In a jubilant gathering, members of the Kuru Old Students Association (KOSA) Set 83 convened to commemorate their 40th Anniversary since graduating in 1983. The monumental event took place at the assembly hall of the Government Science Secondary School Kuru in Plateau State on Saturday, December 2nd, and saw the presence of Set 83 alumni, distinguished guests, KOSA members, and current students.
Ambassador Bagudu Hirse, Nigeria’s former envoy to Namibia and the event’s chairman, fondly reminisced about his early days at the school, emphasizing its academic excellence. He urged the alma mater to strive towards restoring the institution to its former glory.
Dahiru Liman, the Coordinator for KOSA 83 Set, warmly welcomed attendees and nostalgically recounted their reception as teenagers in September 1978. Liman emphasized how the school’s culture, aligned with the motto “Discipline and Hardwork,” prepared them for integration into Nigerian society, contributing expertise to various sectors.
Highlighting Set 83’s achievements since 2016, Liman listed renovations to the dining hall, provision of kitchen utensils, furniture, and rehabilitation of electric/gas cooking facilities amounting to ₦6,200,000. Other accomplishments included a school feeding program (₦3,846,000) and provision of sporting kits (₦820,000). The set also collaborated with Union Bank on initiatives such as establishing an E-library, capacity building for school staff, and banking literacy enlightenment for students.
Representing the Plateau State Governor, Barrister Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang, Honorable Commissioner for Youths and Sports, Bashir Lawandi Datti, acknowledged the administration’s awareness of schools’ challenges and outlined plans for upgrades, including the Science School in Kuru.
Expressing joy at reconnecting with schoolmates after four decades, Douglas Nyoja, a Set 83 member, voiced concern about the school’s subpar facilities and education quality. He called for a comprehensive overhaul and emphasized the need for collaboration with stakeholders, including Alumni Associations and the government.
Prof Patricia Lar, the guest speaker, delivered a lecture on the anniversary’s theme, “The Role of Alumni Association in Sustaining Development in its Alma Mater.” She underscored the importance of functional alumni in supporting sustainable educational systems.
The pinnacle of the anniversary was marked by the commissioning of the renovated table tennis room with new tables by KOSA 83, the presentation of 6,000 books and pens, and a mentoring session for students on “The Path of Career.” Outstanding alumni, including Dcn Fentola from KOSA Set 63, were also honored with awards.
A public affairs analyst, Marcel Ngogbehei, has accused opposition politicians of turning Nigeria's political parties into personal vehicles for their presidential ambitions, alleging that they routinely take over existing party structures, sideline founding members and abandon the platforms when their electoral calculations fail.
He made the allegations in a statement on Saturday, while reacting to a recent Abuja High Court judgment sacking the African Democratic Congress, ADC, leadership under former Senate President, David Mark.
DAILY POST reports that the ADC has already appealed the judgment.
Reacting, Ngogbehei said Nigeria must move away from a political culture in which established parties are taken over by powerful politicians, leaving their original members struggling for control of the organisations they helped establish.
He cited the political journeys of former Vice-President and ADC presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, and former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, as examples of what he described as the instability and opportunism characterising opposition politics.
"He maintained that the ADC crisis was particularly instructive, given that the party was adopted by opposition heavyweights seeking to challenge the APC, only to become engulfed in leadership disputes and litigation over the legitimacy of its leadership structure."
He argued that, unlike opposition party leaders, President Bola Tinubu's political experience demonstrated a commitment to building enduring political structures.
He recalled Tinubu's role in the development of the Alliance for Democracy, AD, Action Congress, AC, Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, and, the formation of the APC.
The Vice President, Kashim Shettima, on Saturday accused the African Democratic Congress, ADC, presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar of listening to ill-advice from voodoo economists to restore the fuel subsidy.
Speaking during President Bola Tinubu's presidential campaign in the Ikwerre area of Rivers State, Shettima said the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has gone into political irrelevance.
The vice president also disclosed that some political charlatans from the opposition are trying to demonise the president.
According to Shettima: "Winston Churchill, the onetime British Prime Minister, once said truth is so precious that it has to be surrounded by a bodyguard of lies; hence, it's not only amazing but to define as heartbreaking that political charlatans on the other side of the divide are making efforts to demonise President Tinubu instead of celebrating him.
"Atiku Abubakar, with a certificate in hygiene from a Kano School, is intellectually malnourished and was ill-advised by some voodoo economist to restore fuel subsidy, and my friend, Peter Obi, has gone into political irrelevance."
Shettima also described the president as a decent man, stressing that Nigeria's economy has witnessed a significant improvement since he assumed office.
"I dare say without any fear that Tinubu is a decent man. When he attained the mantle of leadership some three and a half years ago, our economy was on the verge of collapse; we were on our way to Kinshasa. Instead of kicking the ball down the road, instead of demonising his predecessor, the president had the moral courage and conviction to take the bull by the horns," he added.