22/09/2026
BGS OTU GOLDEN JUBILEE ANNIVERSARY
Old Friends, Well-wishers Celebrate
Otu Community the seat of the Itesiwaju Local Government Council headquarters played host to thousands of its old acquaintances and well-wishers recently as the old students of the Baptist Grammar School Out converged on the town to celebrate the fifty year anniversary of their alma mater.
Established on 20th September, 1976 the School founded by the First Baptist Church Otu has produced men and women who have excelled in their chosen careers and life endeavours in the Nigerian society since their graduation. Considering the years of existence, many of its old students are now grandfathers and grandmothers who have retired from active service. The man who is credited to have made the establishment of the School possible, Rev. Owolabi has attained the age of 101. The pioneer Principal of the School, Rev. David A. Ilori is also in his 90s at the time of the Golden Jubilee celebration. Several of his successors as principals are now deceased.
In 1976, several boys and girls who had submitted their application forms for admission into the Baptist Grammar School Otu were invited to sit for entrance examinations and interviews in the premises of the School. The results were announced the same day and over a hundred of the applicants were given admission. A considerable number of them were not indigenes of the Community but from the various parts of the South West of Nigeria. A few of them notably Ezeudu John now late and his sister Hannah also came from the South East. Ezeudu John Chinwuba later in life contested for election as the Chairman Akwa Local Government Council in Anambra State.
Today there are many professors in the universities, retired military and police officers and hundreds of others in different life occupations tracing their beginning to the School. The incumbent principal of the School, Rev. Dr. J.O Egunsola is a PhD holder.
Activities lined up for the Golden Jubilee Anniversary commenced on Friday 18th September, 2026 with quiz competition between the students of Baptist Secondary School and other secondary schools in the Community. This was followed by thanksgiving Jumat prayers at the Central Mosque Otu in the afternoon after which a novelty football match took place at the football pitch of the School later in the day. The day’s activities were rounded off with a gala night and reunion meeting organized for the old students at the J.B. Hotel & Suites, Otu.
Saturday 19th September, 2026 featured the Grand Finale of the Golden Jubilee Anniversary celebrations. The Old Students Association had renovated their old abandoned Science Laboratory building for the benefit of the incumbent scholars and had invited the honourable Commissioner for Education Oyo State for the commissioning ceremony. Apart from the commissioning of the School projects embarked upon by the Old Students Association, a fund-raising campaign also took place for the provision of an ICT Centre compliant to the WAEC examinations regulations.
Side attractions during the celebration include the cultural dance by the school students, a general free-for-all dancing time and presentation of awards. The master of ceremony at the occasion Adebayo Faleti led the students of the School into some songs and dancing as well as jokes that will make the events memorable in years to come.
The Golden Jubilee Anniversary was rounded off on Sunday 20th September, 2026 at the First Baptist Church Otu a.k.a Community of Peace with a thanksgiving service and celebration. Present at the service was the aged Rev. Owolabi.
One important lesson demonstrated for the young generations during the Anniversary is the unity of the celebrants who were from various communities and different walks of life in all the activities. Apart from the old students cracking the old jokes, calling themselves the nicknames acquired in school and mimicking of their disciplinarian teachers (some of them foreigners) and principals the Central Mosque Otu recorded an unusual presence of Christian worshippers who attended the special Jumat prayers. This was replicated on Sunday as scores of Muslim faithful also attended the thanksgiving service and celebration organized at the Church. It was the same Church that the valedictory service was organized for the pioneer students in 1981. The First Baptist Church Otu, has proven its other name as the Community of Peace.
It would be recalled that the pioneer school prefect, Professor Adeola Rasheed Gbolagade, the pioneer labour prefect Professor Dejo Ahmed Ojedapo (Deputy Vice Chancellor), the games captain for girls Mrs Bashirat and the Editor-in-chief AYR Prince Olalekan Taoheed Oyekola fnipr (pioneer health prefect boys and Scoutmaster) are Muslims who graduated from the School. A shed was constructed in the school premises for Muslim students to conduct their Islamic worship in their days. However, everyone also attended the School's Christian morning devotional prayers during their days which have made them conversant with Christian songs particularly those published in the Songs of Praise (SOP). This upbringing has impacted on the lives of the old students not to be discriminatory in their relationship in the society.
