You recently took part in an excursion to a part of the country you were visiting for the first time. Write an article for publication in your school magazine narrating your experiences.

It was a dream come true to majority of us who believed that we know more about Lagos State where we came to school for our secondary education from Abeokuta in Ogun State when our Agricultural teacher Mr. Odaranile popularly known as “T. J” by his colleagues told us that we would be visiting Epe town on excusion as part of our studies in fishery in aquaculture.

Epe town was chosen due to its environment where fish farming is prominent. There was so much of excitement in school that day that even those who are not Agricultural Science students also wanted to go. The reason for the excitement was that we are going to have much fun at Epe in terms of seeing the farmers fishing in their canoes and local trawlers with plenty of fish for us to eat and study.

We left the school compound in a hired Luxury bus with lots of songs and chattering of the girls who perhaps are agrophobia but like the sight of big water that is in Epe as we were told.

Our bus has a little hitch with the traffic on Eko bridge as a result of traffic jam but by the time we got to Marina in Lagos towards Bonny Camp, the r oad became free and we were right there on the road to Lekki Epe road.

We saw a lot of high rise buildings with various beautiful scenes on the road at the express road after the third roundabout.

Before we know it, we came to the Julius Berger Bridge which was used as the road office of those that built the road and after about five to seven minutes, we entered the ancient town of Epe.

Because arrangement had been made by our Agric teacher, we were taken to the sea side straight by a guide – an old man whose name we later knew as  Mr. Olukosi who the people around called Baba Kekere Eleja Aro. Our Agric. Class captain Miss Tooki was the first to ask him the question of why Epe was called Epe Alaro. He laughed before he gave his answer that the term ‘eleja aro’ is not complete if one fails to add the name of the founder of Epe t own  to the term and that he gave as Ogunmodede; so it was “Epe Eleja Aro Omo Ogunmodede” The old man told us that Eja Aro – “ Cat fish” is so many in their area that it became part of its name.

There was this woman Mama Falade who was the leader of the fish sellers there at Epe. She told us that she has been in the business of the catfish for over thirty years. Our teacher, Mr. Odaranile, requested from her to have a taste of what they have. She obliged but that we should be taken round the sea in an engine boat. At first, I was scared with some students but when others got into the boat, I joined them. The boat ride was so interesting. We came across many canoes, boats, and fish trawlers on sea catching fish.

After about one hour on the sea, we came back to the shore only to meet Mana Falade with fresh catfish soup with hot eba to go with it as her gift to us as school children. Our teacher gave us the order to eat as many of us were already. In fact, I ate to my satisfaction with chunk of fish in my mouth unable to drink water again.

If not for the Oro festival that was to take place at Epe that day, we would have slept there and have a trip round the town but it was too late and we thanked all the people for their warm reception and their parting gifts of plenty Aro (catfish) back to our school and truly it is really Epe Alaro Omo Ogunmodede.