The Government Secondary School, Dekina, Kogi State, one of the oldest post-primary educational institutions in Northern Nigeria is celebrating Nigeria, democratic Governance, modern governance, Democracy and modern Education, especially post-Primary education in Nigeria by holding a special Re-Union Event at the JJT (Johnson Jakande Tinubu) Park, behind Shoprite and Lagos State House of Assembly, Ikeja on Thursday, June 12.
GSS, Dekina founded in 1932 as a Senior Primary School, and growing into Secondary School at Nigeria’s Independence in 1960, through Middle School status from the 1940s through 1959, admitted its first set of secondary school students in 1960 They had to graduate in 1965 with their immediate juniors who joined them in 1961.
This special reunion event is being hosted by the Alumni Association, The Dekina Old Boys Association (better known as DOBA, with its members scattered all over the world known as Dobites) living around Lagos (i.e. greater Lagos, which includes Ogun State); on behalf of the National and Global DOBA Headquartered in Abuja . GSSD is celebrating Nigeria, democracy, modern education and western civilization on this June 12 because it sees democracy, good governance and education as lighting the “Burning Candle” The school’s symbol and guiding light.
It is re-enacting Chief Awolowo’s and Azikiwe’s guiding exhortation of “Show the Light, and the people will find their way”So this is GSSD’s way of thanking the nation for lighting the candle to show the light in Nigeria that let Nigerians, especially Northern and Central Nigerians from the North-Central geo-political zone which extends from Kaduna, Niger through Plateau, to Kwara, Kogi, Benue and Nassarawa States to embrace the light of western civilization thereby playing leading roles in Nigeria’s nationalism and military emancipation.
According to the Interim Chairman of DOBA Lagos, Navy Capt. Solomon Musa Ochidi Retired. the event is being held in Lagos to acknowledge Lagos as the educational headquarters of Nigeria with secondary schools starting here and in Abeokuta and Calabar almost a century before GSSD. It is also celebrating Democracy and Western Education as the best system of government and civilization that birthed such schools and fostered the educational system and civilization that enabled GSSD grow into the great institution it has become with its old boys making laudable waves all over the world at home and in the diaspora.
The waves have been waxing strong long before now with dobites graduating into such great institutions as the Kings College, Federal Government Colleges Warri and Sokoto, The premier universities of Ibadan, Ife, ABU, Zaria, Nsukka, Bayero University, Kano, The SBS, Federal Colleges of Arts and Sciences, Lagos, IMT Enugu, Yaba Tech, KADUNA Polytechnic, Ibadan Poly, The Armed Forces, NDA, ETC. NOW dobites are visible CEOS, Directors and leaders in virtually all leading MDAs across Nigeria.
They are ambassadors and prominent Professors and leading Professionals in Nigeria, across Africa and all over the world. Some of these crème de la crème will be among the twenty odds that would represent the thousands of Dobites to assemble at the JJT Park to celebrate 26years of unbroken democracy in Nigeria since 1999 and urge for a blossoming of the democratic and Developmental journey of our dear country Nigeria.
The Agenda for the meeting, according to The Interim Secretary of the Lagos branch, aka Doba Lagos Area, Engineer Samuel Momoh include concerns for arresting the growing insecurity nationwide and election of substantive executives. Those who cannot be there physically, such as the National BoT Chairman, Dr Ahmed Abdullai, have a chance to participate virtually via Zoom or Google Meet and WhatsAPP. They would have supported the event with their generous donations and contributions in accordance with school’s anthem which makes us all “one in spirit” and urges all to ”strive onwards for this good and noble end” as our badge “stands for honour” always.