WELCOME ADDRESS BY SA'ADU ABUBAKAR, ADHOC LOC CHAIRMAN,TIDDO YO DADDO NATIONAL ALUMNI ASSOCIATION DURING THE CONGRESS MEETING ON THE 11th OF APRIL 2020. (Which never held due to Covid-19 lockdown).

WELCOME ADDRESS BY SA'ADU ABUBAKAR, ADHOC LOC CHAIRMAN,TIDDO YO DADDO NATIONAL ALUMNI ASSOCIATION.

Good morning Your Excellencies, the Distinguished Alumni, the General Congress of our great school, the General Murtala Muhammad College Yola. The school metamorphosed from Elementary/Primary School to Middle School between 1920 to 1954. The curriculum was upgraded to full secondary school curriculum with the admission of the first set of secondary school intake in 1955. Ten of the first set survived the series of rustications and drop outs as a result of the disciplinary,  academic or policy changes. First set survivors  included Ibrahim Alfa, the headboy, retired Air Marshall of the Nigeria Air Force, Hassan Adamu, the Wakili Adamawa, a business mogul, Alhaji Natiti, retired Air Marshall of the Nigeria Airforce, Saleh Michika, former Governor of Adamawa State and six others who graduated in December 1960, in form six, the end class then. The school had a new name from 1955 to 1967. It was renamed the Provincial Secondary School, PSS Yola, with Adamawa Province as the main catchment area for admission. Students were admitted from other divisions of the Trust Territory, Mubi division with Saleh Michika, Ganye with Polycarp Kaigama, Ibrahim Kabri and Aliu Tasau. Majority of the students in the school we're from Adamawa, Numan and Muri (Jalingo) divisions of the old Adamawa Province. The total number of students from form one to form six , 1st October 1960 was 177.

EVOLUTION

At the advent of the military regime in 1966 and the abrogation of the provinces for a unitary system of government in the country by the Ironsi administration, the school was renamed Government Secondary School, GSS Yola, in 1967. When the then Head of State, Gen Murtala Muhammad was assassinated in Febuary 1976, the school was renamed General Murtala Muhammad College, GMMC Yola in memory of the late Head of State. I took time to emphasize this aspect of the history of the school because the younger generation of Alumni members know very little about it. The mid century decade sets of 1960 to 1969 had faint stories of the Middle School sets. The next decade set of 1970 to 1979, the decade set that witnessed significant evolutionary changes such as the change of the school calendar  from January-December to September-August, to be in line with the university calendar already in operation then. There were also major changes in the school feeding menu after protracted students riots and rapid turnover of Principals that culminated in the dropping of gabza, the guinea corn meals of tuwo and porridge been replaced by bread, gari and such prevailing  menu of the emerging affluent palates of the society. The guinea corn meals, though provided balanced diet, was poorly prepared and servered, hence the riots that finally brought the changes and Mr BRR Kimmit, the British man, Principal who came to Yola with his aircraft, an intimidating status symbol for us the teachers who were treated off handedly, in an apathied manner. The students riots ceaced and calm returned to the then GSS Yola. That decade set hardly wanted to know anything about the Provincial Secondary School or the earlier Middle School sets which they view as too archaic.

TRENDS

Coming to the Centenary celebration issue, my often repeated narrative cannot be wished away. I witnessed the golden jubilee celebration of GSS Yola in 1970 as student teacher from ABU Zaria. Gen. Yakubu Gowon was the guest of honor. As Principal of FGC Sokoto, the alumni members approached me and sort for my cooperation and support in preparation for the golden jubilee celebration of their Alma mater which was coming up in 2016. That was 10 years of planning and preparations for the golden jubilee of FGC Sokoto. Ten years into my retirement, I was invited to the golden jubilee celebration of the FGC in February 2016, where, again, Gen. Yakubu Gowon was the chairman of the one week celebration. I saw the General at the GSS Yola and FGC Sokoto golden jubilees. As I was receiving a price of honor from General Yakubu Gowon on the high table, with tears swelling in my eyes, my mind flashed on GMMC Yola and the lurking Centenary celebration coming up in four years, 2020. The scenario refuse to disappear from my memory, not until I wrote an article wondering, asking for where are the great Alumni of the great school which will celebrate the great grand age of 100 years, the Centenary of its establishment  back in 1920! Right from the Monday 5th August when my article was published by the Daily Trust, the rest is history which culminated in the 'journey so far' of several upgrades including the one in this welcome address.

To summarize the journey so far, I will itemize as follows:

1. The Principal GMMC and his staff in September 2019, met me in my house after my 5th August trigger Daily Trust abridged article and we discussed the Centinary Celebration of his college. We reached a decision for the Principal to call a Congress meeting of the alumni on the 16th of November 2019.

2. The Adhoc Committee was created by the Congress on the16th of November 2019, the same day of the Congress meeting, with the marching orders to prepare, mobilize, sensitize and plan for the centenary celebration coming up in 2020, in the absence of the national executive committee of the TYD.

3. The Adhoc committee hit the ground running by holding its inaugural meeting the same day the same venue, 16th November, GMMC assembly hall.

4. The Principal, in his position, identified members of the Exco and BoT of the Alumni Association and brought the President, represented by the articulate Secretary General, Mr Harold Mirchalum and the BoT Chairman Alhaji Muhammad Mubi who came ahead of time but left representatives, Baba Bikkoi, the Murum Mbula representative and another person, not official who made some comments.

5. The joint meeting, which was cordial, except for the incoherent statements from the non executive member, who represented no one in particular. The Secretary General, Mr Harold Mirchalum, apologized on behalf of the Exco for not being visible few months to the Centenary Celebration. He went further to commend the Adhoc committee for the steps taken so far to realize the celebration.

6. On behalf of the Exco Mr Harold Mirchalum endorsed the activities of the Adhoc Committee and pledged to collaborate and cooperate with the committee to succeed.

7. On behalf of the Exco of the National TYD Alumni Association the Secretary General requested the Adhoc Committee to submit comprehensive report of its activities so far to him after which the Adhoc Committee was upgraded to the Local Organizing Committee, LOC.

8.  The Local Organizing Committee LOC is the central body that will arrange, plan and organize the Centenary Celebration proper, which is not soley the alumni association affairs but in collaboration, cooperation and participation of other critical stakeholders:

First,  the School. Principal, Staff and students of the college.

Second, the Alumni Association members, alive from 1920 to 2019.

Third, the Proprietor. Ministry of Education, MOE, PPSMB and ASUBEB, the Government, through the Executive Governor.

Forth, the Traditional Councils represented by the Lamido of Adamawa and Murum Mbula who are distinguished alumni and their Councils and other top traditional leaders in Adamawa State and beyond.

e) Representatives from all the critical stakeholders will form the Main Organizing Committee, MOC which is the Local Organizing Committee, LOC. This central organizing body will form its subcommittees on various aspects of the celebration proper. The chairman of each subcommittee is automatically a member of the Local Organizing Committee, LOC.

f) So far the Adhoc LOC has formally met the Principal and informed him to recommend his representatives on the LOC. His representatives are already collaborating with the Adhoc LOC.

g). The Hon. Commissioner of Education was also visited in the ministry and briefed to also recommend staff into the LOC. 

h). His Excellency, the Governor and the Lamido are to be briefed when the Adhoc Committee gets the appointments for the courtesy visit and they would be similarly asked to appoint their representatives on the LOC. 

9. On the other hand, earlier in one of its statutory meetings, the Adhoc Committee resolved that the Centenary Celebration of the great College should not be a celebration of squalor, dilapidated infrastructure, inadequacies and uninspiring outlook of the great School. It was observed by Alumni members and the general public, the terrible delapidation and deterioration of the infrastructure and the poor corporate life of the school community starting from the rot in the students dormitories, toilets, dining halls, kitchen etc to inadequacies in the curriculum overview; classrooms, laboratories, technical workshops, co-curricular facilities and staff welfare facilities like 80% of the staff quarters taken over by retired civil servants and such other inadequacies cannot be what we will come to celebrate. The Adhoc Committee,  therefore, resolved that we should celebrate Excellence hence, with the collaboration of the Principal, the Committee undertook the Needs Assessment Tours around the College that resulted in the designing of the Needs Assessment Charts, with an estimated cost of interventions of about N600,000,000:00 for facelifts and upgrades of the school in the first phase of the centinary celebration. In essence, the Centinary Celebration began the day the pace setter 1985 set handed over to the school the renovated Adamawa House dormitories and overhead tanks. An achievement begging for execution in the college for along time.

10. The Adhoc Committee is very happy, excited today, feeling proud that what it had started like a dream has blossomed into reality. Some pace setter sets (1985 set)have picked up the hostel slots and work has been satisfied completed and handed over to the school.  The Adhoc Committee is very fulfilled to note that some individuals, like the singular Ismaila Alhassan, who picked Wazirawa House slots, returned to site to re-do the work when the Adhoc Committee Technical Team did not accept the initial quality of work done by his agent. That was demonstration of honor, total commitment, free will to do a worthy, noble intervention. We commend the great philanthropist and urge others to emulate his examples. Even the Galadimawa block that has no roof and was turned into a dust bin/toilet and some sports facilities; basketball courts, have received beautiful face lifts. We thank God for making these possible by the sheer, grit determination of the Adhoc Committee to succeed and the enthusiasm for the bubbling, high flying, young alumni sets and members including some non alumni philanthropists within the short period, September 2019 to March 2020. It would be noted that what the Adhoc Committee achieved in less than few months far outweighs what TYD Alumni Association has been able to achieve in many years of existence:

  * Mobilization and sensitization of members to the centinary celebration, 

  * Establishment of four different, vibrant social media plaforms.

  * Collaboration visits to electronic and print media outfit in Yola, Gotel, Fombine Radio, ABC and Tabbital Pulaaku Radio,

  * Sensitization visits to some distinguished alumni like the former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Alhaji Ahmad Joda, Alhaji Abubakar Hamid Girei and others. 

  * The Adhoc Committee also strived and brought on board the comatose Exco and BoT of the TYD Alumni Association in a collaborative, cooperative and understanding manners inspite of their short comings and invisibility. 

  * In collaboration, the dormant account of TYD was reactivated.

   * Letters were dispatched to distinguished alumni members soliciting for support and collaboration in all ramifications towards the planning, fund raising activities and protocols of the centinary celebration. These are some of the apparent activities excluding the salient but equally relevant once. 

The Adhoc Committee has been propelled by enthusiasm, patriotism and determination to ensure success during the celebration. The Adhoc Committee avoided bringing money issues early into its demanding activities, not until now that it has become apparent we must have funds to proceed. Recourse to funds issues early would have scuttled our determination as monetary issues are often the death of many a beautiful organization in our clime here in Adamawa! The string of successes and hardwork were such that many people have lost track. The Coronavirus Covid-19 Pandemic overwhelmed everyone and events took different turns. But certainly, members of the Adhoc Committee-LOC deserve great commendation and even compensation for the sacrifices we have made.There should be no blame game if there is no Pat on the back.

11.  As the Chairman of the Adhoc LOC, I urge the General Congress to look into the following matters and give final decisions and advices on them:

a) With the obvious non compliance with the actual birthday of the great College, 27th April, for the obvious reasons of late start of the realization and planning of the monumental occasion, another date to celebrate the centinary becomes inevitable. The hard decision put to the Congress now is to PICK A DATE for the Centenary celebration of our great College. The chosen date/dates should be as close to the actual birthday, as convenient as possible, preferably in the year 2020. We are aware that the year 2020 is a unique year in many ways but the Corona virus, Covid-19 pandemic has made the most dominant and unforgettable impact.

b). Advice the LOC on funding for the Centenary Celebration on the fixed dates as well avail funds for the day to day upbeat of activities,

c). The stepping forward and offering of professional expertise and financial cotributions by the endowed Alumni members who are committed and felt the urge to sacrifice for the College that made them what they become today. Professionals in administration, finance and funding, education, physical and infrastructure planning, event managers, protocol, security, health and logistics. Experts who the school had produced in abundance. They should come up and offer leadership, guidance and advices as required.

d). Review, comment and give any further advices on how to succeed in execution of the interventions projects to upgrade the college before, during and after the celebration of the century. The TYD Secretariat will continue to supervise and administer the Need Assessment Projects long after the celebration till all the 138 slots are completed.

e). Select fund raising activities to be immediately persued to harness sufficient funds for protocol, logistics, suveniours, prizes etc. at the ceremony.

Thank you all for your attention.

Alhaji Sa'adu Abubakar (Gambe) 1964 set 

Chairman Adhoc Committee-LOC.

TYD Alumni Association. GMMC Yola.

9th May 2020…