Admin l Monday, January 30, 2017
UGHELLI, Delta, Nigeria – For many of them, they were for the first time in 45 years driving through the gates and down the tarred ‘Appian Way’ of Government College Ughelli (GCU), Delta State.
Some 50 years earlier, on January 20, 1967, as young teenagers they gained admission into the once-famous secondary school, arriving through those same gates. Members of the Class of 1967 gathered in their alma mater in good numbers to re-live their nostalgic past and give something back to the school that laid a firm foundation for their subsequent success in life and careers.
The global class project coordinator, Lee Foss, an accomplished UK-based scientist and inventor had at the plenary session of old boys gathered for the school’s 71st Founder’s Day, to the delight of all, presented a 50-page commemorative publication, Lads of 1967 to mark the golden jubilee of their entry into the school.
The national class project coordinator, Victor Eromosele, an oil and gas finance guru had the pleasure of presenting to the school’s principal – for permanent custody in the Powell Archives – the unique, glittering Class Golden Jubilee plate. Government College Ughelli has Nigeria’s first Museum-styled facility to be found in any secondary school.
In gratitude for their time at GCU in the glorious days, members of the Class of 1967 donated to the Powell Reference Library four desk top computers and 50 symbolic reference books.
UK friends of members of the class donated seven chess boards to help start a chess club. A member of the class also donated two lawn tennis racquets to be contested for and won by the school’s two best players.
The worldwide president-general of GCU, Prof Ogbemi Omatete described the Class of 1967 as a class of many quiet achievers. The class produced an ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary, two naval rear-admirals, a top-notch UK-based inventor, a veteran radio broadcaster, world-class surgeons and medical practitioners, two university professors, top petroleum industry executives, top media practitioners and numerous businessentrepreneurs.
He urged subsequent classes marking their golden jubilees to excellent give-back spirit of the Class of 1967 as they energize their bond with the school that made them.
