P r e f a c e:
Motioonless Points in Chaos

Abdalla Uba Adamu (CLASS '73)
Department of Education
Bayero University, Kano.

1968. Chaos. Confusion. Fear. War! Gwale Secondary School. The Nigerian civil war has been on for about a year. It is ironic that the school should emerge out of this experimental day-release secular school created in the heart of the metropolitan Kano in 1968. Even the interviews for the school, held at Government College for the 1969 entrants were conducted by an Englishman. The first of its kind, it became unique in the Kano metropolitan - indeed the State. Nearby was the Gwale Arabic Teachers’ College, also a day-release school. But for some reason interac~on between the two schools, separated by only a barded wire, was kept minimal. Maybe this was caused by the perpetually white neat long Kaftans that GATC students wore - giving them an aloof aura of nascent holiness due to their non-secular curriculum.

While other schools had boarding facilities, in Gwale students were there only for some six hours in the first few years (8.00 a.m. to 2.00 p.m.), later extended to ten hours (8.00 a.m. to 6.00 p.m.) to include the compulsory evening prep/games periods.

It is not clear the educational principles that guided this innovafion, but it certainly had it attrac~ons. Students are now likely to be with their parents and siblings more often than if they were to be bundled off to a boarding school, only to be released on Fridays (e.g. Government College, now Rumfa College), if in the metropolitan, or during holidays if in the outskirts (e.g. Birnin Kudu, Dambata, Rano, Hadejia). This provides a neat psychological atmosphere of trans Won from puberulent metamorphosis to an imago; thus reducing the stress associated with separa~on from the homestead. No wonder we don’t have any social miscreants in Gwale.

Day-release meant also that students were able to interact with the outside forces more effectively and thus integrate these interactions into their learning experiences

For instance, being home meant being able to watch television, either in your own house or in the neighbourhood (2 kobo entrance fee!). This has made it possible for many of the students to keep up with the current events of the 1960s - a decade which was the effective wake-up call of all youth all over the planet. Gwale thus became a trend-setter. I still vividly recall the colorful flared pantaloons we wore immediately after prep a celebration of freedom. The musical movie, Soul II Soul, featuring then hot stars such as Wilson Pickett, Percy Sledge, all provided Gwale students with effective social backdrop to immerse themselves in the emergent youth culture of the I 960s. African-American political movements such as National Association for the Advancement of Colored Peoples (NAACP), The Black Panther, as Newton, Leroy Eldridge Cleaver, the Soledad brothers, all gave us nicknames and symbolized an early political ideal in the destiny of the black race - and this was among kids just entering high school! It did show, however, the relative maturity of students of the school, and the free atmosphere with which teachers, students and ideas interacted.

It was not all youthful militancy, however. Day-release meant access to television which also meant following closely some educational programs. In particular French by Television from Radio Television Kaduna (RTK) provided many students then offering Mr. T. Parson’s French Classes (does anyone remember Kernba etAmalki.?) with the opportunity of following the classes more smoothly. The Friday Filin Musulunci, ironically enough broadcast in English, boosted the I.R.K. lessons; while the delightful dramas of Kassimu Yero made learning Hausa much more fun and contextual. Science Fiction programms such as Start Trek, UFO and Space 1999 provided a more effective bases for understanding science and Geography lessons taught by many masters of the trade and Gwale has the best of them; dedicated teachers who to this day (they in their late 50s and 60s, we in our late 30s and 40s) evoke deep respect from all of us.

All this does not mean that the Gwale fraternity were insulated from the horrors of war then riging on in the country. From Vietnam to Biafra, the pictures of kids suffering because of the war was to haunt us for the rest of our lives. A vivid recollection was the posters warning of a avoiding any suspicious threads buried in dirt - it could be dynamite, or as the jingle put it, rnaiyiyuwa bam ne. These were nightmare images to pubescent men-children. But through it all, the war being so far away temporally, meant it was also far away from our psyche.

Evan the morbidity of our Iocation in the midst of graves, with a wholly constructed Unknown Whiteman’s grave right on the eastern side of our playing field - did not detract from the sheer joy and fun of being a student in Gwale secondary school.

It is necessary to provide this retrospective perspective of “ancient” Gwale to serve as a background to appreciating the current effort. It is therefore with a sense of wonder and joy that I identify with the 31st Anniversary events of the grand old school. And I think the idea of a photo album is truly innovative. Despite the widespread availability of photographers within the immediate vicinity of Gwale, it was an anomaly that a proper pictorial record of the life of the school was not kept. There were photos of friends and mates, self-consciously taken on playing fields, or in group settings. Yet the various stages of the school, at its evolution were not recorded. It is wonderful to know that in 2028 - the sixtieth anniversary - a more effective computer-based record of the school would be around. The compilers of this volume should therefore be commended for coming up with this project (The Exco). It is amazing how they were able to track down some of these photos; and it shows their dedication to the alma mater and to etching its memories on the chips on our minds. Looking at these photographs elicit a sense of wonder. Some of the scenes and faces will produce chuckles and fond reminiscences of a by-gone era. Seeing a face will make you remember suddenly that piece of music you liked (James Brown, Ohio Players, even 2Pac), that movie you remembered (Zabak, Mission Impossible, Spy Smasher, The Man from UNCLE), and the places visited during educational excursions. Some of the faces will make you smile with a faint wonder (ina kuwa yake?). Some faces will make you sad, simply because they represent the imprints of those who are dead. As we celebrate 30 years of existence, we pray for the souls of those who are not here in physical body to celebrate with us; but will forever be etched on our minds. Allah Yajikansu, Ya gafarta musu. Amin-summa-amin. None of these faces will make you frown. We remember some, with a tinge of embarrassed shyness, as tight friends. We remember those we held at distance (a common refrain was, ba sa magana da juna). What made the friendship bittersweet and the animosity benign was the fact of our day-release status. You were eager to see your friend again the following morning. With an ‘enemy’ the animosity simply disappears with the break of a new day and suddenly, wonderfully, you were friends and on speaking terms again. I should know; after all, I was nicknamed King of Enemies of our class! Now firmly in my mid-40s, such puerile bravado - a badge of courage, actually - merely makes me remember my “enemies” very fondly! I am extremely elated to see some of them here (identities withheld!).

What makes the Gwale community spirit stronger was the distinct lack of enforced seniority or bullying characteristic of other schooling systems in the halcyon days of Gwale. We often heard horror storeis of how senior students in other schools subject freshmen or junior students in the same school to bizarre inhuman treatment, and often forcing them of act as their virtual slaves. This terrible treatment often makes the juniors averse to the seniors - decades after they have both left the system. I think what makes Gwale unique was that no matter how senior a person is to you, he remains first and foremost, your brother. We all treat each other with respect, kindness and understanding. It Is this kinship that makes us relate very well with each other. Years after leaving the system we are proud of our seniors, just as our juniors are proud of us. That was the wonder of Gwale. A sense of belonging, a sense of brotherhood, a sense of oneness. This sense of wonder is exquisitely captured in the images in this book.

All these faces are motionless points in chaos. Hold the book in your hand. Savor it Suddenly the surroundings melt away, and you are warped back to whatever epoch of Gwale you happened to blend in - whether that of James Brown or Bony M or Bob Marley or 2Pac. No matter your current position in the station of life, feel humble by this auspicious beginning. There are no losers here. They are all winers. They range in skill, training and specialization from the base civil servant to aeronautics engineers and computer nerds. Some are famous and powerful - spot the military administrators, squadron leaders, commissioners - while others are managers, media moguls, writers, entreprenurs and academicians. But no matter the lofty heights of our achievements, Gwale was the beginning. This is a celebration of that beginning. Let us look forward to the year 2028. lnsha Allah.

Abdalla Uba Adamu
Associate Professor of Science Education and Curriculum Development
Department of Education. Bayero University. Kano. (September 15, 1999).

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