"GCI Made Me"

Reflections of a Sixth Former (Arts) 1970-1971

For reasons lost to history of the twists and turns in Nigeria's Educational system, Government College Ibadan had discontinued with Higher School Certificate "Arts" only to resume it in 1969 and fortuitously I was among the second set to enrol for the this programme in 1970 with bright starry-eyed youths cherry-picked from top-ranked schools who were later to become titans in their various field of human endeavour Names that immediately spring to mind include Fioye Bajowa, former Head of Service Ondo state, Muyiwa Aduroja SAN, former Commissioner of Justice Osun state, Niyi Ademola, serving High Court Judge. Prof Poju (Shepson) Adeleke of Redeemers' University, Seth Odeneye, former M.D Academy Press, the late Kenny Simpson, Senior Manager NAL Merchant Bank, Prof Israel Taiwo among many other illustrious names. But non-descript youth we were in January 1970, quite unable to discern where our fates would lead us.

"Good morning boys", our Economics teacher intoned. "Good morning Sir!" we chorused, most of us with curiosity laced with some trepidation as this was the very first contact some of us would have with this subject, having not studied it at the 'O' level.

"You know boys, it is better to attend a boys only school, and to teach in one. Why?" We were bemused and our countenance betrayed this. "Because by the time you keep saying "boys and girls..." the time has gone!" We all looked at ourselves and chuckled heartily, tension de-fused, immediately latching on to this humorous teacher, Mr Aluko. He made the subject come alive, from the first day. Everyone in the school could thereafter testify that Mr. Aluko, taught, breathed walked and in all ways demonstrated the quintessential Economics teacher that any neophyte of this subject could wish to have. Little wonder that we had good grades in this subject, yours truly scoring a decent 'B' only after a two year Aluko-inspired stint and young Sethie went on to be the best student in Economics at Ahmadu Bello University a few years later. Professors Adeleke and Taiwo went on to cap these up with PhD in Economics and cognate field of Business Administration much later.

As it was with our Economics teachers, Messrs Aluko and Mr Balogun, so it was with the other crop of teachers, all dedicated professionals who exuded such scholarship and absolute commitment to see us excel that is unmatched in any other institutions that yours truly ever attended. Was it Mrs Beatrice Ogunode, Mr Ajayi, history teachers, or Messrs Arodudu and Oyekan who taught English that could be faulted? None at all. It is with blessed nostalgia that one remembers them and the noble GCI spirit of serious attention to academics that they inculcated in all of us pupils.

By the time the HSC results of the 1 set came out and we learnt that Olumoko, Adeyekun, Sogbesan and others totalling five (5) had made 'A' in their HSC History results, we following in their footsteps knew that if we didn't make our own A'. we had effectively failed! Such is the impact of attending a good school with entrenched traditions, where in accordance with the Yoruba proverb, you have a lot of "eshin iwaju..."

A word about the tradition of academic excellence that one was able to observe and imbibe as a GCI product. As a precocious and talented pupil that I was, there was that needed push to get to the top and actualise that potential. This cannot be taught, it can only be acquired through peer influence and environmental impact. GCI tradition provided this for me by the bucketful. Coming from Comprehensive High School Ayetoro, a rival institution especially in the sports arena, I quickly discovered that the motivation to study and excel academically was light years ahead in GCI, such that the average from two or three pupil took his exams and reading requirements more seriously than the WASSCE candidate back at my former school. I had to �"up the ante..." such that I became a bookworm competing effectively with the school certificate boys at burning the midnight oil, for my Higher School Certificate studies. With my qualitative tutelage at the hands of the finest set of teachers anyone could have in any Government school in those days, and the tradition of serious commitment to studies demonstrable by any one GCI pupil, it was a good story at the HSC exam. Furthermore the 3-year degree programme at the University of Ibadan was more or less a breeze. So adequately prepared had I been at the two-year pre-degree programme at GCI, where sports and studies had been so well blended.

Sports? Yes Sports! Apart from getting my standard points at the athletics field I do recall that my dalliance with table tennis which has now become a life-long romance, started at GCI. Osho in Upper Sixth form and the School Table Tennis Captain was a Grierson. He held a meeting with all interested players and, enthusiast that I was, I squeezed myself into the circle. I recall Abiola Taiwo (Eda) saying that he was terribly sure of making the team", whereby Osho challenged him as to why he would say that he "was terribly sure of making the team" I quickly snuggled close to Taiwo and came under his canopy. He not only made the team, he built the team, and with his skills and stylish play, he revolutionised the game in GCI and taught me how to really hold a bat!! To his credit and mine, after my enhanced reading sessions came table tennis and "ragging" with rivals like "Corky the cat khokho". "Lomilo" "Bekilo", Olugbile and "Sopra" all in Grier. Also healthy rivalry and slight edge from Taiwo "Eda", Olunu and Solaja of Field House. I went on to play for Kuti Hall in UI and also for Mobil Oil Nig Plc in the oil Industry Games to show that this boy" is not about all work and no play, thanks to Taiwo and to GCI that provided us with high quality facilities and equipment in the first place. The bats which the school provided for us with little or no prompting are only to be found with those that play for Nigeria professionally, today. Not in any school.

Which brings one to the issue how and why things have degenerated on all fronts in Nigeria today. Why we cannot provide for our children the facilities and qualitative education that we enjoyed as pupils. As Wole Soyinka said, we are the wasted generation and it behoves us to search and find answers to this poser, so that we could honestly strive to leave the world a better place than we met it. If we don't succeed in doing this, any congratulatory back-slapping and other self-adulatory gestures would ring hollow. Nigeria was seen as a developing country with great potentials in the 1960s and 70s as the awakening giant of Africa; but within a few decades things turned awry and the whole scenario now looks more like a collapsing edifice. Why this volte-face?

Nigeria has been plagued with bad leadership over the years, especially military regimes that did not run the country with sound economic principles and templates of the rule of law. But interest groups and organisations with sound ideas and ideals too should have come up to proffer solutions to our hydra headed problems and to point out alternative ways forward for our society. Rather than do this, it has been escapism and self centredness galore, turning Nigeria into a land of every man for himself and God for all. This has accelerated our descent into a virtual dog-eat-dog society where superstition and corruption have taken a stranglehold on our collective psyche. We had a healthy dosage of religious education and practical exposure in Sunday attendance at Chapel and Jumat service for muslims. Any further deepening of faith such as the Baptist students Union and Scripture Union helped entrench these values, because fundamentally we were being channeled along the ethos of hard work leading to success; to work hard first and pray to God to crown our efforts with deserved success. We now tend to simply resign and expect the heavens to pour down success. And when success doesn't come, we resort to manipulation and trickery.

It is only when we can see the world as an interwoven entity where there is relentless pursuit of justice and equity and where everyone's rights are guaranteed that there will be peace and progress in the world. The human spirit abhors injustice. These were the ideals that we were taught in the honest academic tutelage and in contests of tests and exams. Also in the sporting exertions. We have been taught to strive and compete fairly while being our brother's keeper and to believe that honest hard work leads to success in life. It therefore brothers one that we would now veer off this honourable path because of frustrations and manipulations in the society, and be looking for quick-fixes. In short ... why have we gone through school, and have not allowed school to go through us?
Unfortunately in the world, there are usually more questions than answers. Wishing all of us celebrants a blissful thoughtful fiftieth anniversary of pristine aurorean love.

Oyegbami Olusegun