WHEN FEDERAL GOVERNMENT COLLEGE ABUJA CAME TO LAGOS Dear ones are not always near. Near ones are not always dear. Near ones will always go but dear ones will ever remain, and, whenever dear ones get together, it is always as if time and distance never happened. So it was, at last Sunday’s reunion of Federal Government College Abuja Old Students Association at the Muson Centre, Lagos. The event kicked off with the registration of attendees. Registration over, anthems (national and college) were rendered and everyone formally welcomed. With the high table set, members were called to high table. Our lady of many parts, Folasade Coker-Afolayanwas the only female that sat on the table alongside Rotiimi Toluhi, Taiye Ojo,Musa Ibrahim, Dawuda Gana and Mr Obinna. Special mention was made of the presence of Hon. Sani Idris Kutigi of the Federal House of Representatives. Each member of the high table represented a branch of the alumni association and spoke about the activities of that branch. Shade Coker, gave a good account of the Lagos branch. Taiye Ojo let us into the goings on in the Abuja house. Musa Ibrahim, who came with Sanusi Yahaya took us through the beautiful programmes of the Kaduna house. Cyprian Amgba, though not resident in the states gave an overview of the happenings in the United States branch, as, according to him, he is very involved with the USA house. Representing the UK was Dawuda Gana. In chronicling the activities of the vibrant UK house, he made special mention of the sedulous works of Anne Afor Enemaku and her offerings to the Kwali family in the UK. To Annes efforts - potent, patent and latent; we roundly applauded even as we anticipate more in the days to come. To Temitayo Ojeleke, the microphone moved. Tayo was to guide us through electing a caretaker committee, whose brief it would be to draw a new charter for the association and midwife an election that would usher in a new national executive sometime in November. The house was to break up into sets and return a nominee to the caretaker committee. Rotimi Toluhi, Taiwo Ogunmodede, Gozie Okaro, Moses Okezie, Yinka Lagundoye, Omokolade Afolabi, Yarus Yakubu, Veronica Opia and a wonderful gentleman of the 2005 set were found worthy by their classmates to occupy their positions in the caretaker committee. To them, we handed over the spirit of the FGC Kwali Alumni Association. Rest assured, they would defend it and let it breathe. Break up session over, the class of 1990 refused retake their seats, choosing rather to stick to themselves, chattering away, while paying attention to the general proceedings of the house. Do you begrudge them? The proceedings were punctuated with jokes-jokes stewed and garnished with Kwali flavour by Omokolade Afolabi,who also served as the master of ceremony. There was so much to eat as Shade Coker cast about imploring all to indulge as much as we cared, but, no one cared much about bingeing on drinks and food. All we cared was commune with ourselves. We braced and hugged as if tomorrow would never come; played like kittens let off a cage; laughed truly from the hearts, deep to the marrows without a care; even raised our voices beyond the limits of decorum. But, what would you expect, when people get back to their roots, when one finds oneself with true ones who knew one when one was unformed and who saw one as one formed? Such persons are rare to find these days. We took to stirring and steering through the deep recesses of our minds, going to and fro to when reality was real; calling up memories, sweet memories – memories that made us and whose components we all are. Yes! Memories: of Ovonlen Gjamel Adedayo, the Emperor of FGC Kwali, standing on the podium with her queen Nkechi Unachukwu; of our headboys and girls – Ejiro Nakpodia, Irene Jumbo, Sanusi Ladan, Taiwo Adegbusuyi, Khadijat Umar etc; Of house captains- Rotimi Toluhi,Wasiu Dosunmu, Bayo Alejo, Emeka Okere, Adewunmi Adegoke; of health prefect – Jephtha Ogbonna in his spanking white uniforms; of Shakirat Saheed, FCS choir mistress;of Hon. Sani Idris Kutigi, in his Ikenga house yellow wear; of Anthony Abili with his nick name – Robnoski de baski; of no nonsense Norbert Chukwunweike Oleah; of Ekpe Ndiyo and Nnamdi Eronini (Enco) and their literary prowess;of Folashade Coker–Afolayan, acting in ‘Dear Sister’; of Chioma Ibekwe- Ogbunammiri on the tracks and in the dances; yes! Of the dances and dancers, we remember Olakintan Abigail Adebayo, Magdalene Ekanem, Oladuni Olayinka, Nike Coker, Uche Okafor, Cyprian Amgbah, Olumide Babayeju etc; of Lanre Ojeleke, the lion king of the tracks;of Gbenga Adebayo and Kabiru Kuti and his love for yam, of Wasiu Kazeem and massacre: of Rali Toluhi and her hair artistry;(Rali, it was who made the hair with which Nkechi won our pageantry). Of Mena Osima-Pringle, in her grace. Of Ahunna June O Opara, Nkiru Okelue,Mabel Agbachi, Ngozi Ohadomere and Azuka Echekoba, standing outside the dinning hall without a care. I wondered if these seniors ever ate. Of Temitayo Ojeleke, who became a prefect in JSS 2 and would go on to be a best actor and a deputy head boy. Of Moses Okezie, minting words in his ‘news analysis. Of Omokolade Afolabi and her friend Abiola Mensa.Of Anthony Niyi Onikan (madman), Olorunda Omojayogbe (Aletile), Modupe Taiwo (Iyalode) Rhoda Omosimua (Olori).We remembered Marysolange Onyemenam (Mary Okpos) and her beautiful voice. Abiodun Suleman,Emeka Nwosu and Sabo Yusuf with their intimidating statures.etc. The memories are as deep as the ocean and one can never make mention of all. Mr Obinna was on a book tour of Lagos at the time. He was made by Moses to dignify our gathering with his presence. Oh!Timeless Mr. Obinna, so nice a teacher. Subconsciously, we built a monument of him in our hearts, even when we never set out to do so. To us, he gave complimentary copies of his book, and, in gratitude whereof; we deeply touched our pockets. As I cast a glance on Mr Obinna’s book titled School Girl Shakara, I mused. That Kwali girls were ‘shakara’ personified is an understatement. “Shakara no fit kill dem o, yes ke! Abi beko?” As the sun went west, signaling the southern movement of our time, nostalgia still laid hold on us, as no one wanted to go and no one seemed willing to let go. But go, we must; and, go, we did. We were careful not to say good bye; as dear ones never say bye, and, as a testament to our meeting in November. As we made to go, Chioma Ibekwe Ogbunamiri came to the venue. She had to leave her hubby’s birthday party midway to be with her kwali family. What a sacrifice! After rendering our college anthem, written and given to us by Messrs Emmanuel Uko and Bakitta Bello, we let the curtain fall. With picture sessions over, the event shifted to Terra Couture, Ikoyi. Though not present at the event, my parrot told me that it was an affectionate endorsement of who we are by one of us, Hon. Sani Idris, who unlike some ‘upstarts’ makes no pretensions about his kwali roots and has in no way made himself exclusive to the family. His contributions to the kwali family cannot be overemphasized. Step aside Kings College Old Boys Association. Step aside Queens College Old Girls Association. Federal Government College Abuja Old Students Association has taken the stage. Long shall it live. Up! Up! Federal…………… (Complete the rest
Posted on: Sat, 28 Sep 2013 19:38:54 +0000
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