Introduction: As our people say, “Òótọ́ ò ní ká má sọ òun” (Truth thrives in being uttered). The truth is that BHS Saki is a force to reckon with, not just in our Oyo North region, but all over the world. In essence, one cannot say enough of the enormity of the impact of our Alma Mater, Baptist High School Saki, on the contemporary global space. It is a fact that cannot be overstated, neither could it be contested. We, products of BHS, have been wired to be globetrotters. The sacred Idi-Araba in Saki seems to be our launching pad; the world is our space of operation; and the sky is the limit of our endeavors. I don’t know about the uninhabitable Antarctica, but I can say with an indubitable authority that there is no single habitable continent on the face of our God’s planet earth that one would not find a product of Baptist High School, Saki; and there is no profession which one of our own is not impactfully found, respectfully celebrated and momentously distinguished. In other words, our alumni are forces to reckon with in the modern world. For more than two and a half generations since its founding and up until now (assuming that one generation is calculated to be 25 years), our school has spread its tentacles, bestriding the narrow world like a colossus, to borrow the words of William Shakespeare.
Our POW of today is a quintessential manifestation of the global impact of our Alma Mater. You could say of her, like the ever-flowing Niger River, this one is born to flow strong, and float majestically. Like the Ever-Ready Battery, she keeps going, and going, and going. Please come along with me as we take a quick peek at the interesting corridor of the life of our notable alumnus, Mrs. Florence Iyabo Umaru (Nee Olaniran).
How It All Began: The family of Baba and Mama Olaniran of Ogbomoso welcomed a beautiful addition to their family in the fateful day of October 5, 1954. Many may not know this, but it is common knowledge that the Ogbomoso people are great adventurers, traders, and aggressive defenders of their God-given territories. Being on the move and working hard to acquire the best of the endowments of life has always been in their DNA. Our own Florence – Mrs. Umaru (Nee Olaniran) manifests all of these traits, and more. Although originally from Ogbomoso, she grew up in Northern Nigeria, where her parents were traders. In fact, you could say of her that Hausa was her first language, while Yoruba could be considered as her mother tongue.
Education: POW Umaru obtained her primary school education in Kaduna and entered Baptist High School Saki in 1969. She would be among the group that took their entrance examination to BHS in Kaduna in 1968 and ultimately admitted to the school in January of 1969. She graduated in 1973 and has migrated to the United States of America for half a century now – specifically, since 1975.
While in the United States, Mrs. Umaru attended Southeastern University in Washington, District of Columbia. There, she received her Bachelor’s degree in Public Administration (BPA) in 1983. Determined to be relevant in rendering professional public service in the United States, our POW further obtained a Master of Public Administration degree in the same institution in 1985.
Social Engagements: Our POW has always been lively and friendly. I recall her graceful presence at my daughter’s graduation from the Law School some ten years ago in Washington, DC. She generously feted my family at a big dinner in their beautiful Maryland home (actually, I should call it a mansion).
Known for being gentle and benign, the young and pretty Florence Olaniran (now Mrs. Umaru) was one of the popular members of the ’73 Survivors, featuring prominently during various events of the school including the Golden Jubilee ceremonies of the Survivors and ably represented by her younger sister. It’s no exaggeration if I say our POW is as beautiful today as she was in our high school days of more than half a century!
Professional Public Service: For many years, our POW worked for the Department of Human Services in Washington DC, and it was from there that she retired in 2015.
Post-Retirement Activities: Mrs. Umaru currently runs her own chain of businesses. She is the proud owner of Cold Stone Creamery both in Washington, DC and Baltimore, Maryland. The ever-busy and actively-engaging lady shuttles between her businesses and the natural calling of grandmothership. In her own words, she declared, “Things that I like to do in my spire time are reading , listening to music and dancing.” She is guided by the Code of Hammurabi, believing that the best way to act in life is only to do unto others exactly what you want them to do unto you. “Life does not have a duplicate,” Mrs. Umaru quipped, “Therefore, the best you can do for yourself is to enjoy it to the fullest.”
Family: Mrs. Florence Umaru is blessed with her husband of many years, and is surrounded by her children and grandchildren.
Hymn of Praise: For our POW, nothing would be more appropriate than a chorus of praise. Therefore, we join her to sing: “Thank You, Lord!”
What shall I give unto the Lord?
All I have to say is thank you, Lord.
Thank you, Lord/2x
All I have to say is thank you, Lord!
And so, we’ve chosen today as our Person of the Week, Mrs. Florence Iyabo Umaru (Nee Olaniran), a true ambassador of our School’s spirit in adventures, strength, determination, resiliency, and more.
Mrs. Umaru: Together as your fellow alumni, we greet you from the bottom of our hearts; we admire you tremendously, and pray that the good Lord may continue to bless you. Kudos to you, Ma’am!
-Prof Afolayan
Yes! 👏 Ever charming!! Congratulations on your being chosen as the person of the week of our great platform. More Blessings. Enjoy the rest of Super Bowl evening.-
– Mr Sunday Adegbola