REFLECTIONS ON “MGBOMIAN” LIFE.
I have followed with great interest and excitement the very lively chatter and contributions on this mail group over the past several months and have been transported often to those times about 34 years ago when I walked the paths at Afikpo. The piece by Edozien, R; [1966 set] complete with photos of the Pavilion, was particularly evocative for me. I’ll get back to the Pavilion later.
I arrived at Afikpo in the late harmattan of 1965, on January 20th to be specific. I recall I arrived 2 days later than opening day due to a bout of malaria. Of course by then the newly minted class two boys were in full “molestation” mode [Mgbomian terminology please] and could not wait to get a hold of me as soon as my dad dropped me off. I very soon learned it was “safer” for oins to travel in packs and clearly identify potential escape routes, in readiness, should the “masters of the universe” [class 2 boys] appear unannounced .To a wide eyed oin the first month or so was a period of incessant learning and adjustment.
For example, in 1965, most class one students had for beds, a blanket and sheet thrown over the bare springs of a “vono bed”. And we were told that was a great improvement over the past! The Sections [dormitories] were organized with the upper/lower sixth students as bookends and the rest arranged in descending class order towards the middle of the dorm. I believe my first section head was Onyekwena, Promise [Upper 6, 1965].
We were in due course assigned to “serve” these Upper / Lower 6 boys .There were the obligatory night hunts with formalin laden “ Bournvita” cans, flashlight in hand, for toads for the Higher School Zoology practicals.You learned a lot of lessons early in class 1., especially how to manage your time[ we often failed anyway].
You learned to get to the bathrooms early enough in the morning to avoid being bumped by the ever present seniors who seemed to materialize every time you felt it was your turn to get in the shower! Pretty minor but significant stuff, because you always seemed to have other errands to run for others before you could get going in the morning!
1965 was interesting in many ways; GSS Afikpo “owned” our perennial rivals, Govt. College Umuahia in Cricket and Hockey. They had us in soccer; Nwosu P [ Mboto House] was the fastest man on campus even as “ Bobby Hayes” sought in vain to catch up to him with those long looping strides at the end of races! But Iyoho A.W. E. was clearly the best all around athlete in the school. I believe he was on the school 1ST eleven team on all sports except Wrestling! Perhaps he found that sport a little not to his refined taste! We had fearsome Cricket / Hockey teams, with the likes of Iyoho, Odumodu,
Ileka, Okereke [ Turpsy] , he of the fast, quick silver reflexes in hockey, Onumodu and others. But some “really bad” unimaginable things also happened in our sporting world that year. Consider that during the Inter-house wrestling competition, an “upstart” Lower 6th boy from Okpara House [Nwankwo, Dan] fuelled by “house spirit” floored the school wrestling captain, Enwo, P [Ibiam House] during the finals of the heavy weight division. It did not help matters that Chief Enwo was in attendance to see his son denied the crowning glory of his athletic career at Afikpo. Strange, very strange. That same year, my House Captain [Adieze, New House] a school wrestler also lost in competition after his opponent “threw” some sand in his eyes. So we were told! Petty stuff now, but it was some story then. The year ended however on a happy note when the current Chairman of our GSSAAA B.O.T, Nwasokwa A.O. set a record in the W.A.E.C exams by bagging 7 A1s. I recall his nickname then amongst his classmates [ a name I dare not use here] which suggested a superior ability to carry/ contain things or material.
1966 was even more interesting. It was a year of a lot of changes. Iyoho A was now school captain, after Emembolu J. [1965], but most importantly my cohorts and I had made it; we had graduated from Oinhood to Class 2. Many sought to exact some revenge for the previous year. I was personally glad to be regaining some respect after all .Not that I did not participate in the January / February ritual of “molesting” Oins. I sure did. But you see like some other Class 2 boys I was not what you would call a big Class 2 boy, and so like every small predator on the Serengeti or the Ngorongoro plains, we learned to hunt in packs. On one such reconnaissance mission, Ozodi E. C. [Charles Low House] and I got the better of our now esteemed GSSAAA Board member, Emeruwa Iheanocho, and dealt with him. To this day despite several years of professional and other associations, Emeruwa I continue to remind me of that encounter .As is often the case; the memory of the victim is always clearer and unvarnished. I have forgotten the details as you would guess.
1966 did not end exactly well. By the Michaelmas [3rd] term, the political unrest in the country led to an influx of students from Northern and Western Nigeria who were fleeing the disturbances in those regions .But school life essentially was the same in most aspects. That was also the year I assumed the role of “School Drummer”, perhaps a little known but privileged – laden role at pre – war GSSA. You see, it would appear that New House somehow had cornered the rights to produce the school drummer. When I arrived in 1965, Ibe S. [1961 set] was in the process of handing the job over to Okoye, R [1963 set] also of New House. When he turned it over to me in late 1966, I knew I “got da hook up”! Consider these facts, because I was the school drummer I was exempt from the weekly School work assignment, had no Saturday morning cleaning assignment, because I was understood to be cleaning and polishing a small Side Drum during these activities. I played for the Cadet Unit during their drills with “Hydra Flinger” and of course I played during Saturday parade. I took a perverse pride in being the only non –School Prefect / House Captain who could walk around during Saturday Inspection as I made my way to the Pavilion to get ready for Parade. Laugh at me now if you will but no body in my class could dream of being up and around at those times like I could .I continued at this rather cushy job until school closure in 1967.The photo of the Pavilion recently posted by Edozien R, brought back memories of those Parade mornings. When we arrived in 1965 it was just a grassy knoll overlooking the field / parade ground and during school games class 1 boys from particular houses were assigned to arrange chairs on that slope and return them after games. About 1966 I believe, “Egbe” had the terraces built and many a class 1 boy had a sigh of relief.
Edozien R in his piece wrote glowingly about the greatness of his beloved Afikpo House and its gardens. Well all that may be true. Indeed Afikpo house also gave us Chukwu G [Upper 6 1966] a.k.a. “Chukwu Okwe” a master dribbler in tight spaces with a terrific in- step shot/ volley. We loved his game, although atimes one suspected Egbe thought he dribbled a little too much!! However Afikpo house also gave us “The Immortal Willy Bosco;” Emengo [Class 4 1965]. I’ll simply say he scared a lot of us. I’ll leave it at that so I don’t earn runs at Washington, D.C. You also gave us my classmate, Anowi J. [Iyolo], he of new Piano incident in 1967[anybody remember?] Egbe talked during morning assembly about somebody who was baaaaangiiing on the new piano shortly after it was commissioned. Boy was Egbe mad that morning. About the Immortal Willy Bosco” I have not forgotten the death – defying knock he delivered to my head for no apparent reason one night near those famous Afikpo House gardens. Sometimes I still imagine I feel the pain to this day and I have instructed my children that if I ever develop late onset Seizures to call our Attorney and sue Mr. Emengo, if the statutes of limitations have not expired!
I am feeling very Mgbomian tonight and so I am letting these memories flow. Perhaps I should keep some of these to myself since they are so personal. As I close, one final salute to the unsung “Illegal Cricket Team” of Mgbomian fame. You see this team was made up some cricket afficionadoes who had failed to make the school Cricket Colts team but loved the game no less. Their pitch was the grassy lawn between the rear of Mboto House and the road to town. They played with compressed “peak milk” cans and for bats they used any flat piece of wood or discarded cricket bat they could find. Sure the school celebrated Iyoho, Onumodu, Ileka, Ikwuakor K.C [“K SIX”], but these guys played away from the limelight, usually on Saturday afternoons, after, you guessed it, they had completed the probable Saturday detention work. This was the equivalent of Baseball’s Negro Bush league. For them this was a religion and Okogba [Mboto House] was their Chief Priest, assisted by Ebuta, Tanji Nebu {New House, 1964 set].
Some of these memories remain forever and remind you of simpler and happier times. In coming to Washington DC one hopes to see some of these actors and players again .I must painfully admit I may not be in Washington, DC in person since I have not yet found coverage to enable me leave town, but I certainly am trying to make it happen. I will be there in spirit nonetheless.
Thank you to everyone who has made and kept this forum alive.
Best Wishes.
Emmanuel Okafor, MD., MPH
Cleveland, Ohio.
1965 Set, New House