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By Femi Ogunlana
Deacon Comrade Solomon Oladayo Ajala will definitely live to remember Thursday, November 20, 2025 because it was the day he celebrated his Diamond Jubilee and statutorily got pulled out of a profession he grew to love and gave him fulfilment and variety of adventures. He explored to the fullest as a unionist (Nigeria Union of Teachers, NUT). However, there was a sore point – he had his trajectory marked by one near-death experience of which he got saved only by grace. Four others, who were his colleagues were not so lucky as they passed away, it was a terrible accident that occurred when a speeding vehicle skidded off the road to ram into the five of them as they left school that day at Tewure Grammar School in Oriire local government. But it is not a story pleasant to be relayed. Still it’s part of his story.
The twin event, held at New Way Baptist Church and the premises of the school he headed as principal for about two years, was graced by many dignitaries including the incumbent chairman of the NUT in Oyo state, Comrade Raji Oladimeji; a former state chairman, Comrade Prince Tojuade Adedoyin; NUT chairmen in Ogbomoso zone and many former leaders of the union. Also, there were several principals who included the Oyo state Secretary General of All Nigeria Confederation of Principals of Secondary Schools (ANCOPSS), Mr. Dele Flemming Omololu, and the Ogbomoso zonal chairman of ANCOPSS, Mrs. Bose Oke.
The police musical team from the Police Headquarters Eleyele Ibadan spiced up the event with a live performance.
Until his retirement, Comrade Ajala was a national officer of the NUT – National Editor – representing Oyo State. He was also a former branch chairman (Ogbomoso South local government) during which time he emerged as zonal chairman.
Rev’d. Dr. Matthew Oludare, Minister -in- Charge of Idi-Oro Baptist Church, congratulated the celebrant, one of the Deacons in his church, remarking it is God’s grace that he is retiring statutorily and not due to any of the other four reasons he identified as disciplinary action, sickness, death or voluntarily. “We should appreciate God you are retiring gloriously and wonderfully. You are entering another stage in your life, you are beginning again.”
Titling his sermon “Entering into a glorious newness through retirement,” with text from Psalm 102: 13, the cleric charged the celebrant to emulate King David by living his life for God, living his life for now that is for his generation and living his life for eternity. He emphasized the imperative of integrity and impact through touching people’s lives, submitting it would bring “honour and recognition.”
Oludare urged those entering into retirement to depend on God and eschew fear.
The Permanent Secretary/Tutor General TESCOM zonal office Ogbomoso, Mrs. Gbemisola Beyioku, also felicitating the celebrant said, “May your legacy continue to live for generations.”
Mrs. Beyioku further submitted, “Mr. Ajala is humility personified, he is too humble, he is one of those that made my appointment in Ogbomoso to be seamless, he really helped me. He put me through in a lot of things, he is a great advisor.”
Also, Dr. Dele Oyedokun, Permanent Secretary/Inspector General of Education Ogbomoso zone 1, summed Ajala up in one word, “The only thing l will use to describe him is that he is a man that is always passionate. We were together at Methodist Secondary Grammar School, so l am not surprised by his activities in the church, in the service and in the community. He delivers, he performs excellently in everything l have known he gets involved ,” urging him to take things easy as he advances in age.
Mr. Omololu, Secretary General, ANCOPSS, Oyo state, and who is principal of Millennium Model Secondary School 1, Oke-Owode, Ogbomoso, noted Dn. Ajala is retiring “gallantly,” as he added, “We are glad that your labour has left a positive imprint on those you have worked with and those who have been under your leadership over the years.”
Omololu commended Ajala’s “passion for education, dedication to students and staff as well as your commitment to the progress of All Nigeria Confederation of Principals of Secondary Schools (ANCOPSS) are praiseworthy qualities.”
“We will indeed miss your guidance, mentorship, and leadership. Of course, the legacy you have built during your years of service will live on, through the countless lives you have touched.
“Our dear friend, Dn. Ajala, we express our deepest gratitude for your tireless service, unwavering commitment, and love for education.”
NUT chairman Ogbomoso North local government, Comrade Binuyo Foluke Adedoyin, also eulogized the celebrant extolling his virtues. She said in a breath, “This is indeed a special retirement of a man of honour, integrity, excellence and courage. His name has become matching with dedication, service, leadership, compassion and unwavering commitment to the noble profession of teaching and the strengthening of our union. .. We are gathered to celebrate a life of impact, integrity and extraordinary service. We are here to honour a man who stands tall in the teaching profession and even taller in the Nigeria Union Teachers (NUT), a gallant unionist whose dedication has been unwavering, whose loyalty has been consistent, and whose contributions are truly immeasurable.”
The host principal and his successor at Owode Community Grammar School 1, Mr. Tade Olutunji, described him as “a principal of great repute,” saying under his leadership Owode Community Grammar School witnessed tremendous achievements academically and physically.
Meanwhile in a chat, Comrade Ajala expressed elation at the “type of honour done me, it’s too amazing,” concluding he was “fulfilled as a teacher. Becoming a teacher came to me by chance but today l feel highly satisfied and l can stand tall and say l am fulfilled.”
Asked to mention his regrets as a teacher, he pointed at the unfortunate accident that claimed the lives of four of his colleagues on November 3, 1999, which he survived by the whiskers. “l want to thank God, there are so many challenges along the way like on November 3, 1999, I had a very serious accident. We just closed for the day and just in front of our school a vehicle rammed into us, four of my friends l lost them immediately. I was the only survivor and l spent so many months in the hospital, my leg was almost amputated, it’s the grace of God it was not.”
He however expressed shock at the attitude of government at the time. “What baffled me is that despite the ordeal no government official came to visit me during that period, except my union that brought the whole staff in the Teachers House to come and visit me in the hospital and l felt highly honoured they identified with me.”
He affirmed he had no regret being a unionist. “There is no regret, l really enjoyed it,” recalling he was introduced to NUT activism by “one of my Ogas who happen to be an elder brother of my friend, that is Comrade Gbola Ladipo, then at Oriire local government. I have enjoyed it all the way, l learned so many things and it made me to know so many people and to have friends across the country.”
He charged teachers and the NUT not to relent, asserting, “I see a future where teachers will be so highly honoured and highly paid. I want to charge them to continue to forge ahead and positively impact the young ones.”
He also pointed out the society needs a role to play in restoring academic excellence, stressing, “the society should start celebrating academic excellence rather than celebrating mediocrity, corruption and all sort of things. That attitude is sending negative signal to students that if l become a thug today l will amass wealth, more than what someone who has been labouring for so long is able to amass.”
In similar vein, he challenged government “to devote more resources to education, let the teachers be taken good care of. An hungry man is an angry man. If you are hungry you can’t do anything, let teachers be taken good care of. Let there be facilities in schools, if there are facilities they will perform more than you expect.”
He also had few words for well-to-do individuals. “Philanthropists are needed, anyone who helps the school system is helping the society. I want to charge philanthropists to go to schools, pick a school and do whatever they can, the society will reap it in multiple folds and remember them.”
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