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Happy
Reunion, Sad Reminiscences
Old Students
of Pioneer Business High School in Nigeria’s Commercial Capital,
Lagos, United Christian Secondary School Recently Mark 43rd Founders’
Day Anniversary of their Alma Mater with Pomp, Pageantry and a Bile,
reports TOLANI AKINTUNDE ADEROUNMU.
The video shots
of the near decrepit state of their once glowing alma mater almost
spoilt the fun of the reunion event. Many old students were almost
moved to tears. As the film reeled and reeled, a total quiet and
gloom took over the highbrow Metropolitan club, Victoria Island
venue of the luncheon. The radiant faces of the gaily attired alumnus,
had turned morose while many could only offer hisses at the sorry
sight of a school that was full of life but now only a shadow of
its old self.
The panes on
the windows are gone, the classes are dark and dingy like poultry
sheds, while the once impeccably mowed lawns are now laden with
weeds. The exotic assembly hall, which had an elevation from where
sonorous sounds echoes from the organ, now has a blown roof. The
popular ‘banana island’ where students usually go to unwind and
kill boredom, was now a junk yard. Worse was the fate of one of
the country’s pioneer language laboratories fitted with modern gadgets,
which had now become a store. Virtually everywhere was in shreds.
The entire school compound was enmeshed in a pool of dirty water,
that only a canoe and a paddle may enable you walk your way around.
It was difficult recognising the same school that had produced the
eminent guests who now call shots as leading accountants, bankers,
lawyers, doctors, engineers, journalists, economists, soldiers,
academicians and so on.
How did the
school founded jointly in 1959 by the Anglican, Methodist and Baptist
missions to teach business subjects come to this terrible state?
Mr Paul Ruwase, executive director of Panalpina Nigeria Limited
prefers to heap the blame for the decline of the school nurtured
by British principals, in the forced take over of missionary schools
by the Lagos State government in the early 70s. “The facilities
were left to decay in the process”, he said. Ruwase, who is chairman
of the school development committee (SDC), is of the view that the
way to restore the school to its old glory, is for the mission owners
to take it back from government. Explaining reasons why the institution
was not returned to its mission owners when the government returned
schools recently, he said neither the Anglican, Methodist or Baptist
missions expressed interest in the school. “They were more concerned
in schools owned individually rather than one collectively owned”,
Ruwase who left the school in 1971 said. His committee has taken
the gauntlet by writing to the secretary of the committee that presided
over the return of the mission schools with the hope of revisiting
the issue.
“Without resolving
the status of the school, we cannot begin our task of rehabilitating
the school and making it an enviable institution once again”, said
Ruwase who is also a chartered accountant. The old students are
not leaving anything to chance just in case the owners are still
lethargic. If the missions fail to make any move, there’s a back
up plan to take over the school and run it through a trust. The
old students association, UCOSA led by Mr Eme Anya, a senior accounts
tutor in Queens College, Yaba, Lagos has a grand plan to pull down
most of the dilapidated structures on the new site off Liverpool
road, Apapa and replace them with modern ones. The old site on nearby
Bombay Crescent is also expected to wear a new look by the time
the renewal plan of the school is carried through. The science laboratories
will be given a face-lift. The school will also have a modern library
stocked with books on different subjects and a befitting playing
ground.
The supply of
more computers to the school will also be beefed up to enable the
students respond to the demands of the information age. A website
that will be a compendium of information on the school is also to
be built. The plan to give the school a fresh breathe, is being
backed by many members of UCOSA who have promised to contribute
to funds and materials for redevelopment. The old students are also
counting on the support and goodwill of some local and international
donor agencies. As the food and drinks graced the tables in a renewed
atmosphere of camaraderie, the well lit banquet hall of the Metropolitan
club was enliven with cheers as the old students resolved to change
the dwindling fortune of their school. It was all fun as the occasion,
which also featured awards to seven distinguished old students,
provided the opportunity to reunite with friends, classmates, seniors
and juniors. For Akpan Ekpo, a professor of Economics and vice-chancellor,
University of Uyo, located in South-south Nigeria, it was great
fun throwing banters at old folks which included Chief Bassey Edem,
managing director, Pamol Nigeria Limited, Mr Ade Sami, a management
consultant, Prince Oladele Oyemade, a businessman and Mr Inam Akrasi,
an accountant, who flew in from his base in France early that day.
As he savoured the 43rd Founders’ Day event of United Christian
Secondary School, which was spiced with delicacies and choice drinks,
Ekpo who was chairman of the event, lamented the acrid condition
of the school he left in 1970. He went on memory lane.
“I attended
the school by some twist of fate. My father’s friend took him to
this school in Apapa, which had a white principal in charge. The
thought of a white man in charge of a school, was enough to influence
my father’s choice”, Ekpo reminisced. “Everything I have achieved
today”, he said, “I owe to the proper upbringing and knowledge bestowed
on me from the school”. Ekpo also disclosed that many old students
of the school are working in enviable positions in the World Bank
whose headquarters is based in Washington. . But he had a charge
for members. “Rather than weeping over the poor state of the school,
we should arise and give the school a new leap”, Ekpo, a graduate
of the prestigious Howard University in the United States, said.
Honoured at the occasion along with Ekpo, Edem and Ruwase, were
Mr Duate Iyabi, former managing director of All States Bank, Mr
Daru Owei, who is described as the highest paid Nigerian in Agip
Nigeria Plc, Mr Akin Akinbote, chairman, Nigerian Bar Association
NBA, Lagos branch and Mrs Oby Ezekwesili, personal assistant to
President Olusegun Obasanjo. Other highlights of the event which
was also graced by Mr Ismail Aremu Odedele and Mrs Patricia Ngozi
Olujumu, principals of the senior and junior schools and the chairman,
Parents Teachers’ Association, (PTA), Mr Bartholomew Akamonu was
the launching of the website for the school in which more than N200,000
was realised. Two desktop computers, were also donated to the school
by Professor Ekpo.
Earlier in the
morning, a thanks-giving service was held at the Methodist Church,
Apapa, which was also attended by many present
students of the school. It featured praise songs, dancing and exhortations
by the officiating pastor, Reverend Taiwo Lawson who asked the present
students to walk the path laid by the old students. Ruwase and Anya
read the two lessons at the service. As the old students rose to
give toast to the health of the school and render its song, Arise
and Shine, whose lyrics was composed by Mrs J. D. Shoyanwo, it was
clear that United Christian Secondary School is on the dawn of a
new flourishing phase. The anniversary event was kicked off with
Career Talk on Wednesday, October 15 and Thursday, October 16, 2003.
This covered talks on Accounting, Law, Banking, Journalism, Computer
Studies and Medicine. Ruwase along with some prominent old students
like Mr Rotimi Fashogbon, a lawyer, Mr Joseph Oziegbe, an accountant,
Mr Nelson Udoh, a banker, Mr Tony Iyare, a journalist and Dr Habiba
Isah, a medical doctor taking turns to dicuss these subjects.
A novelty football
match, between the old and present students, which took place on
Friday, October 17, 2003 as part of the Founders’ Day event, also
ended with 4 goals apiece.
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