Facelift Awaits GSS Dekina as Old Boys Class of 77 Meet to Tackle Turnaround
The long awaited renovation and reconstruction of the Government Secondary School(GSS) Dekina in Kogi State established in 1932 may soon be realized if government aceed to the request of the Dekina Old Boys Association(DOBA)Class of 1977.
Details of the facelift plans emerged at the just concluded DOBA graduating class of 1973-1977 50th anniversary Re-Union Dinner held at Chida International Hotels, Abuja.
Speaking at the reunion dinner, the Head Boy of the Class of 77, Dr Daniel Adamu noted with dismay that happenings in the old school was part of the general societal rot that seem to have taken over the whole space.
He said among others that greed, selfishness, unrighteousness, inability to distinguish between right and wrong, and outright wickedness has become the order of the day.
Dr Adamu opined that nothing is impossible if there is a will, stressing that “if we wait for government to change the situation, we can as well wait till eternity”.
He however suggested that for the glory of GSSD to return “we must restore boarding facility, and run it as PPP(Private Public Partnership), the kind of arrangement Dr Ibrahim Wada is doing with Garki Hospital, Abuja.
He said the school has given them knowledge and wisdom and there was the need to give back to the school to continue imparting same to others coming behind.
Looking back, Dr Adamu said he has come to understand that the school was so structured as to put everyone on the platform of stack ignorance, and therefore it put structures in place to teach the students wisdom and knowledge, irrespective of our parental background.
He noted that the teachers were ready to teach and the students were ready to learn, adding that two principles stood out very clearly in their formative years in GSS, Dekina.
According to him, the principle of “spare the rod and spoil the child” was well understood & applied, so the rod was given a free hand to operate. No child died on account of this but we were made.
Secondly, teach the child way he should go and when he grows he will not depart from it.
Meanwhile, the Master of ceremony and member of the Local Organizing Committee(LOC) of the Dinner, Alhaji Mohammed Lawal Ibrahim intimated the gathering on the scorecard of the Class of 77.
Alhaji Ibrahim said the class has produced four(4) Medical Doctors, four(4) Professors, two Army Generals, one diplomat, three(3) distinguished lawyers, top business icons, several big time entrepreneurs among others.
In his welcome address, the chairman of the Local Organizing Committee, Ambassador Samuel Jimba expressed happiness at the gathering of class of 77 which was laced with banters, hugs, laughter, jokes after almost 50 years of separation.
He said what is more important to him now is that many decades down the line, after leaving GSSD, “I have another cause to leap for joy. Today we have all gathered here leaping for joy.”
Continuing , Ambassador Jimba said: “Truth be told, in 1973, we were just aged between 10 – 12 years. In 2023, most of us, aged in the 60’s, have not seen each other for at least 45 years. In my opinion, this present joy even surpasses the one of 1973. Look at my brother, Kabiru Yusuf. Look at Mohammed Lawal Ibrahim; look at Kayode Komolafe. Look at Aiyepada Peter, Mohammed Nalogu, Idris Amanabo, General Mohammed Abdulsalami Obio, Naval Commodore Aba Omale, etc. If I had seen some of you on the streets, I would probably pass you without knowing who you were, as it happened when I met Engr. Umoru Sani some hours ago”, he said.
Earlier, the chairman of the occasion and former principal of the school, Chief S. I. Ocheja commended the efforts of the organisers for making the occasion a reality and called on the Class of 77 to do everything within their powers to give back to the school in view of it’s deplorable situation.
On his part, the current School Principal, Mr. Onalo Abimaje Mathew thanked the organisers for inviting him and honouring him, just as he reeled out challenges facing the institution and called on the class of 77 to intervene in their travails.
Highlights of the occasion was the presenting of plaques and honouring individuals who have distinguished themselves in the support of the anniversary dinner.
