07 OGSSIANS are Old Boys (Students) who were admitted in the Year 2001 and graduated in the year 2007 from Government Secondary School, Owerri (referred to as Government College, Owerri or GSSO) which is a public boys’ English medium secondary school in Owerri, Imo state, Nigeria established formally in 1935.[1] The school is considered a model Secondary School in the city of Owerri, and due to this, aspiring candidates are required to sit for additional entrance examination after the general state organized Secondary School entrance examination.[2][3]
Class structure[edit]
There are six classes (levels) – Junior Secondary 1 to 3 (JSS 1 to JSS 3) and Senior Secondary 1 to 3 (SS 1 to SS 3). The Junior Secondary levels cover subjects including (but not limited to) English Language, Igbo Language, Mathematics, Agricultural Science, Introductory Technology, Social Studies, and Christian Religious Knowledge (CRK). The Senior Secondary levels cover subjects such as English Language, Igbo Language, Mathematics, Further Mathematics, Agricultural Science, Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Geography, Government, Literature in English, etc.
The school uniform is a white short-sleeved shirt with a thin sky-blue strip/line around the sleeve and collar, and across the breast pocket. The junior students wear a pair of sky-blue shorts while the senior students wear pair of trousers of the same color.
The after-school dress code[4] is a pink shirt with blue strip/line around the sleeve and collar and across the breast pocket and a dark-blue shorts.
Inter-house sports[edit]
Between 1980 and 1985, the school had ten dormitories, which were called Houses. They were named B House, Njemanze House, New House, Pyke-Knott House, Owerri House, E House, School House, Erekosima House, D House, and Azikiwe House. Pyke-Knott and Erekosima Houses were named after two erstwhile Principals of the school. Owerri House was named in honour of the city. Njemanze is the name of the royal family of Owerri.[5] Azikiwe, of course, was named after Zik, the first President of Nigeria. These Houses competed against each other during the inter-house sports competitions, which featured field and track events.
Inter-house sports competitions traditionally hold with the age-long home-coming/reunion of the Old boys, every first weekend in March.
A Reflection On The School Logo, Motto, Anthem And Adage
The Logo:
The star of David. The biblical Star of David, bright and shining and moving, showing the three wise men, giving direction to the place to find the newborn king, nurtured us and we were embedded in the learning and character in the readiness to rise and shine in future pursuits with transparent leadership.
The Motto:
Dirige Nos Domine, which means ‘Guide us O God’.
The rough, undulating and tempting route which finally straightened into a smooth and pleasant road. God had guarded and guided us through difficult and trying moments, rekindled lost hopes and consolidated them with courage, confidence and success.
The school is a tree of hope with the roots shaken to its foundation but had weathered the storm and stood upright and firm to actualize and vindicate divine providence.
The Anthem:
It reads:
Remember where you come from
Whatever you may chance to go
Uphold your supremacy
To do or to die for the right
Our alma mater and our country
We shall always hold them dear
For the Lord will surely bless thee
Good (Old) G. S. S
To me this an anthem in rooted boldness and uprightness, dedicated to the school, our dear country, Nigeria and to God, the colonialist presence notwithstanding.
The Adage:
It reads in full:
Work hard, play hard, keep straight
When wealth is lost something is lost
When character is lost, All is lost
This adage is recited every morning at the Assembly Hall before going into the classrooms to face the masters and the lessons. The adage is driven into our heads and minds for an all-time sober reflection of what is expected of us both in school, after school, during the pursuit of further studies and when we enter the unpredictable wicked world where you will be the master of your fate and the captain of your soul.
Old Boys’ Association[edit]
Past students of Government Secondary School, Owerri refer to themselves as “Ogssians”. The Old Boys’ Association has a national structure coordinating branch groups’ activities and class sets. There is a notable presence of these groups in the US, UK, and European countries. The groups offer infrastructure, educational materials, and sports equipment, donate to the school or hold motivational talks to positively inspire current students.