O.A. ADESOJI

PRINCIPAL (1978 - 1980)

Students resumed the 1978/79 Session to meet Mr. O.A. Adesoji (1955) as their Principal. This was his third entry into GCI - first, as a student in 1955, as a teacher in 1975 and as Principal in 1978.

By the end of his first term as Principal, he had drastically changed students attitude to noise making, untidy appearance or surroundings and lights out. He believed in corporal punishment and used it accordingly. His cane soon became a major deterrent to bad behaviour.

Mr Adesoji was also quite concerned about examination malpractices which was then the threatening to become a major feature every term. He emphasized hard work as the only key to success and made spot checks to ensure that students did not enter examination halls with any incriminating material. To make up for staff shortage, he was able to find time to teach the HSC students in spite of the administrative load he had to shoulder.

As Principal, Mr. Adesoji encountered a very queer situation. There was a notorious school gang called the N.F.A. - No Future at Stake! These were a small group of lawless students who drove either their parents or 'personal' cars to school and went further to molest other students. In the light of such affluence and pampering, they had no future at stake. Hence their gang name N.F.A. They constituted a bad influence within the school.

It is to the credit of Mr. Adesoji that the gang was broken and the boys were brought in line with the regulations of the school.

He expressed strong support for sports. In addition to the provision of sports equipment, he re-introduced the special table and diet for school athletes. He gave unflinching support to the football team's attempt to win the 1978/79 Principal's Cup. It was known that it would have pleased him very much to present to the Old Boys the Principal's Cup in the year of the school's golden jubilee.

To this end, he co-opted Awoseyi (1958), captain of the School Team in 1964, (ex WNDC now IICC, ex Stationery Stores Player) to assist in the coaching of the boys so as to make the golden jubilee year memorable. Though the Principal's cup did not come to GCI, the team put up a gallant effort.

It is interesting to note that Mr. Adesoji was to make a fourth entry into GCI by returning much later as Principal for a longer duration.

Year From: 

1978

Year To: 

- 1980
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