For three days, the Federal Ministry of Education and the Federal Government Girls College (FGGC), Oyo, Oyo State, took out time to celebrate one of their own, Mrs. Olabisi Ladele, Director/Principal of the FGGC, Oyo, who just retired. Her retirement was not celebrated simply as a phase in her life,  it was also done to mark the end of an eventful career.

Ladele began her working career as a lecturer in the Federal Polytechnic, Ado Ekiti in February 1981. Her appointment as  Lecturer 3 was confirmed in October 1983 and, in that same year, she was promoted to Lecturer 2. In 1984, she was admitted to the prestigious University of Missouri Columbia, Missouri, USA (popularly known as Mizzou) for a master’s degree programme in technical education. While there, she was offered graduate assistantship. This meant that in addition to her studies, she had to teach Sophomore Class i.e 200 Level students. She returned in1987 and lectured at the Federal College of Education, Technical, Akoka, Akoka, Lagos for a while.

She later transferred her service to the Federal Ministry of Education. Ladele worked at various departments of the Federal Ministry of Education Headquarters. In 2006, she was posted to FGGC, Akure as Vice Principal. She later became the Acting Principal of the college in 2009. In January 2010, she was confirmed as a full Principal and posted to Federal Science and Technical College (FSTC), Usi –Ekiti.

Ladele attracted a lot of development to the school during her four-and-a-half year tenure. Altogether, a total of twelve buildings were added to the college.

The college also recorded improvement in the West African School Certificate Examination, NECO and NABTEB results. It  came first in many competitions and represented the South West in Abuja. Thus, Usi-Ekiti was transformed to a Center of Excellence and to a school which many parents wanted to bring their children to. By the time she left, the population of the school was over a thousand students, from 192 when she assumed office.

Ladele was posted to FGGC Bida in July 2014. During her short stay in FGGC, Bida, she also attracted a lot of developments and goodwill to the college.

She was posted to the FGC, Oyo in January 2015. Though her stay in Oyo was short the college greatly progressed under her administration. She enjoyed a lot of support from the members of the staff, students, the Parent Teacher Association and the Oyo community at large.

It was commendations galore for this quintessential educationist at the send-off programme. The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, described her as a ‘selfless worker, lover of humanity and educational icon” whose contributions to the educational development in Nigeria is unparalleled.

The Olusi of Usi, Oba Adedayo Akande, eulogised Ladele thus: “Your doggedness and commitment to duty is exemplary. Your work at the FGGC Usi-Ekiti is written on marble and is a benchmark for us to measure the contributions of your successor”.

Alhaji Ishaq Bello, Chairman, Parent Teacher  Association, FGGC, Oyo, had this to say about Ladele: “She is an epitome of peace, progress and development. She left foot prints in the educational achievement of students and in the development of infrastructure. We will miss her enterprising drive and the strong desire to contribute to people’s lives”.

The representative of the Federal Ministry of Education at the send-off, Mrs. Olushola T. Shoda, Desk Officer, South West Zone, Federal Government Colleges, described  Ladele as a focused person who displayed exemplary acumen in the management of resources in institutions she was appointed to lead.

Mr. Gbade Alabi, Chairman /CEO, CBC Emea Ltd., Lagos, who chaired one of the send-off programmes, described the outgoing Principal as a godly and ingenuous woman who has used her gifts to benefit humanity.

Ladele, a Deacon at the Redeemed Christian Church of God, is married to Pastor Marius Bankole Ladele, a retired Air Force Officer. They are blessed with children and grand children.