Coming To Government College Ibadan

For me, coming to GCI for my Higher School in 1970 was a Revolt against a system that kept some sets of students in some special schools tagged Government Colleges/schools at States or Federal levels. These fortunate students were over pampered, provided with the best of everything from learning facilities including the crème-de-la-crème of teaching staff, to sports to feeding and boarding only for a peanut as school fees compared with what the larger proportion of the remaining unfortunate students that ended up in far less standard schools paid. In my primary school days, I had the false impression that these schools were meant for children of the rich or those whose parents were well connected. A common joke then was that applying to such schools for admission if you did not belong was a waste of your money as the white men would use your money for tea and cigarette - many of their teachers were expatriates.

My first contact with GCI was sometime in 1967. I was part of the Chess Team from ijebu Ode Grammar School {JOBS) that met GCI in a Chess Tournament. It was no surprise that we were thoroughly trashed - 7 to 1 or 5 to 1. In the country of the blind, the one eyed man is said to be the King. I was junior Chess Champion for my school but did not win any game in that tournament, an event that Sammy Osho still taunts me with to date. That was the year I decided that I had to cross over to GCI for my HSC, even when it entailed scaling the fence in my school to attend the interview as there was no way I could have gotten an exeat for the trip.

At about 6 weeks old in the school, I got a surprise call from the Principal, Chief B Ojo. Such calls where I came from usually had to do with a serious offence. Offences that entailed summoning a student before the principal usually fetched days of grass cutting or suspension. You can therefore imagine the pace at which my heart was beating by the time I got to Chief Ojo. The man must have seen how shaken I was as he did not keep me for too long.

The conversation was brief:
Principal: Are you Babajide Puddicombe?
Me: Yes Sir
Principal: I've just received a letter from your Principal Rev. Ade Osinsanya asking me to send you back to him. Do you want to go back?
Me: No Sir
Principal: You can go.
My joy knew no bounds.

FIELD HOUSE
I came from a Green House in JOGS to a Green House in GCI. This to me was no coincidence but a divine arrangement as I did not opt for any of the Houses. Without trying to sound partial, they were the best houses in both schools, with the highest collection of level headed and well behaved students.

HOSANNA LODGE
The number of hours for prep in JOGS almost doubled that in GCI.
Adjusting to this was an issue. I was determined to be one of those in front of the biology group from the word go. Knowing that could not be feasible with the reading arrangement I was not used to, I decided to tap light from the toilet to the Box Room situated within the house grounds to enable me read as far into the night as I could. I got the 2.5mm cable for the extension from an abandoned burnt workshop on the way to the football field.

Hosanna Lodge, a tag by my colleagues in Field House, was indeed an innovation as there was nothing like it before then. At first everybody kept a distance. Perhaps it was because burning the midnight candles was alien to them or they were afraid of the consequences of the discovery by the school authorities. I was the only lodger for almost seven weeks. I got all the boxes neatly arranged in the lower shelves and created a space for myself on the last shelf. The space just managed to accommodate me sitting upright with my back against the wall and head almost touching the ceiling.
With light now in the Box Room, boys didn't need any torch to pick things from their boxes after lights out. All they needed to do was to gently open the door, pick whatever they wanted and quietly leave. One evening, the door opened, as usual I expected someone to come in but this did not happen. I turned from where I was on the last shelf to see what was happening. That movement was what gave me away because standing at the door and about to turn back was the Principal. He was startled while was fixed in shock. He did all the talking:

“What are you doing there? He asked. Eh, you mean you are reading? Just make sure you don't doze off". He closed the door and drove off I was too shocked to utter a word. His visit was like an official approval of Hosanna Lodge as my tenants started coming from them on.

THE CADET UNIT
One could count the number of secondary schools in the whole country with an Army Cadet Unit on the fingers of one hand. It was another one of the privileges enjoyed by some of the Government Colleges in the country then. The unit caught my fancy and I enlisted. We represented the school in the March Past by schools, labour organisations and at other events organised to mark the country's independence every 1" of October. The school provided a complete set of White Long Sleeve Shirt, a pair of Grey Trousers and a School Tie for every cadet that took part in the March-Past. I found this very fascinating. The school came first in the March-Past on the two occasions that I was a member of the cadet team. As a cadet, I attended a course in fire fighting and rescue operation, a training that I still cherish to date.

65/71 Set

I can't but confess that I count myself extremely lucky to belong to this unique set, one of the very best ever produced by the school. A set where almost everybody came out in grade 1 in WASC, a set with the highest number of professionals ever. A set that produced the highest number of Medical Doctors {26 or 28) in the history of the school. One can go on and on. The set is made up of talented Sportsmen, Musicians, Actors, and Debaters in addition to geniuses.

I used to marvel at the way some of them in the national Hockey and Cricket teams went on National and International Tours with these teams for 6 to 8weeks in a 12week-term, returned to copy notes of those of us that were around 24/7 and still passed the end of term exams. The set also produce National Captains for these teams, Excellent/Outstanding Academic achievements were not seen as big deals but as the norm. The set produced the winner of the Western Nigeria John F Kennedy Essay Competition in 1971 and the person that scored the highest mark Nationwide in our final HSC Biology Practical examination. There was no noise whatsoever about these two outstanding events among a host of others. As a matter of fact, I never got to know of the latter until recently. Some of those that could be described as layabouts in our school days are today Medical Doctors, PhD holders & graduates in other fields. That is the 6571 set for you.

I declare without fear of contradiction that ours is a set that is ever ready to assist one another. An example/comparison will suffice: I once booked an appointment to see a member of the set who was CEO of a Multinational Organization. I got there on schedule. I had never felt so elated and so proud to belong to the set. I got a Red Carpet Reception from the gate to his office on the 3 or 4 floor. I could hear whispers of MD's classmate as a security man ushered me to his office. On the contrary, when a friend (who was supposed to be close) from my first school became the GM of a Lagos State Corporation, as the president of the class set, I organised a reception in a 4-star Hotel for him. He came to the event with friends, relations, his PA, Secretary and some other members of his office. Not too long after. I called him during office hours (there was no GSM then} for an obligation. The secretary who was very polite on picking the call asked me to wait while she connected me to her boss, soon returned with a rude "I'm sorry he is not on seat" and dropped the phone. I did not need any one to interpret what must have transpired between her and her boss when she announced my name.
To God be the Glory for the good things he had done for members of 65/71 set and for granting us the Grace to mark 50/45yrs of our admission into Government College Ibadan.

LONG LIVE GCI 65/71 SET! LONG LIVE GCI!! LONG LIVE THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA!!!

Excerpts from "Set In Gold"
THE CLASS OF 1965

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PUDDICOMBE Babajide
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