2018 Message III From The Immediate Past National President

MESSAGE FROM THE GCIOBA NATIONAL PRESIDENT AT THE 2018 NATIONAL REUNION HELD ON 20TH OCTOBER, 2018 AT THE ASSEMBLY HALL OF GCI.

Distinguished Old Boys, the goal of our administration was GCI Restoration.

The following activities took place during the period:

1) We registered GCIOBA as a legal entity with the Corporate Affairs Commission in Abuja in September 2015.

2) We also established and registered GCI Educational Foundation as an NGO with CAC in September 2015.

3) We launched a restoration project for GCI with the establishment of a N250 Million Intervention Fund. Over N35million has been raised. We are also in the process of engaging the services of Greenwich Trust Limited to further assist in raising funds for the school on a continuous basis.

4) We inherited and completed the GCIOBA House which comprises a 1500 seater auditorium, seminar rooms, Hall of fame, offices, gallery, library and store. We also purchased a 100kva generator and built a generator house. Between 2012 and 2018 we expended about N25 million on the GCIOBA House.

5) We insured the GCIOBA House with BOFF Insurance Co. The insurance covers fire and allied perils, plant all risks, public liability, burglary and house breaking, furnishings, fixtures, fittings, theft and vandalisation.

6) Consequent upon our engagement with the Government of Oyo State, School Governing Board was established for GCI in 2017 with Banwo Smith (1959 Set) as Chairman. The GCI School Governing Board was adjudged the best in Oyo State in 2017.

7) For the first time in many decades, GCI conducted post common entrance examination to select new entrants into JSS 1.

8) We set up an Assets Management Committee to take charge of all our emerging assets.

9) We succeeded in bridging the generational gap between the ancients and the modernites as we now have representations across board in all GCI functions. There is a fresh re-awakening in the Branches and Sets.

10) With the support of the School Board, we have commenced the perimeter fencing of the school from the main field to prevent all forms of encroachment.

11) We continued to give GCIOBA National Merit Awards to deserving old boys every year. Between 2012 and 2018, we gave out 28 awards.

12) The DJB Foundation awarded scholarships to 12 brilliant but indigent GCI boys in 2017. 3 teachers were also rewarded. The tradition will be annual.

13) In addition to the golden jubilee celebrations, we gave opportunities to Sets to also celebrate 40 and 30 years of entry into the school.

14) From 2014, we established the tradition of book publication by the golden sets to capture their lives and times in the school. We had publications with various titles from:
(i) 1964 Set – 2014 ”Nineteen Sixty Four - 50th Anniversary”
(ii) 1965 Set – 2015 ”Set in Gold - The Class of 1965”
(iii) 1966 Set - 2016 ”Looking Back and Looking Forward - The Story of 1966 Set”
(iv) 1967 Set - 2017 ”Fifty Years Not Out”

15) Through the benevolence of some old boys notably Femi Babalola (1975 Set), our cadets are now better kitted.

16) Following the break through by the 1968 Set, we set up a Teacher Recruitment Committee with Funso Ogunkeye (1968) as Chairman. The step taken improved the academic standards of the students.

17) We restored the games of cricket and hockey in addition to football with donations of kits.

18) We introduced media platforms to improve information dissemination among the Old Boys e.g. GCIOBA Matters, GCIOBA Social/Welfare, GCI Parents,Teachers and Students, Foundation Chat room, GCIOBA National Exco etc.

19) Courtesy of the 1970 Set, we launched an innovative multi-million naira GCI Museum Project. This is a mobile repository readily accessible to all Old Boys worldwide and can be accessed on www.gcimuseum.org

20) For the first time in the history of the Association, we held the Annual Reunion Public Lecture in lle-Ife in 2013 and in Ijebu Ode in 2015.

21) In an attempt to tackle moral decadence and indiscipline in the school, we sourced Human Resource experts to teach the boys Time Management Skills. With the support of Ibadan Branch, an Etiquette Committee was set up to instill in the boys conventionally accepted standards of proper or professional behaviours.

22) Academics, Sports and discipline continued to improve in the school as students now get better results and are now winning laurels.

23) In support of our restoration agenda, there were various project interventions between 2012 and 2018. These include:

(i) Publication of an essay on GCI, Past Present and Future by Kolade Mosuro (1964 Set) on the platform of the Ideas Group.
(ii) Renovation of Teachers Common Room and the English Lecture Theatre by 1974 set
(iii) Renovation of the School Gate by 1956 Set.
(iv) Yearly renovation of GCI Assembly Hall and the adjoining toilets by 1963 Set.
(v) Renovation of Agric Science Laboratory by 1961 Set.
(vi) Donation of chairs and desks for 10 classrooms by 1981 Set and 1975 Set.
(vii) Donation of books to GCI Library by 1978 and 1983 Sets.
(viii) Renovation of Carr House hostel and the Central Dining Hall by 1976 Set.
(ix) Construction of a new Cricket Pavilion by Adejobi Olubi of 1976 Set.
(x) Renovation of SSS I Block of six classrooms and the Geography Department by 1982 Set.
(xi) Renovation of SSS I block of six classrooms by 1977 Set.
(xi) Donation of 18-seater bus by 1973 Set.
(xii) Donation of mower and slasher by 1982 and l985 Sets.
(xiii) Renovation of the School Main Library by 1966 Set.
(xiv) Renovation and equipping of Physics and Chemistry Laboratories by 1967 Set worth over N18million
(xv) Donation of a multi-million flairs ICT Centre by the Nigerian Defence Industries Corporation (NDIC) facilitated by Bisi Ilaka (1973 Set)
(xvi) Donation of Vitafoam Court - one 3-bedroom bungalow and one 2-bedroom bungalow - as teachers quarters worth about N53 million by 1965 Set.
(xvii) Renovation of the old Field/Grier House HSC Block into a new School Clinic by 1968 Set.
(xviii) Linkage of the entire school through a Globacom intercom systems to promote efficiency and enhance security.
(xix) Establishment of Donor Societies for GCIOBA to encourage continuous cash inflow to sustain school intervention.
(xx) Increase of annual turnover from N45miIIion in 2012 to more than N70million in 2018.
(xxi) Sundry individual donations.

I thank you for your support and I wish GCIOBA a brighter future.

Biodun Jolaoso (Carr, 1964)
National President, GCIOBA.
2012-2018.

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