Random faces. Kids from all over the town. Everyday, they walked through the gates into our blessed school. Our set, 1984 set, was no different. Local champions from different schools in Akure, in various ways, have made their way into our school. As the years went by, we all started to find our levels. Those that were great at individual subjects, those that were great in a few subjects and then there those that were great in all subjects. Even at that, there was one that was right at the top of the tree. Olaniyi Ogo piun Ogunlusi.
Niyi was to a degree part of the top students in our early years as the there was not much between the students in the first year. Even at JSS3, a very high percentage of kids had “A” in all their exams. However, as we moved into the senior classes, his academic prowess started to show. There were great kids in other classes. From Kehinde Omoniyi and Damilola Ogunyakin in SS1:1, Femi Adeosun, Dele Aina in SS1:2, Tuyi Famuti in SS1:4 and Yemi Adegbokun in SS1:5, there were sparkles of greatness in all the classes. Not to say there not others in these classes (I cannot mention them all 🙌🏾) but SS1:3 had quite a few. Using a bible analogy in 2 Samuel, there were the four. Tayo Ogunkorode. Biodun Oloye. Aro Babatunde. Muyiwa Adeliyi. They were great guys, academically sound from science to social sciences and excelled. They took down other classes on their own if the occasion arose. But they were not the mighty three. The mighty three. Amongst them were Ayo Omotosho and Damilola Oni. They rotated round in quizzes and took most schools down but lost a few but there was the mighty one. Niyi Ogunlusi.
Lacking no confidence, his confidence almost exhibited itself as arrogance and over confidence at times. A self critic with the drive to excel and only letting his work speak for him, he was equally as social but unwittingly crafty. Whilst a lot of us ventured out to do GCE and try to have back up plans, Niyi usually sat in his second to the last seat to the right left of his classroom near a window with no bother in the world. I asked him why he was not registering for GCE, his answer was it is a waste of money as he is sure that his SSCE will be good enough and he was not putting parents under any strain 😳. SSCE came, he smashed it and even had a decent score in Further Maths in which we did not have a teacher for our last year. Went on to study medicine Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife.
Highlights range from interclass quizzes where he led a team that crushed the other 2 science classes, to helping even the other so called intelligent ones in their quest for academic excellence to greatness, to taking our principal at the time to task on what was considered his favourite subject and rattled him, to escapades of being fed up of sciences and relocating to the art class (we thank God sent Tunde Aro that brought him back😂) , his mischievous akoti moves using physics and maths to triangulate or project them( more of the reason why his partner in crime Aro cannot let him move class😜).
Some were destined for the occasional shout outs. Some for periodic greatness. But Niyi, all round star in our school days. Never wanting of the exact words to express himself, it is as if he is constantly rehearsing his expressions in advance. I am the least surprised that he picked up a cassock to lead from the pulpit. And combining that with his scientific intellect? Niyi Ogunlusi is a very rare breed. A star that does not regal in its superior intensity but takes responsibility to offer its light as a guide to other stars. A true Aquanarian and we celebrate him. 👏
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