From The President

It has been over nine months since we met in Toronto, and with so much going on, the Executive Committee came to a conclusion that I should give this interim report... Read more...

World Times

Login Form



Home News 52010 Off-Year State of GCUOBA-NAmericas
52010 Off-Year State of GCUOBA-NAmericas
Fellow Mariners,

It has been over nine months since we met in Toronto, and with so much going on, the Executive Committee came to a conclusion that I should give this interim report on the state of our Association and our goals for the future. We have carried out one of the activities we decided in Toronto, presenting an Award of Academic Excellence to a House annually. The award consists of a shield and 50,000 naira to a House with the best overall academic achievement as measured by all internal and external evaluations. The principal and faculty of GCU determined that this year the award should go to School House. Dr. Omatete attended the Awards Day event in January to make the first presentation and some of the pictures he took at the occasion have been circulated.

At the exchange rate of 150 naira to the dollar, the 50,000 naira prize cost us $333; this will be a recurring annual cost. The shield, engraving and stand cost us $241; this will only need to be replaced every ten years. We also paid $61annual registration tax to the Florida Secretary of State office. We had $7,353 in the bank and after the expenses totaling $635, we now have $6,718 in the bank. At the moment, our treasurer Kome Onokpise is in Nigeria attending to the funeral of his late mother-in-law, so I could not obtain details of the number of people who are current on their annual dues, and those who have paid up on their Toronto pledges. However, I urge everyone to catch up on their dues and pledges as we have some heavy tasks ahead of us.

As we discussed in Toronto without coming to a decision the National OBA expected to receive a certain percentage of our dues income. The president general Godwin Adokpaye made a special request for 250,000 naira in April to help pay for the funeral of a first decade old boy, Emmanuel Awala who died after a long illness that had depleted his resources. At the request of our Executive Committee, I had to respond that our status as a tax exempt public charity prevented us from using our general funds for the benefit of an individual. However, a special donation from individual members towards such an expense would be allowed and we would forward the total sum donated to the national branch. Mr. Awala was a dedicated teacher and sport master, and we urge any one who had known him or who is so inclined to donate or pledge an amount in support of this endeavor.

In Toronto and at several of our previous reunions, we decided to undertake the rehabilitation and refurbishment of the GCU Sick Bay and Infirmary. While in Nigeria, Dr. Omatete obtained a cost estimate of the project from the firm of Arch. Louis Martins, a son of an old boy who had also executed the Forcados House renovation. The proposed cost came to 6.127 million naira. At the rate of 150 naira to the dollar, this is about $41,000. First, as a matter of principle, we have taken steps to obtain a second quote. Secondly, since our previous requests for pledges had generated about $10,000 each occasion, raising $41,000 from pledges could be a tall order, even with the advantage of a specific amount to shoot for. The executive committee has therefore set up an Ad-hoc Committee to recommend ways we can raise the level of funds we would need to accomplish this particular project. Members of the committee are Olu Sawyerr, Kome Onokpise and Bestman Efejuku. I urge all our members to submit ideas and comments to the committee for their consideration.

Finally, the Executive Committee also established an Advisory Committee to work with the local organizing committees to improve the fiscal and social performances of our biennial reunions. Olu Sawyerr is the chair of this committee. Some of the ideas being considered include extending our reunions to 3 days so that we have more time for old boys and our families to interact in some informal trip or outing besides the formal Saturday night dinner. If we want group activities for most of Sunday, then members and their families would have to travel back to their homes on Monday without losing another work or school day. In the USA, this might require our meeting on one of the three long weekends of the summer: Memorial Day, Independence Day or Labor Day. Alternatively, we could restrict our business meeting to Saturday morning and leave Saturday afternoon for some informal group activity before our formal dinner. Again, I urge one and all to send in your suggestions and comments to Olu, me or any member of the Executive Committee close to you.

Keep The Ship Sailing.

Mebenin Awipi '54, President