was happy and grateful to God to meet face-to-face with the governor, who was once her student.

She also said she was happy that Oyebanji was already exhibiting the qualities he imbibed early in life.