Celebrating a Unique Set of the Unique University of Port Harcourt as they hold a Unique ReUnion in Abuja.
June 2 – 3, 2017
UNIQUE UNIPORT 81 CLASSIC
– PIONEERS, PACESETTERS, CONQUERORS!
A Trumpet Blast
By Babatunde Faniyan
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PART ONE
- They came.
A motley bunch in their youth, from all parts of the country,
Male and female – to the Virgin lands of Choba, Port Harcourt, Nigeria.
Choba was cold to the feeling, indifferent, Aloof.
Choba – clearly not suited, nor prepared
For comfort-seeking, sedentary settlers.
But this bunch was prepared for Choba.
They were warriors!
Warriors – hungry to Explore; to Learn; to Conquer
Enter the UNIQUE UNIPORT 81 CLASSIC
2. They were Mini gods.
With their Brilliant Instructors and Coordinating Developers
They formed a formidable Trinity.
In the Beginning Choba was wild,
Bushy, uncharted and without form –
And Intellectual Darkness was over the land.
3. Then they said: “LET there be light! ”
And there was light. And they said: “Let Choba Campus be demarcated
Into Temporary Site, the then nuclear Main Campus.
Let it bring forth Lecture ROOMS, Theaters, Laboratories et al.
Let there be living quarters comprising
Hall A for Boys and Hall B for Girls”
(The Girls Living Territory was nicknamed “Angola”
The land and its occupants seen by the naughty boys as up for “liberation”).
Then they had the Emergency Site immediately across the East-West Road
And Aluu Site much further away – Both for Hostel accommodation for boys.
The Permanent Site marked out for future development.
And the War Cry?
“For Enlightenment And Self-Reliance!”
And it was so. And the Trinity saw that everything was very good
And it was the year of our Lord 1977AD.
4. The UNIQUE UNIPORT 81 CLASSIC
Seeking knowledge was their Primary goal – but there is more in them.
While Learning, they were Building the destined Citadel
That built them – and built generations after them.
With dogged determination, they excelled.
None after them could match their Depth, Height and Reach
Behold! In their ranks – President, Statesmen, thoroughbred Kings
Captains and Amazons of Industry, authors, Legal icons, Entrepreneurs Unlimited,
There are more, thrown up: King makers, Ambassadors, professors,
Patriotic pillars in all the Nation’s MDAs and Private Sector – you name it!
PART TWO
5. We are the UNIQUE UNIPORT 81 CLASSIC!
Endowed with God’s Uncommon Favour
And Blessed with the best of Human Pathfinders
With Teachers, Guardians, Administrators who were like Parents.
Professors – expatriates even! – who drove Fork Lifts
Ferrying and Fixing scientific equipment into the Laboratories.
Thoroughly baked intellectuals – the best the world could offer –
Vice Chancellor Donald E. U. Ekong; Profs E. J. Allagoa, Claude Ake,
Kay Williamson, Ola Rotimi, Onofeghara; Drs Irwin, Spiff, Dubeko,
Ojo, Knox, Chukwumerije – all represent the molder of the UU 81 Conquerors
Unforgettable in our very psyche they will be
They gave us well-rounded education to excel in the modern world
From compulsory Languages, to debates,
From Field trips to politics, to social engineering
And hard-core academics to conquer the world
- Sadly, some UNIQUE UNIPORT 81 CLASSICs are no more with us.
Gone! As if with the wind!
They have fallen! Hit by the arrow of Death.
Too many of them for comfort! Too many that it threatens
To kill the Spirit of our UNIQUE Joyful Reunions.
But they will laugh last – these fallen Conquerors
Because by the Special Grace of God they, with us,
Will yet defy this Death, rise triumphant
And become Ultimate Conquerors in the bossom of our Lord Jesus Christ.
- But the Number of us, who, by Grace
Are still out of the range of the arrow of Death
Are reminded that though we are Conquerors, we are mortals.
We live everyday therefore – mindful
Of our blessed humble Reformative Beginnings at Choba;
Our challenges which strengthen us;
Our Faith which glorifies us
And we remain with our Pioneering spirits
Setting the pace in our various fields of endeavour
Heads held high; Revered everywhere we tread,
Amidst the High and Mighty – Marching
Conquerors !
