Written by Two-Minute History of Our School and ’85 Set
Federal Government College Sokoto was first of the three “Unity Colleges” established in Nigeria in 1966, together with the sister institutions in Warri and Enugu. More than 100 other Unity schools have since been founded. FGC Sokoto started with two classes: a Form One and a Lower Sixth Form and by 1985, the Lower and Upper Sixth Forms had been phased out, with five other Forms retained.
We celebrated our 50th year in 2016 with great fanfare and in attendance was Founder and former Head of State General Yakubu Gowon. Attendance from as far afield as North America, Borneo and India. For a more detailed history, please see the school website at: http://fgcsokoto.sch.ng/about.php
For us of the 1985 Graduated Class, it all started when we reported to hostel on Saturday, Sep 13, 1980. Classes resumed the following Monday, on September 15.
At that point, the school was divided into the original Houses named after major Nigerian Rivers. There was Ethiope, who’s House Colour was red; Osun (green); Benue (yellow); and Niger (blue) respectively. Ethiope House was renamed Rima House after a local river during our stay by Principal Ajepe of blessed memory.
Mr. A. C. J. Adigwe was the school principal when we joined, having been only the third since inception of the school, after Messrs. P. H. Davis and P. H. Harwood. Mr. J. A. Ajepe took over soon afterward—and blessed us with his own children as classmates. In the latter part of the 1984/85 school calendar (our last year), Dr. P. S. Abdu took over.
When we joined in 1980 we were shared into three arms ‘A’, ‘B’ and ‘C’. By Form 2, a fourth was added and renamed ‘F’, ‘G’, ‘C’, and ‘S’. In Form 3, we were further joined by a new set of classmates and the number of arms increased to five: ‘F’, ‘G’, ‘C’, ‘S’, and ‘N’. This year marked the beginning of an expansion of the school population over all. Nobody is in doubt that this last expansion brought colour and changes in “power dynamics” with it.
, our Prefects and House Captains in our Fifth Form were:
- Musa Mohammed Dan’Asabe- Head Boy
- Zalihatu M Sakaba – Head Girl
- Abosi Ibe – Deputy Head Boy
- Drambi Golo – Deputy Head Girl/Benue House Captain (Female)
- Christopher Gwabin Musa – Dining Hall Prefect (Male)
- Rakiya Dasuki – Dining Hall Prefect (Female)
- Patrick Nwajei Entertainment Prefect (Male)
- Victoria Bagna Entertainment Prefect (Female)
- Ibrahim Garba Vaturu – Detention Prefect
- Yusuf H Binji – Library Prefect
- Fatima Tunau – Mail Prefect
- Jamila Nassarawa Games Prefect
- Bode Oyeneye- Rima House Captain (Male)
- Rosemary Okere Rima House Captain (Female)
- Abiodun Gbadegeshin – Osun House Captain
- Sani Daniel Dalhatu – Benue House Captain
- Alfred Udoh (Allen)- Niger House Captain
Many thanks to the following for helping compile this information: Zalihatu M Sakaba; Kunle Ajepe; Kikelomo Oduntan; Adamu Isa; Gen. Christopher Musa; Daniel Sani; and Victoria Bagna (RIP).