| Federal Government College Port Harcourt. 50 Golden Years For Golden Memories by DebbyJose: 3:18pm On Jan 21, 2023 |
By Uri Ngozichukwuka
When my big sister got married in 1980 and left the family home in Lagos for port Harcourt I missed her so much and she likewise. I didn't know she would come for me the next year after I had completed secondary school in Lagos. Being the last of 9 children She and her husband took over my education.
They had friends Mr and Mrs Enwo a young couple who were both teachers at the federal government college port Harcourt in the early 80s. I took the entrance and I got admitted to doing the A levels at this beautiful school from 1981-1983. Till date, it still holds the fondest memories for me. A lot fonder than university days.
My first time being in the boarding house. I was so excited. I had been a day student in my previous school and was too young to even understand secondary school. I had gone in too young. With the benefit of hindsight, my parents were just interested in getting it over and done with. I had done common entrance to Queen's college at 8. Too young to get in. Who would even take me? So by 9, any school would do.
Back to the golden memories of FGC PH... From age 15-17 every day was magical and full of drama. Okay, I entered boarding house as a senior in the lower six class so I had escaped some tail-cutting experience of my junior years. However, there were some upper six students who wanted to rub it in all the time that they were our " seniors" My friends and I ired and erred not a few.
Federal government colleges were one of the government's earliest and to date most successful attempts at uniting the country after the Nigerian civil war. The reason for the creation of the Federal Government Colleges, among others, was to guarantee national integration and national building among Nigerian children if given the opportunity at a very tender age to live, learn and play together in the ideal education environment. Most were established in the 1970s and 1980s. FGC PH was one such established in 1973.
So we all came from all over the country as captured in the first lines of the school anthem a classic and the best of all school anthems.
"Fegocol Portharcpurt our noble institution.
From all over our country we come with the spirit"
It continues with the most profound chorus " to national awareness we pledge our honour. To academic excellence we pledge our honour. To parental devotion we pledge our honour . To sports development we pledge our honour. So help us, God".
The school anthem captures our promise to our nation. Promise to hand over an unbeaten tradition of excellence.
50 years after the alumni of this great institution have ticked all the boxes of the ideal alumni. Relentlessly engaging, coordinating and executing activities that have impacted the school academically and structurally. Scholarships. Constructions of key facilities in the school. These excellent ladies and gentlemen have spared nothing in giving back. Spreading across the whole world these young children grew strong and have held sway in their various fields of endeavour. Distinguished persons in society still hold firmly in very endearing ways through their various chapters.
For me, this is 40 years after FGC PH and for my small class of barely 40 young children, we've had doctors lawyers professors and authors and so many professionals. It's always a delight to meet up whenever we can.
There's so much to write about the FGC PH experience. The Monday morning assemblies. The Fridays assemblies for detention. . ( Detention is another word for punishment or discipline of erring students) there were the regulars on that list. They somehow had nicknames too. How hilarious. The tuckshop that had the solutions to all our little cravings. The school exit tickets. Me a born Anglican was a Catholic in school. Reason being the Catholic church was in town. We get to go out every Sunday in the school bus. The Anglican service was in school. Who came up with that idea?
The bonding of young minds through shared experiences to lifelong friendships.
The fence jumping. The pranks played on house masters and house mistresses. There were the chief pranksters. The stress given to our dear principal the late M. C. Ebo. A very dear man and a great child Educator. He had a special place for each child and we loved him back. I don't remember the years he was principal of the school but I was there as a student when he presided over the school. I also remember upon his demise decades later the students showed up in his hometown to give their dear old principal a befitting burial.
The love junctions. The frenzy of the valentine's period. The famous declaration of the massacre in the school dining hall. ( Please note massacre had nothing to with real blood but a declaration of food grabbing and gulping made by the prefects for the few students who made it early to the dining hall). I hope I got that definition of FGC PH massacre. Just so much to remember. When you have a robust mix of brilliant teenagers from different parts of the country with raging hormones and curious minds you expect nothing less but a school bursting at the seams with excitement and enchantment.
The weekly Saturday inspection of the hostels. The frenzy to get all the houses clean and win. " Cleanest for the week" The school houses. Honour . Glory. Loyalty. Freedom Charity Peace and Faith.
I was health prefect for girls in my set but do remember I had a very able assistant and we still bond on that level till this day.
They were the teachers of the best quality when the education standard had teachers with PhD teaching young children in a Nigerian secondary school. Our Indian vice principal then and so many well-educated teachers who were dedicated to their profession. We got excellence and excellence has trailed our paths.
Incidentally, my sister's children who were not even born when I went to FGC PH all grew up and attended the school. My elder brother's sons too. The Nze Dikes and the Offias . They also all have fond memories. I guess it's always a mini-reunion at home.
As the school turns golden the memories are no doubt golden for not just me but for a whole generation of young people who passed through the school decades ago and the ones making memories today.
Long live Nigeria
Long live Federal Government College Port Harcourt.
Adiya Uri Ngozichukwuka
Author
Inclusion Advocate
Communication consultant 
|
| Re: Federal Government College Port Harcourt. 50 Golden Years For Golden Memories by jamesversion: 5:57pm On Jan 21, 2023 |
Pro Unitate. 1 Like |
| Re: Federal Government College Port Harcourt. 50 Golden Years For Golden Memories by garyaustin(m): 6:57pm On Jan 21, 2023 |
Beautiful Soul! Beautiful write up. |
| Re: Federal Government College Port Harcourt. 50 Golden Years For Golden Memories by Prodigal101: 7:06pm On Jan 21, 2023 |
Wow, The Nze Dikes were mentioned.. Oya where’s Ukaha  |
| Re: Federal Government College Port Harcourt. 50 Golden Years For Golden Memories by frazee: 9:24pm On Jan 21, 2023 |
My great alma mater...
I remember tuck shop, love junction, dinning massacre, Saturday inspection... OMG
I was in Glory house.
We also had unity house... 8 houses....
Sweet memories... |
| Re: Federal Government College Port Harcourt. 50 Golden Years For Golden Memories by anibestlala(m): 11:21am On Jan 22, 2023 |
Fedgocol PH. The great massacre |
| Re: Federal Government College Port Harcourt. 50 Golden Years For Golden Memories by fortunez1(m): 2:43pm On Jan 22, 2023 |
DebbyJose:
By Uri Ngozichukwuka
When my big sister got married in 1980 and left the family home in Lagos for port Harcourt I missed her so much and she likewise. I didn't know she would come for me the next year after I had completed secondary school in Lagos. Being the last of 9 children She and her husband took over my education.
They had friends Mr and Mrs Enwo a young couple who were both teachers at the federal government college port Harcourt in the early 80s. I took the entrance and I got admitted to doing the A levels at this beautiful school from 1981-1983. Till date, it still holds the fondest memories for me. A lot fonder than university days.
My first time being in the boarding house. I was so excited. I had been a day student in my previous school and was too young to even understand secondary school. I had gone in too young. With the benefit of hindsight, my parents were just interested in getting it over and done with. I had done common entrance to Queen's college at 8. Too young to get in. Who would even take me? So by 9, any school would do.
Back to the golden memories of FGC PH... From age 15-17 every day was magical and full of drama. Okay, I entered boarding house as a senior in the lower six class so I had escaped some tail-cutting experience of my junior years. However, there were some upper six students who wanted to rub it in all the time that they were our " seniors" My friends and I ired and erred not a few.
Federal government colleges were one of the government's earliest and to date most successful attempts at uniting the country after the Nigerian civil war. The reason for the creation of the Federal Government Colleges, among others, was to guarantee national integration and national building among Nigerian children if given the opportunity at a very tender age to live, learn and play together in the ideal education environment. Most were established in the 1970s and 1980s. FGC PH was one such established in 1973.
So we all came from all over the country as captured in the first lines of the school anthem a classic and the best of all school anthems.
"Fegocol Portharcpurt our noble institution.
From all over our country we come with the spirit"
It continues with the most profound chorus " to national awareness we pledge our honour. To academic excellence we pledge our honour. To parental devotion we pledge our honour . To sports development we pledge our honour. So help us, God".
The school anthem captures our promise to our nation. Promise to hand over an unbeaten tradition of excellence.
50 years after the alumni of this great institution have ticked all the boxes of the ideal alumni. Relentlessly engaging, coordinating and executing activities that have impacted the school academically and structurally. Scholarships. Constructions of key facilities in the school. These excellent ladies and gentlemen have spared nothing in giving back. Spreading across the whole world these young children grew strong and have held sway in their various fields of endeavour. Distinguished persons in society still hold firmly in very endearing ways through their various chapters.
For me, this is 40 years after FGC PH and for my small class of barely 40 young children, we've had doctors lawyers professors and authors and so many professionals. It's always a delight to meet up whenever we can.
There's so much to write about the FGC PH experience. The Monday morning assemblies. The Fridays assemblies for detention. . ( Detention is another word for punishment or discipline of erring students) there were the regulars on that list. They somehow had nicknames too. How hilarious. The tuckshop that had the solutions to all our little cravings. The school exit tickets. Me a born Anglican was a Catholic in school. Reason being the Catholic church was in town. We get to go out every Sunday in the school bus. The Anglican service was in school. Who came up with that idea?
The bonding of young minds through shared experiences to lifelong friendships.
The fence jumping. The pranks played on house masters and house mistresses. There were the chief pranksters. The stress given to our dear principal the late M. C. Ebo. A very dear man and a great child Educator. He had a special place for each child and we loved him back. I don't remember the years he was principal of the school but I was there as a student when he presided over the school. I also remember upon his demise decades later the students showed up in his hometown to give their dear old principal a befitting burial.
The love junctions. The frenzy of the valentine's period. The famous declaration of the massacre in the school dining hall. ( Please note massacre had nothing to with real blood but a declaration of food grabbing and gulping made by the prefects for the few students who made it early to the dining hall). I hope I got that definition of FGC PH massacre. Just so much to remember. When you have a robust mix of brilliant teenagers from different parts of the country with raging hormones and curious minds you expect nothing less but a school bursting at the seams with excitement and enchantment.
The weekly Saturday inspection of the hostels. The frenzy to get all the houses clean and win. " Cleanest for the week" The school houses. Honour . Glory. Loyalty. Freedom Charity Peace and Faith.
I was health prefect for girls in my set but do remember I had a very able assistant and we still bond on that level till this day.
They were the teachers of the best quality when the education standard had teachers with PhD teaching young children in a Nigerian secondary school. Our Indian vice principal then and so many well-educated teachers who were dedicated to their profession. We got excellence and excellence has trailed our paths.
Incidentally, my sister's children who were not even born when I went to FGC PH all grew up and attended the school. My elder brother's sons too. The Nze Dikes and the Offias . They also all have fond memories. I guess it's always a mini-reunion at home.
As the school turns golden the memories are no doubt golden for not just me but for a whole generation of young people who passed through the school decades ago and the ones making memories today.
Long live Nigeria
Long live Federal Government College Port Harcourt.
Adiya Uri Ngozichukwuka
Author
Inclusion Advocate
Communication consultant Show people how |
| Re: Federal Government College Port Harcourt. 50 Golden Years For Golden Memories by fortunez1(m): 2:50pm On Jan 22, 2023 |
DebbyJose:
By Uri Ngozichukwuka
When my big sister got married in 1980 and left the family home in Lagos for port Harcourt I missed her so much and she likewise. I didn't know she would come for me the next year after I had completed secondary school in Lagos. Being the last of 9 children She and her husband took over my education.
They had friends Mr and Mrs Enwo a young couple who were both teachers at the federal government college port Harcourt in the early 80s. I took the entrance and I got admitted to doing the A levels at this beautiful school from 1981-1983. Till date, it still holds the fondest memories for me. A lot fonder than university days.
My first time being in the boarding house. I was so excited. I had been a day student in my previous school and was too young to even understand secondary school. I had gone in too young. With the benefit of hindsight, my parents were just interested in getting it over and done with. I had done common entrance to Queen's college at 8. Too young to get in. Who would even take me? So by 9, any school would do.
Back to the golden memories of FGC PH... From age 15-17 every day was magical and full of drama. Okay, I entered boarding house as a senior in the lower six class so I had escaped some tail-cutting experience of my junior years. However, there were some upper six students who wanted to rub it in all the time that they were our " seniors" My friends and I ired and erred not a few.
Federal government colleges were one of the government's earliest and to date most successful attempts at uniting the country after the Nigerian civil war. The reason for the creation of the Federal Government Colleges, among others, was to guarantee national integration and national building among Nigerian children if given the opportunity at a very tender age to live, learn and play together in the ideal education environment. Most were established in the 1970s and 1980s. FGC PH was one such established in 1973.
So we all came from all over the country as captured in the first lines of the school anthem a classic and the best of all school anthems.
"Fegocol Portharcpurt our noble institution.
From all over our country we come with the spirit"
It continues with the most profound chorus " to national awareness we pledge our honour. To academic excellence we pledge our honour. To parental devotion we pledge our honour . To sports development we pledge our honour. So help us, God".
The school anthem captures our promise to our nation. Promise to hand over an unbeaten tradition of excellence.
50 years after the alumni of this great institution have ticked all the boxes of the ideal alumni. Relentlessly engaging, coordinating and executing activities that have impacted the school academically and structurally. Scholarships. Constructions of key facilities in the school. These excellent ladies and gentlemen have spared nothing in giving back. Spreading across the whole world these young children grew strong and have held sway in their various fields of endeavour. Distinguished persons in society still hold firmly in very endearing ways through their various chapters.
For me, this is 40 years after FGC PH and for my small class of barely 40 young children, we've had doctors lawyers professors and authors and so many professionals. It's always a delight to meet up whenever we can.
There's so much to write about the FGC PH experience. The Monday morning assemblies. The Fridays assemblies for detention. . ( Detention is another word for punishment or discipline of erring students) there were the regulars on that list. They somehow had nicknames too. How hilarious. The tuckshop that had the solutions to all our little cravings. The school exit tickets. Me a born Anglican was a Catholic in school. Reason being the Catholic church was in town. We get to go out every Sunday in the school bus. The Anglican service was in school. Who came up with that idea?
The bonding of young minds through shared experiences to lifelong friendships.
The fence jumping. The pranks played on house masters and house mistresses. There were the chief pranksters. The stress given to our dear principal the late M. C. Ebo. A very dear man and a great child Educator. He had a special place for each child and we loved him back. I don't remember the years he was principal of the school but I was there as a student when he presided over the school. I also remember upon his demise decades later the students showed up in his hometown to give their dear old principal a befitting burial.
The love junctions. The frenzy of the valentine's period. The famous declaration of the massacre in the school dining hall. ( Please note massacre had nothing to with real blood but a declaration of food grabbing and gulping made by the prefects for the few students who made it early to the dining hall). I hope I got that definition of FGC PH massacre. Just so much to remember. When you have a robust mix of brilliant teenagers from different parts of the country with raging hormones and curious minds you expect nothing less but a school bursting at the seams with excitement and enchantment.
The weekly Saturday inspection of the hostels. The frenzy to get all the houses clean and win. " Cleanest for the week" The school houses. Honour . Glory. Loyalty. Freedom Charity Peace and Faith.
I was health prefect for girls in my set but do remember I had a very able assistant and we still bond on that level till this day.
They were the teachers of the best quality when the education standard had teachers with PhD teaching young children in a Nigerian secondary school. Our Indian vice principal then and so many well-educated teachers who were dedicated to their profession. We got excellence and excellence has trailed our paths.
Incidentally, my sister's children who were not even born when I went to FGC PH all grew up and attended the school. My elder brother's sons too. The Nze Dikes and the Offias . They also all have fond memories. I guess it's always a mini-reunion at home.
As the school turns golden the memories are no doubt golden for not just me but for a whole generation of young people who passed through the school decades ago and the ones making memories today.
Long live Nigeria
Long live Federal Government College Port Harcourt.
Adiya Uri Ngozichukwuka
Author
Inclusion Advocate
Communication consultant Show people how dilapidated the school infrastructure is and how bad the road has become. |
