Anger!!!
Inter-house sports competitions were a big deal in GCI. The frenzy was usually far more than when GCI played against other schools. Houses competed for laurels in athletics, soccer, hockey, and cricket; and oh the pride of winning the trophy.
The final of the inter-house hockey tournament in 1965 was a particularly high-pitch one. Field House was playing Swanston and it was the second successive year the two Houses were meeting in the final. Swanston House had won in 1964, so the 1965 game was ..... Read More
When The Bugger Was Bugged
There was a soft-sell College Magazine in those days called the �College Gossip'. This was a magazine specially published to checkmate students who generally misbehaved or exhibited acts of misdemeanour or, in GCI colloquial parlance, "Ibara". Now "ibara" was the shortened form of "ibara eni je and was aptly applied to any act of misbehaviour that was deemed uncivilised or against the norms of the society and ethos of the school. The interesting thing was that this magazine was supposed ..... Read More
Escaping JBO's cane
Escaping JBO's cane -
sunday evenings at GCI were well known for the "succulent Dodo" that was the meal in our dining hall. The other feature of Sunday evenings was the presence of the Principal at meal with us. The GCI rule was to eat with fork and knife. However, In my Lower Sixth Form, I had developed a bad habit of eating all meals with one small spoon. One Sunday evening in 1970, I was busy eating Dodo with my spoon, as usual, when Ogundere (a School Prefect. I don't remember if he was ..... Read More
The Historic Baton Change
The Historic Baton Change
The year was 1968 and the Class of 65 was in Class 4. We were by now senior boys and were well versed in the GCI traditions. In the outside world, Nigeria was in the pangs of a raging civil war. The radio jingles had started to ring loud:
"To keep Nigeria one is a task that must be done"
A new acronym had been coined for General Gowon, the then Head of State: Go on with One Nigeria. A few our classmates had unavoidably left for the east due to the ..... Read More
AN AWESOME PRIVILEGE
Those early days in the year 1965 were quite wonderful as we were all young and innocent. Our backgrounds were as I varied as our faces, very divergent socially, economically, and culturally. But there was a common denominator: our goal was to obtain the best secondary education from a premium school under the masterful leadership of DJB and his fantastic team of teachers and administrative staff.
The first day remains ever fresh in my memory. We new students had just been dropped by our ..... Read More
GCI AS A LEVELLER
Even the youngest of us in 1965 turned Diamond well ahead of 2015. But by the timeless ticking clock and ageless calendar of GCI, we are all only fit to be Golden...and Boys for that matter. It's fifty years since we entered the Great School, and that's all that matters now. We may be in our 60s, have become GrandPas or even choose to call ourselves Boyz, but Boys we will forever remain by the evergreen traditions of GCI.
GCI has often been described as a school for the privileged, but in ..... Read More
Grier House of Our Time
Prior to our time (1965) Grier House had the greatest number I of rascally boys which earned us the notorious nickname of Grier Mugs. DJ Bullock, the Principal decided to put the very small boys in Grier House where the average height in Grier was 4 feet as against other Houses that had boys who were big enough to husband wives. The move as laudable as it was, of course reduced rascality to the barest minimum but equally had serious effects on our performance on the field of sports. As soon as ..... Read More
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 cr�me-de-la-cr�me 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 ..... Read More
Government College Of My Time
I was admitted to GCI in 1970 for the Higher School Certificate. The subjects I choose made me a right candidate for the Arts Class. I was placed in Carr House. Up Orange! There, I became a House mate or Roommate of the likes of Derin Adewunmi, Late Yomi Agboola (RIP), Bayo Bello, Niyi Ademola (my Lord). Sola Cole, and Segun Oshinyimika.
GCI was not all study and no play. There was adventure too! I remember the day 1 "bolted" out to Scala Cinema along with some accomplices (I only remember ..... Read More
SAMPLE LETTER OF ADMISSION
Ref No. GCI. 7/63 Vol.11/78
Government College
Ibadan
19th October, 1963
Name & Address of Parent/Guardian
Dear Sir/Madam,
Government College, Ibadan:
Admission to Class I January 1964
1. I am pleased to be able to tell you that we are offering a place in Class I next year to your son/ward Will you please let me know as soon as possible whether you wish to accept the place. A deposit of $9 is required and must be paid either in cash or by cheque or Postal Order to the Bursar's ..... Read More