The President’s Speech

GOVERNMENT COLLEGE UMUAHIA OLD BOYS ASSOCIATION UNITED KINGDOM & EIRE

Government College Umuahia (GCU) is one of the oldest secondary schools in Nigeria. A lot of prominent Nigerians passed through its doors. It is a school with a lot of traditions, which have stood the test of time. We are proudly called Umuahians.

GCU has deteriorated like most secondary schools in Nigeria. I attended Umuahia from 1972 to 1976 post Nigerian- Biafran Civil war (1967 to 1970). When I entered GCU, the School was recovering from the devastation of the war, all the buildings were now in what I will call good condition. I am not in a position to compare the pre and post war conditions, I leave that to those who know better. We had immaculate green lawns with well-manicured hedges. The buildings all looked resplendent in their respective colours. My memory is a bit faded but those are some of my memories.

Umuahia buildings are a mixture of different Architecture and its history, we have the colonial style buildings built with wood (our administration “AD” block), then there were the old mud buildings from the 30’s (Old Kent), the older House buildings of Fisher, Niger, Nile, Simpson. Then Wareham
and Cozens Houses with their slate roofs that came later. Rounding up with School, New and Erekosima Houses the storey buildings that were added probably in the 60’s. The newest of the Houses built after I had left is Extension House. Unfortunately, most of the buildings built with wood and mud have deteriorated and has been lost.

Government College Umuahia comprises a large real estate, purchased from the surrounding villages in Umudike. Rumour has it that it was a forbidden forest, hence the villagers were happy to sell it off to our first Principal and founder a British Reverend, Robert Fisher. The school is split into the Classroom blocks and the Dormitories. We have Senior staff and Junior staff quarters, spread all over the compound. The classroom block is dominated by the AD Block and the Assembly Hall. The school has a 9 hole golf course, 4 football pitches and a hockey pitch, the upper field (ie 2 football and hockey pitches) also serves as an Athletics field. The school also had Tennis, Volleyball and Basketball courts, we played cricket on both the upper and lower fields. In Umuahia we took sports seriously and the Inter House competitions were quite keenly contested. Hence the term “House spirit”.

Umuahia had its unique culture and traditions and I will have to go some to put down all I can remember. GCU had a strict disciplinary regime, which stays with you all your life. I am rarely late for meetings, events and or occasions a reflection of my Umuahian upbringing. Umuahia was not a cake work. The school prepared you for most challenges a young man had to face and all its Alumni are grateful for that grounding.

GCUOBA Uk was formally inaugurated in 2008 to bring Old Boys of GCU resident in the United Kingdom together to facilitate interaction of members and their families. We share experiences and reminisce about our days in GCU. We aim to promote schemes to improve Education in Government College Umuahia.

I am a second generation Umuahian (my late father is an Umuahian Class of 1938), I am the last of four sibling who studied in Umuahia plus my cousins. So when I was elected in 2018 to be President of GCUOBA Uk, I accepted it as a call to duty.
The School we all attended has fallen from grace. The Alumni (Old Boys of GCU) have setup an Educational Trust as a Special Purpose Vehicle to run the school in partnership with the host State Abia. We aim to restore GCU to its past glory.
GCUOBA Uk has joined our USA counterparts to rebuild the Dining Hall complex as part of the School
Restoration.

MAY WE SHINE AS ONE
Chijioke Ebizie
President GCUOBA Uk & Eire (2020)