GOVERNMENT COLLEGE UMUAHIA, AN ACADEMIC HOT HOUSE: THE MAKING OF A GLOBAL ELITE.

GOVERNMENT COLLEGE UMUAHIA, AN ACADEMIC HOT HOUSE: THE MAKING OF A GLOBAL ELITE.

The Crest on the left is the Coat of Arms of Eton College in England. It says “Floreat Etona”. It means “May Eton flourish”. Eton is 579 years old. It was founded in 1440, by King Henry V1.

Eton is described as the most famous prep school in the world. Eton has Educated generations of British, and foreign Aristocracy. It has also educated members of the British Royal family, and the children of Africa’s Rich, and powerful families, like Ikemba Emeka Ojukwu.

The Crest on the Right is the Coat of arms of Government College Umuahia, otherwise known as Fisher High school. The School motto is “In Unum Luceant”. It means “May we shine as one”. Government College was founded in 1929, by Reverend Dr. Robert Fisher.

The Intellectual sons of Dr. Robert Fisher Assembled on August 15 through August 18, 2019, in the Beautiful leafy, serene suburb of Livingston, New Jersey to celebrate 90 years of a great Citadel of learning.

Dr. Robert Fisher was a missionary who briefly taught at Achimota, Ghana. When he was transferred to Nigeria by the British imperial colonial government, and they decided to establish three Elite boarding schools in the tradition of Eton, he was chosen to be the founding principal of the Eton college East of the Niger. Eton college England was founded to educate the children of the British Elite, in the Plato tradition of Philosopher-Kings.

Dr. Fisher recreated the Eton Essence, but changed the Social Attitude of Eton. He said the African Rich, and Poor can coalesce, and become each other’s Raison D’etre, in the context of the school ambition; to be “Needs Blind”, in the manner of Harvard. In his pursuit of Excellence, he aimed to Educate the African Elite not defined by Money, Pedigree, Titles, nor Acres.

I would rather upload the Wikipedia page of Government College Umuahia, but before I do that, there are very Salient things, and traditions of Government College, I must talk about.

I must say though Kings College Lagos is 20 years older than Government College Umuahia, and a great rival, but when it was time to build the first university in Nigeria, Government College Umuahia was the first choice, because of it’s massive size, and facilities.

However, Government College Ibadan was later chosen because of it’s proximity to Lagos, and the Atlantic ocean, which was the major hub of world travel then. Know your history people. 🙏

Driving from the college gates, through the campus, to the Administration Block, is quite a journey. The school is built on a massive 11miles Acres of sprawling ground, and greens.

As you drive through the College boulevard, you are welcomed by rows, and rows of impeccably manicured beautiful hedges of exotic flowers, all blooming and scenting.

We have massive multiple fields for all kinds of sports, like hockey, Cricket, football, volleyball, and track events. The state government then conducted their sporting events on Umuahian fields.

Then you have the intimidating Quadrangle, our parade ground, where we all appeared spick, and span, in our white shirts, pants, and form fitting Blazing Red Blazers, every Saturday. And we smelled nice. It was a sight to see. The Dodan Barracks parade ground cannot compare. This is not a stretch. It is the honest truth.

Neighboring schools lined up to visit Government College Umuahia, as tourists. Girls schools competed often, for our attention. They couldn’t wait to attend our weekly Debates, and School Dance.

“Debates” was for us a Blood sport. Debating honed our communication skills. We conjugated verbs effortlessly, and spoke the English language with a distinct cadence.

All college teachers were resident on campus. Driving through the teacher quarters was a trip, or rather an event. The road to their quarters are lined with Breathtaking Cedar, Maple, Pine, Oak trees, and Cactus plants.

They all lived in beautiful colonial bungalow buildings, with plumbing, water cistern, and steady electricity. I recall one Indian teacher I met years after I left Umuahia, said to me. “Oh I can never have the kind of house I had in Umuahia, in my country. I bought my first car with my teaching allowance in Government college Umuahia. Oh I weep for your country, Nigeria”.

Then you have the isolated Majestic White Stucco storey building, standing like a colossus, shadowing the college campus. Are you wondering who owns it ? Yeah, it’s the principal’s house.

It came with two house maids, two gate men, a car, and free food. Some school principals stayed back in this beautiful house, long after they were transferred or retired. That’s how Beautiful, and comfortable it was.

Government college Umuahia was an intellectual boot camp. You cannot be caught walking, or strolling leisurely on school grounds between the hours of 8:00 am, and 9 pm. Are you kidding ? Do you want to die ?You must be constantly jogging with an urgent sense of purpose.

You risk any of these unique punishments…..like being asked to dig your height with a blunt shovel; Bend, and touch the ground with your index finger for hours; Squat like a frog ready to jump, with objects placed on both hands streched forward; Clean the nasty toilets alone for a week; Cut a swath field of massive grass, in the hazy heat of August, or run 10 times or more, a one mile radius under 6 minutes. You must do it under 6 minutes, otherwise you will die doing it, until you get it.

Our Eduction is global, and unlimited. Our curriculum was broad, it span a spectrum of at least 15 subjects. Subjects like Technical Drawing, Geography, Music, and Wood work were a must, no matter the discipline you choose to study in the university. Every Umuahian studied Dramatic Arts.

You have to know the Essence of Literature, Drama, and Debate. You cannot graduate from Government College Umuahia, and not know where to locate Singapore, and Sweden on the map.

Nor will you dare make the retarded comments I hear many Nigerian Master Degree holders make. “I don’t know the capital cities of Botswana, Burundi, and Bangladesh, because they did not study Geography”. That to me, means your Education is severely limited. Our Eduction was not linear, it was rather elastic.

A Scholar is someone who knows at least a little about everything. You cannot “Earn college Degrees and not know basic Civic studies, and how Government works. This is why Government college would produce wonder Brains like Charles Kay Anyabuike, who was admitted in Government College Umuahia at the age of 10. A Creative Cartoonist who would go to the university to study “Petro-Chemical Engineering, and later abandon it, to study “Theatre Arts”. That is the depth of our intellectual sagacity.

Government College Umuahia also produced Dr. Okechukwu Enelamah, he is the current Minster of Industry in Nigeria. He studied, and practiced Medicine for ten years, and later studied Business Management in Harvard. He is a world renowned Accountant.

I mention only these two great Umuahians to emphasize the kind of Education we got. Government College Umuahia set us up for Global success. The Education is Superb. The Facilities unparalleled, and the Result impressive.

To those who don’t know, the Government College Umuahia Old Boys Association has finally succeeded in taking over our Alma Mater from the inept, and corrupt governments of Imo and Abia states. This was a herculean battle.

I must thank the tireless efforts of our former president, Onyema Nkele. He is a man without Cant. He gives no inches. I salute the committed efforts of Sebastian Ibezim, a Cracker-Jacker Attorney, who can negotiate water out of any stone.

I salute the pioneering Spirit of Professor Ike Ukeje, a man who ought to be the Education Czar in Nigeria. I salute the Brilliant and very focused Dr. Emmanuel Okafor, our former leader. I salute our current president Okey Eneli. Okey Eneli is a superb administrator, and a great manager of people.

I salute Dr. Bato Amu, I salute Dr. Casmir Okoro. I salute Charles Chikezie. Charles is a Bleeding Democrat, and a Brilliant lawyer. I salute Egbuchulam C. He is also a Brilliant Attorney, who has shouldered most of our Umuahian everything.

I salute Dr. Chuks Ibeku, for his tireless efforts, of hosting, and directing everything Umuahian. I salute the great Umuahians in Nigeria who have been part of our cause.

I salute Reginald Ihejiahi, and all Umuahians who have been with us since August, 2000 when we Assembled in Robert Treat Hotel, in Newark, New Jersey, to chart a new course for our great fountain of Knowledge.

We will appoint our own principal, admit the quality of students fit for the ideals of our school. And there will be no Day Students. We must strive to restore the glorious years of our lives. We must be Selfless, and give back to Society, like Reverend Dr. Robert Fisher did for us.

After the Nigerian civil war, this wonderful man, who gave up his family, and country to create an Academic Heaven for us, sold all his Earthly possessions, including his home in England, and moved into a Nursing home with his wife, and willed the Money to Government College Umuahia.

All his efforts were destroyed by callous and inept Governors, and Governments in Eastern Nigeria. In his 1989 short story “Africa Kills her Sun”, Ken Saro Wiwa, a great Umuahian, in a resigned melancholic mood bemoans the Catastrophe that Nigeria became, and for shadowed his Execution by the military monsters in power.

Like I often say, Government College Umuahia installed in me, the Intellectual DNA that propels my life. My Education there made university a Breeze. I was often bored in the university, because I didn’t go there to study for “GPA”.

I buried myself in the library reading for pleasure. I researched, and followed global scholars. I read everything Dr. Chuba Okadigbo wrote, even though it had nothing to do with my Academic Discipline.

I saw the University as a market place of ideas, where I questioned everything I didn’t understand. I had no Reverence for my lecturers. What I had for them was Respect. Nobody flogged me to attend lectures nor forced me to wear stupid uniforms. I could sleep a whole week nonstop, if I chose. I say these things to emphasize the bastardization of university Education in Nigeria today.

Government College is a luxury brand. We are the chosen ones. We were Educated to become global Elites. That is why we Sing “Shine on Bright Candles Shine on. That is why we say “Good is not Enough where Better is possible”. That is why we insist that “We Can, and we will”.

That is why we are chosen and Educated to Lead, and Show the light”, to alleviate the burden of Man, and to Elevate Mankind. Happy 94th Birthday Government College Umuahia, an incomparable Bastion of knowledge. ❤️🙏👌

Maxie Ehieze Circa August 2019