THE BLACK TANK AND OTHER MEMORIES

The Black Tank Mater W was an essential need and requirement which was provided by the Water Corporation, Apata in Ibadan. During our time in Government College Ibadan, we had a regular, constant supply from water the mains, which assisted in good health and clean environment. Whenever, there were interruptions on the regular flow during major repairs, we had an alternative as a reservoir in the Black Tank.
The Black Tank as fondly called happens to be located about 30 meters to Field House and 100 meters to Grier House. These two Houses happen to be fortunately located closely to the Black Tank for easier access, compared to the other three houses (Carr, Swanston and Powell) which are varying distances of two hundred meters to five hundred meters.
The Black Tank has dimensions of length (17feet), width (12 feet) and height (9feet) and has a capacity for 12,000 gallons. It’s built on raised reinforced concrete piles of about 3 feet above the ground. The tank is made of solid sheet plates welded and secured with various sizes of nuts and bolts, painted in black as the name denotes. The Black Tank was an option as a water reservoir available every time, where we could access and fetch water with our buckets and cups.
I can’t recollect anytime when the black tank ran dry, it was our saving grace when others ran dry. For instance, there were times when while under the shower, water stops flowing, you had to end your bath with soapy body. You get a bucket and head for the Black Tank. The water from the Black Tank was always clean and cool in quenching our thirst after exercises during those hot sunny days.
We never had a lengthy queue, to fetch water. Water supply was adequately networked and planned within the school. We were always directed and instructed to use our cups or buckets to fetch water and not drink directly from our hands, serving as cup. We all had various experiences at the Black Tank. It comes to mind an event on a sunny afternoon, with this thirsty feeling, dryness of throat, desperate and eager for a drink. I stopped off at the Black Tank opened the tap, filled my aluminum jar cup with water. As I lifted the cup to my mouth for a drink, I noticed something crawling in the cup, it was a green snake. I instantly switched to a reflex mode and flung the cup afar. Picked up my cup and went back for another drink. I needed to have a drink to quench the thirst. For that moment the Black Tank was the saving grace.



The Bush Lavatory (Bushy)
To be honest, I really cannot pinpoint till date why we had the Bush Lavatory nicknamed “Bushy”. My guess would be that the other lavatories were getting crowded at a particular period over time. The water system type lavatories were available, which I believe most of us were used to back home. My first time of coming across “bushy” was at Government College Ibadan. It was covered up as a shelter with corrugated iron sheets, nailed and joined together with planks of 2 inches by 4 inches and 4 inches by 4 inches. The shelter divided into equal sized cubicle covering approximately 6 feet (width) by 10 feet (length), numbering about 6 cubicles. There was a wide space of corridor running across the front of each cubicle. Each cubicle had a door to its entrance made from same materials. The roof was covered with corrugated iron sheets. There was no electricity or lighting system, except for the day light that reflected through some opening for aeration at the top part, the meeting point between the vertical sheets and the horizontal roof. And the space between the same horizontal sheet and the floor were made of concrete slabs and concrete flooring. The inner part of the cubicle was decked concrete floor, with round circular holes – one (1) foot in diameter, your feet placed on both sides of the hole, placed you in a crouching position. The decked concrete is a solid slab covering a depth of about 10 feet to 12 feet. During the day time, the heat could rise to about 40 degrees centigrade. A radiating heat along with an aroma cocktail oozing out makes you not to have the luxury of time. As well as different reptiles and snakes making use of the shelter. In comparison with the water running (sit type) system, the “Bushy” was a better option at times.
Bushy was better kept clean than the house grounds “Water System” type lavatories, which could be messed up. Early morning could be your best bet for use, but by the end of the day and night, Bushy might be a better option. Over the years I got used to Bushy. Bushy had no electrification or plumbing system, a big challenge late at night. Handy tools for Bushy are your toilet roll since there is no water and a well-lit torch or candle, lantern, matches and even someone as an escort at night time and rainy season. Bushy was a lifetime experience.
I never came across such again after Government College Ibadan.
Treasure Hunt
Government College Ibadan was a school with diverse activities, apart from academic, sports, and socials. Treasure Hunt was strictly based within the House activities. It was carried out by the students on their own, not involving any member of staff. Treasure Hunt comes up last Saturday of the first term. This happens to be the Athletics season and usually during the harmatan Season.
Treasure Hunt starts after dinner and runs till late midnight. Every student (from Form One to Six) participates, all listed into groups, usually eight, as the numbers of rooms.
On the House grounds, labelled, for example: -
Field House (FH1 to FH8)
Everyone identifies with his group number in his house, using FH as code and numbers 1 to 8 as identification.
Carr House – CH
Grier House – GH
Powell House – PH
Swanston House – SH
Treasures and clues were guidelines, directives, and focus, that denote the locating and identifying. Treasure Hunt starts when written questions are distributed to each group.
Groups follow up in locating the relayed message and submitting each answer to the coalition post. The challenges are the various steps involved, identification, locating, sourcing and getting to coalition post and all against time, the essentiality of the game. During the day, the organizers of the Treasure Hunt, usually the Head of House and some Prefects, would have gone secretly around the school compound to place and hide the various clues.
Question or Quote or Picture form: e.g. “The time of our lack and thirst, you are our saving grace”.
The groups have a discussion and answers are agreed to as THE BLACK TANK. Some selected members head for the Black Tank, torch in hand, to get the hidden clue.
Various questions and clues from about 10 to 20 are hidden all around for detection. The whole exercise requires ability to think fast, understanding vocabularies, planners, and use of dictionary.
Need for fast sprinters could be of an advantage, everyone was important in playing a role or the other. Having solved a clue and located the Treasure and heading for the coalition point could become aggressive and competitive with time at play and “Neck to Neck” challenge at times.
A flashlight of a torch dancing around indescribably in the dark racing down at top speed, crossing the Hockey pitch fearlessly, calling out FH4!!! FH4!!! Breathless with all the air in abundance around, enough is drawn in to keep racing down for the last point to deliver and not lose out. It becomes a relay sprint when one runs out looking for assistance calling out for support. Someone takes over to deliver. As a Form One student, in the first term of the session, Treasure Hunt could be quite confusing and little or no contribution is expected. If I could recollect, you hung close or echoing the slogan of your group FH7!!! FH8!!!! Definitely no one would hand over to you a treasure to deliver. I think senior boys were always up to the task at every area of the exercise. Do you think otherwise?
At about 12 midnight, the whole exercise is called off and the curtains are drawn. The exciting part of the exercise is the sprinting, the echo of the slogan FH6!!!, the location of the Treasure (where you dare not go at that time of the night, but the whole place is buzzing with activities), and the declaration of positions and winner.
In conclusion, a collation is done, everyone is called up to the prep room for the final announcement, the positions are announced, and the winning group declared and offered incentives and gifts. Group is cheered, hailed and we call it a day.
We feel drained out, have our shower and off to bed. Usually no light out. The Treasure Hunt is over. Only in Government College Ibadan, have I heard anyone talk, discuss or mention such an exercise.


Culled From: Our Story ( 1972 Set Anniversary book)
Submitted By: DIPO AKINYEMI (SN 2429, Field House)