The get-to-gether featured members who came from Kaduna, Kano, Lagos, Abuja, UK, and several other places where they created an avenue for reunion and had an interface about the progress of their Alma mater just as they reminded themselves about their school days life with nostalgia.Also adding glamour to the event was the chorus of nicknames that rented the hall each time every member stood up for self introduction as the whole event went in reminisce. Foods and drinks were served liberaly as everybody ate satisfactorily and filled to the brim. They all danced to sonorious voices of musians like Ebenezer Obey, Sunny Ade, and several other old school musics.
The SRV event center located along Police ‘F’ Division road, Tanke area Ilorin went agog on Saturday when the club ’68/’72 set of the Government Secondary School (GSS), Ilorin old boys converged in large number to unwind.
The get-to-gether, which was attended by the old boys from across the world, created an avenue for them to reconnect and share a moment of joy together after several years of departure.
It was exactly 50 years they all met for the first time as new students in 1968 following their enrollment in to JSS 1 numbering 99, but about 90 of them eventually made it to the end and passed their final exam in flying colours in 1972.
The Head Master was once a school boy, so also the small boys of those days in the GSS between 1968 and 1972 have now grown up to become Elders, Evangelists, renowned sourgons, celebrated and seasoned administrators, successful engineers among other several professionals. They all dressed gorgeously and came along with their wives.
The get-to-gether featured members who came from Kaduna, Kano, Lagos, Abuja, UK, and several other places where they created an avenue for reunion and had an interface about the progress of their Alma mater just as they reminded themselves about their school days life with nostalgia.
Also adding glamour to the event was the chorus of nicknames that rented the hall each time every member stood up for self introduction as the whole event went in reminisce. Foods and drinks were served liberaly as everybody ate satisfactorily and filled to the brim. They all danced to sonorious voices of musians like Ebenezer Obey, Sunny Ade, and several other old school musics.
The Chairman of the Club ’72 set, Elder Philip A. Ajibola in his address at the well attended get-to-gether announced that his set would begin to institute annual awards and prizes to the best students in various fields beginning from the next graduation /prize giving ceremony of the school.
Ajibola added that the well behaved students of the school would also be considered for special prizes as a potent tool to encourage and instill discipline in the school among the students.
Elder Ajibola disclosed further that all was set to present prizes to the best students in Science Subjects, Social and Arts subjects as well as Commercial subjects as a way of encouraging the students and by extension contributing their quotas to their Alma mater.
He said the club was also working out modalities to upgrade the school and give it a new look, saying that the club was not pleased with the current state of the school.
Ajibola disclosed further that the club would work out details with the Principal of the school as soon as possible, adding that the ’72 set would take full advantage of the influence and connection of its members who have made it in their various chosen careers to better the lot of the school so as to bring back it’s past glory.
Speaking on the contributions of the set to the general overall of their Alma mater, Ajibola disclosed that ’72 set had organised career talk to the SS 3 students of the school, organising get-to-gether for the principal, Heads of Department, and wives of club ’72 old boys association among other gesture like donation of N200, 000 during the renovation of the school.
He maintained that the aim of the club is primarily to help their Alma mater, the school that nurtured and moulded them and secondly help themselves especially those among them who are not privileged enough to be in advantage positions.
He commended members of his set for their collective interest in adding value to their Alma mater, saying that all hands must be on deck to unanimously achieve their goals of making the school what it used to be in those days.
Earlier in his address, the chairman organising committee, Elder Samuel Osuolale Ajayi (873) described the event as worthwhile and urged his members to continue to show more interest towards the development of the school.
Also speaking, the acting Principal of the school, Mrs Gbadeyan thanked the club ’72 and several other sets of the old boys for always giving helping hands to the school, adding that substantial developmental projects in the school are the gifts and donations from the old boys associations.
Highlight of the event included presentation of gifts to some selected teachers of the set, among them are Alhaji Olayiwola who was the Literature and Islamic Studies teacher, Dr Harris Ayo Ake the man who thought them Physics in 1970 among other several teachers in attendance.
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