By John Okeke
The Secretary General of Barewa Old Boys Association(BOBA),Mr Haroun Audu, has called for the inclusion of old boys and girls in their Alma mater.
Audu who spoke during the media interactive session in Abuja lamented on the poor state of Public Schools in the country and suggested that Old boys and girls
associations should wake up and come to the aid of their, Alma Mater and support them with infrastructures and facilities that can boost learning of students.
He also said that not contributing to an upgrade of the deteriorating state of these schools was like a time bomb waiting to explode as the elites live in the same state as those who attends public school thereby causing a separation which has damaging consequences.
The Secretary of BOBA reiterated that members of old boys/ girls associations should do away with all forms of sentiments that makes them see themselves as a young generation who must depend on the older generation to succeed.
He further said the way forward for BOBA is for its members to stand up for something , build a vibrant, and resourceful association.
“Stand up for something and fight for what you want to build and create in Barewa College. It will require your time, your resources and network.”
The scribe also gave a brief history of Barewa college and the objectives of BOBA.
He said,” Barewa College started as Katsina Higher College and then evolved to Kaduna College, Zaria Secondary School, government College Zaria and presently Barewa College Zaria.
“Barewa College is known for its cosmopolitan nature as students are drawn from diverse ethnic groups across the nation. Infact “Barewa” signifies progress and this can be seen in the speech of the Governor General of Nigeria, Sir Hugh Clifford, while addressing the pioneer students of the school.
“It is very necessary that the young men who will receive their training in the college and who will thereafter carry the torch of learning and knowledge to all parts of the Northern province should concentrate all their energies upon the task that is set on them during their period of training. It will fall on them to teach not only the lessons learnt from the book but good manners, good behavior, courteous comportment, without which good learning is of little word. Let each of them remember,no man securely commands, save he who has learnt well to obey.”
“Barewa college produced five presidents of Nigeria;Tafawa Balewa,who was Nigeria’s first prime minister, Sir Ahmadu Bello, General Murtala Mohammed, Umaru Yaradua,” he said.
