OUR GRASS CUTTING INSTITUTE

Anthony Olujuwon Adeyemi was enrolled by my late biological father Chief Evaristus Folajuwon Adeyemi, at Government College Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria in January 1972.
Although I passed the entrance examination to three secondary schools: Saint Gregory’s College Obalende, Lagos State, Igbobi College Fadeyi, Lagos State, and Government College Ibadan, my father, after regular multilateral discussions with his closest friends, chose GCI for me.
He did this, I am now convinced although he skillfully evaded telling me the exact reason, because he wanted me to do my secondary schooling at the then “more rural less morally corrupt” Western State of Nigeria, as opposed to the “morally urbanized decadence in the guise of Caucasian civilization” of Lagos (“Eko for Show”) state!
Looking back, in retrospect, I am now convinced he made a divinely inspired choice.
Thus at Apata Ganga area of the geographically largest city in West Africa, aka Ibadan, I started my secondary school sojourn. I was taken to Carr House, named after one of the pioneers of the school, Reverend Henry Carr. Carr House was coincidentally the geographically first boarding house on the left coming into the expansive school compound. I was handed over to a senior boy named, I think, Adedeji. My uniquely memorable moments? The academic learning was a stroll in the park. On Saturday nights, I remember at Carr boarding house, there were social nights. We all socialized, via nonsocial distance, chatting while listening to records.
My favourite subjects were in this order: English language, History, Biology, Chemistry, Economics, Mathematics but only because I creditably passed them at West African School Certificate Ordinary Level.
My favourite teacher? I distinctly remember the Physics teacher nicknamed “Chimney”. He was a quintessential chain smoker, even while teaching in class! But he really knew physics, the man talked physics like he was born with it. I still wonder why the principal, Chief J. B. O. Ojo, a quintessentially clean-living man, did not stop “chimney” from smoking in class. Chain-smoking cigarettes in secondary school class for God’s sake!

There was also the Mathematics teacher, whose name I do not remember. He was a part time postgraduate student at University of Ibadan. He knew Mathematics like his second nature, but he cared too much for both our mathematically academic upbringing and moral uprightness. He once chased some of my more exuberant classmates from the science laboratory, back to his period’s Mathematics class. One classmate jokingly accused the teacher of attempting to stop the advance of science. The teacher, naturally took the joke and replied by saying the halt of science advancement was simply “unfortunate”. But my Mathematics teacher, one fateful day, went truly round the cerebral bend – bonkers. His absolutely worried fiancée rushed to the school; and drove him to hospital that same afternoon. It was the very first time I saw a well-dressed, full grown, educated man suddenly become a “mad professor of mathematics”.
I shall continue to thank God, no pun intended, while saying it exactly the way it is to the best of my understanding, that I did my secondary schooling at the “Grass Cutting Institute” – GCI. Oh yes, we did cut good old flora vegetation grass, as part of the cultured reign of disciplinary terror, instilling moral uprightness in the pupils. The discipline I experienced then is largely responsible for instilling the reverential fear of the Omnipotent, Omnipresent God in me truly till today.
Another “name” for Government College Ibadan, especially among the 1972 set, should be “College of nicknames”. We exuberantly gave everything – “nicknames” Till today, we still habitually identify each other by nicknames. My nickname is “Yemme” or “Yemmery”, verbally coined from my surname ADEYEMI.
All academic work coupled with no play, as a cliché goes, makes Jack a dull boy. We were righteously encouraged to unwind via extra curriculum activities socialization. I opted for the Schools’ musical group band, Sound Incorporated (SI). I, however, made an innocently conscious mistake of not academically studying musical theory- one of the subjects offered in the school’s curriculum, from Form One through Form Three
It was, however, during those formative years that the spiritually inspired, intuitively rhythmic gifts of both genetic nature, praise propensity jitterbug, and gospel jazz prose were imbued in this Mr.Adeyemi-Amen.
This GCI old boy recorded in his West African School Certificate (WASC) Ordinary Level result: History A1, Oral English A1, English Language A3, Biology A3, Chemistry C4, Economics C4 and Mathematics C5. 1 did not mechanically just go through Government College Ibadan (GCI) Apata Ganga, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria; the nationally famous “Grass Cutting Institute” (GCI) instead, magnetically, went through me.
I could easily have done my secondary schooling at either Saint Gregory’s College Obalende, Lagos State or Igbobi College, Lagos State, but I thank spiritually magnetic Omnipotent God that Government College, near the distinctly visible vertically high altitude rocks known as “Apata Ganga”, Ibadan who divined that this Anthony Olujuwon Adeyemi must compulsorily be spiritually magnetized to do his secondary schooling at the more academically disciplined, morally upright “Grass Cutting Institute” (GCI). Thus it so happened, Amen, that my secondary schooling fate was signed, sealed, and comprehensively delivered; hook, line and sinker.
And to only omnisciently magnetic, Omni present supernatural God, be all Glory. Because of Psalm 119: 91 & 100: “I have more understanding than all my teachers; for thy testimonies are my meditation. I understand more than the ancients, because I keep thy precepts”.
Government College Ibadan was thus unilaterally responsible for instilling in me these virtues: work of the widely reading inquisitively academic variety, plus emotionally healthy, sacredly holy, quintessential humility.


Culled From: Our story (1972 Set Anniversary book)
Submitted: ANTHONY O. ADEYEMI (SN 2421, Powell House)