The Inevitable Shifting of the Date for the Centenary Celebration of Gen. Murtala Muhammad College Yola

TIDDO YO DADDO NATIONAL ALUMNI ASSOCIATION CENTENARY CELEBRATION OF GMMC YOLA: THE UNFORSEEN HAPPENED. THE DEFERMENT TO March/April, 2022.

The attention of the AD-HOC LOC was drawn to serious technical problems which nacessitate the deferment of the December  20th to 22nd, 2021 date fixed by the Congress. This did not come as a surprise as Adhoc LOC found itself face to face with the realities of phase 2 different from phase 1 where endowed alumni members responded beyond expectations to our calls to upgrade the school facilities hitherto in ruins, to give the 100 year old iconic school a facelift in line with its centenary Celebrations.

 While we were on phase one, Adhoc LOC was very concious of time and drew attention of our Endowed alumni to collaborate, cooperate, sponsor events, donate funds, and avail their expertise from time to time for the phase two finals, but feeble attention was given to it. Adhoc LOC even suggested membership levies or membership dues to be paid to augment funding especially for phase two activities but few responded. (not yet made mandatory).

Adhoc LOC made personal calls and visits to Excellencies and Distinguished alumni requesting them to come on board, collaborate, support and sponsor aspects of the Celebration, especially with funds in phase two that requires Adhoc LOC to expend money on, publicity, monuments, souvenirs, protocol, bookings, invitations, centenary magazines production, i.v. cards printing, billboards and gift items. Less than four weeks to the final events, Adhoc LOC had no funds to even reach out.(see gmmc cc account 24th November 2021). Events sponsorships is yet to be realised and many areas of collaborations and cooperations are not yet picked up by the endowed alumni association members.

THE INEVITABLE OBSERVATIONS.

1. Understandably, the world had and still has the Coronavirus Covid-19 pandemic which affect human activities, lifestyles in many ways. The lockdowns ensured TYD did not celebrate the centenary in the centenary year 2020.

2. The late realisation by all TYD alumni association members of the centenary celebration of the great school, two months to 2020, almost an impossible assignment to prepare a befitting centenary celebration. If it took others (FGCS) up to ten years to prepare for their 50 years, golden jubilee (in 2016). Miracle, but not to worry, even though it had to be shifted not only on account of Coronavirus lockdowns but also the time available for preparing, Adhoc LOC made spirited, miraculous efforts to have the monumental occasion celebrated by all means; facelift or gala or both as phase one and two that we dared to implement. Phase one, on-going with a resounding success, courtesy of well planned intervention charts and great contributions by enthusiastic, endowed TYD Alumni members of the great school, GMMC Yola. (List of Completed, on-going intervention, the philanthropists or corporate Organizations who executed the projects is herewith included).

3. Their Excellencies, Distinguished alumni are yet to fulfill the promises made for the final phase two during our visits and  letters seeking cooperation, collaboration and sponsorships from them and our high flyers, MDs, CEOs, top young politicians and business moguls.

4. The political up beat recently affected the attention of our partisan folks who were busy strategizing, mobilizing for their parties. Many went off our radar. We hope and pray that now attention would be given to the centenary celebrations finals henceforth. Adhoc LOC spent some time on phase one activities.

5. When attention was focussed on the finals, many issues became  manifest, requiring serious reviewing in order to have a befitting final of the first centenary celebration of the iconic school.

a)  Lack of sufficient funding for the final phase.

b) The responses from our Excellencies, Distinguished and endowed, high profile alumni association members was feeble. Ad-hoc LOC was expecting similar responses like the one recorded in phase one but not yet forthcoming.

c) Above all the time left for the detailed procurements of gift items, some of which requires time to produce, was too short. Adhoc LOC was faced with the realities of lack of time and funds. We resolved however, that come what may, we should hold the celebration, even if a low key  finals on the due date in December 2021.

d)  Ad-hoc LOC attention was however drawn to some very important, inevitable REMINDERS by concerned TYD Alumni members.

i. That the STATUS of the great school goes BEYOND LOW KEY Celebrations.

ii. The Great products of the iconic school CANNOT ACCEPT A SECOND RATE, LOW KEY 100 years Celebration.

iii. Invitations to high profile guests like the Head of State, former Heads of State, Gen. Gowon and Representative of Gen. Murtala Muhammad, Governors etc require up to three months notice, going by protocol and not three weeks, going by our preparations.

iv. The proprietor, Adamawa State Government, headed by His Excellency, Governor Ahmadu Umar Fintiri, who was briefed early this year where he promised to cooperate, collaborate and assist, did not give Adhoc LOC the green lights to go ahead. The protocols are with the Government. A befitting centenary celebration cannot be held without the government roles.

v. That Adhoc LOC needs the cooperation of the other stakeholders on the LOC to make the finals a success.

vi. The concerned Distinguished alumni DEMAND for a shift of the final date of the Celebration from 20th to 22nd December 2021 to a more appropriate date in March/April, 2022. 

Adhoc hopes and prays that their Excellencies and Distinguished alumni would be forthcoming to make the occasion a huge success.

ADHOC LOC STAND ON THE ISSUE.

1. To go ahead and conduct low key centenary Celebration finals, going by our current poor funding, short time and no responses from the Government. 

2. Or, to acceed to the well articulated DEMAND for a befitting grand gala Celebrations by the concerned TYD alumni association members. At 76 years by January 15th 2022, I may not see the centenary celebration if further extended, because of my health challenges, (hip replacement surgery) but I fully support a shift which the Congress should (or is it must?) endorse so as to hold a befitting centenary celebration.

Thank you for your attention.

Sa'adu Abubakar.

Chairman Adhoc LOC, TYD AA Centenary celebration of GMMC Yola. 24/11/21. I11:04am.

LIST OF COMPLETED AND ON GOING INTERVENTION PROJECTS OF THE PHASE 1 OF THE CENTENARY CELEBRATION OF GMMC YOLA

The Intervension projects as of 30th November 2021 has recorded upto N700,000,000:00  worth of projects has been executed making the phase 1 of the centenary celebration a huge success. 

- Sa'adu Abubakar Gambe.