Jibril Martins Grammar School old students meet 40 years after graduation, vow to impact alma mater
By Ishaya Ibrahim
The inaugural meeting of the class of 1984, Jibril Martins Memorial Grammar School, now Issa Williams Memorial High School in Iponri Lagos State did not come easy.
Bringing personalities from all parts of the country, including those in the diaspora who last saw each other as teenagers some four decades ago was not a mean feat.
But the 40th-anniversary celebration of leaving secondary school is worth the trouble. The jinx was eventually broken as these great men and women met in Ikeja amid music, food and drinks. It was a happy reunion.
Engr Gbenga Adamolekun, chairman of the 1984 Class, said the event was not only to catch up with old school colleagues but to also sketch out plans of how to impact their alma mater.
He said: “Part of our plan is to have a discussion, have a group that will visit our alma mater and come up with suggestions on how the school can feel our impact in terms of alumni relationships and giving back to the school.”
An alumnus, Michael Anialoa says the event was fulfilling. “It brings back the old memories of our youthful days in school. Although it’s difficult to recollect one or two people because of age and time.”
He recalled the camaraderie spirit of the class of 1984. “We were always together. Going to our various homes together after school. So, it’s that friendliness regardless of religion, tribe and status that make us unique,” he said.
Alhaji Kayode Obani, also an old student, said the gulf between education then and now is wide. “We did a lot of things together when we were in school. Cultism and hard drugs didn’t exist when we were in school. We played football. But Poverty has affected a lot of things. A child that the parent cannot cater for would be difficult to manage. But it wasn’t like that when we were in school.”
Some of the women at the get-together, Omolola Quadri and Alhaja Nimota Kazeem, nee Daudu said it was refreshing to meet to relieve old memories and show appreciation as some of their colleagues have passed.