I have always been talkative. In point of view, my earliest memory of school is being punished for noise making! So you can imagine what it was like for an impish, troublesome 10 year old boy being driven into the harmattan winds of Kaduna, into boarding house to start a new phase of life. I came into command as a boy, I left ad young man. There are no doubts about that. For a school that boasted the children of generals and the children of the lower ranks of the military; we learnt of the rich mix of life. We learnt discipline, regimentation, order, persistence and of course consequence for bad actions. If I though I was stubborn, I met people like Pancho (now Alhaji Abdulahi Sedenu) the respected CEO of a shipping company; Wale Popoola, Fasti, frikky dudu and the like; all doing great in their own rights. If I though I knew how to talk, there was LSP (Lagos state Paddy or Large Scale Parasite) Akin Bajulaiye and my very own Egbon - the stone himself, Segun Showunmi. Command was and incredible mix. It looked like they handpicked brilliant boys and girls to foment trouble. It was not a perfect place. We had horrible senior boys now respected senior friends, we played pranks, broke rules, read for exams, failed some passed many of those and many other things. It was Oyewole Adesina, Abubakar, Mohammed (Abu Deal) and my not so humble self that broke curfew to go into to staff quarters to Captain Ogundeles house so we could watch the 1990 African Nations cup through his window! Talk about love for football and rascality combined. But in all, Command gave me the opportunity to meet some of the brightest and the best boys and girls Nigeria has to offer. Until the competition was stopped, CSSKd was first in the Inter command & Nigerian Military School (NMS) debate competition. We entered in theNational Junior Engineers Technicians & Scientists (JETS) competition and came third in the whole nation. That was the team of Ejim Nkawoke, Segun Showunmi and a sweet lady I do not recall her name now. (Someone help me here.) We had excellent sports facilities from volleyball, to handball, to basketball. I do remember that Daniel Amokachi was coming regularly as a day school student of Rimi college (I think) to train using command facilities. When I ran into him a few years ago at a hotel lobby in Sandton, Johannesburg; the first thing I said is that you used to come and train on Command to which he responded positively and we shared memories. Academically we had the likes of Mr I K Oyebamiji the further maths teacher who will always open his door to solve a maths problem for students even at 11 pm in the night. Those things did much to fan the embers of fire for the love of maths. I will never forget when he thought us the almighty formulae method of solving quadratic equations. He told a noisy class of teenagers in SS1 that “if we get this method we could solve all quadratic equations up till University level.” For me then I learnt it so fast because I want to use something to boast to my dad during the holidays and because I wanted to go pose for Toyin A (whom I was toasting) that I am good in maths. There was also the English teacher Mrs Uzo, with her any faulty grammar had embarrassing consequences. She never used to beat with a cane but she commanded impeccable respect. Shewould read your essay to the whole class and even girls will be laughing at you. (hen, just imagine girls laughing at your english). No one need tell you to improve yourself. She made science student like me to know you must know your English, master your vocabulary and recognize the right choice of words in a sentence. Socially we were not left out we learnt how to toast a babe by writing love letters. Those were the days of ...I hope this letter meets you in a good state of health if do doxology. (don’t laugh) My career has also been helped by many command old boys. Tade Oyinloa Nad Waale Popoola desrve mention in this regards. In most counties that I have been, there is one command ex student or the other that wants to accommodate you. They do not want you to stay in a hotel. A few year ago Bankole Adewumi (banky the banker or Banky Joe) hosted my whole family in his homr in Boston, MA for a two week holiday. Mrs Laide Esan (nee Adewumi) who with her husband hosted me in Abu Dhabi in January this year and forced to pay my taxi to the airport for which I am really grateful. Dr Tayo Bajulaiye our Gynecologist in Leeds, UK has also done the needful at appropriate times. How can I forget Seyi Adedokun (dedoks) who babysitted me in the capital city of London and who is getting married this December (passing you expo). Politically you have Soni Akoji, Abdulahi Ladipo, Saliu Mustapha (former CPC deputy National Chairman) and left side of the political divide. Then you have Segun Sowunmi (fomer Ogun state Cordinator for the GEJ/Sambo campaign organization) and me on the other side; yet we are able to talk and be friends. One thing giving restrains is the brotherhood of command. When I needed to do some stuff in the National Assembly I discovered their optician is our very own Kenneth Giwa-amu, Blue house sprinter extraordinaire. Of course my junior brother is there too Olabode Maiye. ( he will not agree but he was born Oct 24 and I am Oct 23 of the same year, now tell me who is older). There are house members who are old boys. Time will fail me to talk of jame Ogunbiyi, Lanre Showunmi, Adeola Adekola, james Iyortom, James Swantong, Linus Mamza, Emmanuel Okezie, Saratu Salawu, Christian Akoji, the Iyeres, The sedenus, Aduola Sowuni, Bambo Sowunmi , Ikkena Mojekwu (who as a prefect was fond of punishing Omotola Jalade as a junior girl); George Akoji, Segun Adeyi (for Real), Damilola Mapayi, john Ochogwu, Kolawole Oye and many more There have been a few black spots too. In the course of time we lost Kabuk Kachim and Harrison Obi. (Double Kay was arguably one of the best English writers in the science class at the time. My good friend who first took me to Babylon dont ask where that is. He had two brothers one my senior Gedion Kachim and the other my junior Abbot Kachim ) Why have I written this today? On Saturday (30th December) , I missed a reunion of our old boys in Abuja owing to business commitments but for something I looked forward to for such a long time, I can only try to remember. Command had its place in my life and that place is indelible.
Posted on: Tue, 03 Dec 2013 18:55:55 +0000
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