The government of Osun State has been after the expansive school land of Osogbo Grammar School. In spite of a court case, state officials tried to allot our land. A press conference was held in Osogbo to alert the public and warn government officials to desist.
Osogbo Grammar School Alumni Association held a conference in Osogbo on February 1, 2019, a few days after officials of the state Ministry of Land and Physical Planning tried to re-partition the land a the school premises. The press conference was held at the Osogbo City Hall and presented by Mr. Joseph Aderemi Akinlade, the1957 Senior Prefect, supported by other alumni.
Daily Independent has reported the press conference.
Below is the statement read by the alumni at the conference.
Gentlemen of the press, we are here to tell the world about the flagrant disregard for the law exhibited by officials of the Ministry of Lands and Physical Planning and their desperation to layout the land of Osogbo Grammar School for sale to private individuals in spite of the fact that they are well informed by Suite No HOS/94/2018 of July, 2018 in the High Court.
The Suit instituted by the Alumni Association of Osogbo Grammar School was consequent upon the attempt of the then Government of Osun State to convert a chunk of the School’s land into a market. Owning to a great deal of pressure the government shelved the idea. As if we knew, in that suit we were seeking, among other pleas, to forestall any non-educational development in the land, by “a declaration that the defendants have no right, jurisdiction, power or authority to encroach on and/or appropriate any part of the parcel of land the appurtenances thereon belonging to Osogbo Grammar School or for other purposes at all other than for the use and benefit of Osogbo Grammar School and its students, and in the same name of Osogbo Grammar School”
On October 8, 2018 we found surveyors from the Surveyor General Office, partitioning and planting survey pillars on the School’s land. When asked why? They replied they were sent from the Surveyor General’s Office to layout the land for private residential area. This was confirmed by the then Commissioner. The Alumni reacted for over two months through delegation to the Commissioner of Lands and Physical Planning and with press releases; thanks for cooperation of some of you here and your colleagues.
The Alumni all over the world were sensitized. The Ataoja in Council, Osogbo community via the Osogbo Progressive Union (OPU) and individuals were sensitized and they joined in the struggle as a prime stakeholder. At that time the suit had not been listed for hearing. Since it was in Court we published in the Punch and the Daily Independent Newspapers a CAVEAT EMPTOR. Through Home Branch of OPU we get another Lawyer to write a legal petition directly to the Executive Governor Ogbeni Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola which was copied to and delivered to some government and security agencies including The Commissioner of Land and Physical Planning whose portfolio includes the Survey Department.
Apparently, that worked and we had no one coming to survey on the land until Monday 21st January, 2019 when one official from Surveyor General’s Office was found with 2 others on the land. When challenged, he questioned if we did not know the land was partitioned for private ownerships. He was reminded of the Suit in the Court and he said Alumni had no claim on Government Land. However he had to leave.
Then on Tuesday 29th January, a Surveyor and his assistants were again found carrying out the exercise of laying out the land. 4 Alumni challenged him and he claimed his department was not aware of any law suit in the Court. We showed him a copy. He phoned his office and they packed their instruments and left.
Alumni all over the world, hearing of this decided, it is time to expose the sinister motive of the Surveyor-General. The total area of the Osogbo Grammar School land is S6.32 acres and Osun State Government had fenced a portion less than a third of the land for the Mega School named Osogbo Government High School. Laying out the remaining over 35 acres as residential area for private individuals is unacceptable to Osogbo Community and the Alumni and it runs foul of law and practice that land given out for Education purpose should not be used for any other purpose otherwise it should revert to the owner.
VISION OF ALUMNI AND OSOGBO COMMUNITY FOR OSOGBO GRAMMAR SCHOOL.
The School was established by communual effort on a piece of land donated personally by late Oba Adenle it was inspired and conceived by the desire to establish a premier secondary school not only for Osogbo but also as the first in the then Osun Division (present Centre and West Senatorial areas of Osun State us the then Ogbomoso District Council Area). Its establishment in 1950 inspired growth of other secondary schools in the area. The pioneer Principal, late Venerable J.L Omigbodun, within the 21 Years he served, he developed the school to stage of running Higher School Certificate Classes leaving a legacy of 20 building structures, sports field, pavilion, vast school farm, orchard’s, beautiful lawns, etc
At the end of his tenure in 1970 school administration was centralized and Osogbo Grammar School had 5 Principals in 7 years, 1971- 1977!! That began the decline; physical development was stalled, maintenance of structures was poor, even discipline declined and academic performance was fluctuating especially from the time government took over all School in the Oyo State in 1975.
Since that time Alumni began to pay-back by way of building and maintenance of infra structure, motivation of the students, guidance and counseling, Financial assistance to indigent and brilliant students, and they did not relent ever since.
Osogbo community also played their part and individuals had built classroom blocks. Now that the Alumni Association is very strong in number and status, And in view of the abysmal decadence, we have resolved to develop Osogbo Grammar School into an Educational Tourism Centre on that remaining about two- thirds of the land.
We have plans for; A sporting centre which the set Group of 1978 had already begun but stalled when this balkanization by the Survey Department began in October, 2018; Indoor games centre Vocational and Technical Workshops, State of the Arts Laboratory, International Conference Centre, ICT centre, Library structured and equipped for research, perimeter fencing, Boarding facility, Modern Classroom and well-furnished staff rooms, a programme for staff development etc.
In the meantime OGS Students have assisted financially, of recent, by our North America Chapter by paying WAEC SSCE fees for 40 indigent students and financial assistance to offset chargeable fees for some 100 very financially challenged students, (each valued over 700,000 naira) Another individual under his NGO had earlier built a storied modern block of classrooms, and in recent time a modern block of Toilet with 20 closets and with his set group (1976) renovated nearly all the classroom blocks and restructured the library. He had refurbished and equipped our laboratory earlier on. Of recent, too, the 1981 set group, for about 2 years, have been supplying packets of chalk every term to the school and the 1997 set group has, last month, donated a prepaid meter to the School. When Alumni learnt of the near invasion and attack on the staff and students by hoodlums, It was decided we should embark on perimeter fencing to protect life and property, in fact we started but we had to stop because of the CAVEAT EMPTOR Academically a volunteer program coaching final year students goes on. Who says Alumni has no locus standi?
CONCLUSION
Unless there is a superior developmental educational programme of the Government, Alumni would fight to preserve our heritage and we are assured of support from the prime stakeholder, Osogbo Community.
Much as we appreciate the presence of the Mega School on our land, we are craving that it bears the name of Osogbo Grammar School.
We are therefore through this media appealing to appropriate arm of government to stop the Surveyor General from balkanizing Osogbo Grammar School’s land for Private individuals. His action runs counter to the good image of the State Government.
Thank you, gentlemen of the press.