Today, Saturday, 28th September, 2024, the Old Boys of Bishop Shanahan College Orlu, Class of 1980 will be embarking on their Second Reunion after the first edition which took place almost seven years ago. The reunion, which has the theme: Reunite, Reconnect and Rediscover, is expected to witness a large turnout of the 1980 Class, who will be returning to their Alma Mater after 44 years.
The Bishop Shanahan College, Orlu in Imo State is unarguably one of the foremost pre-independence secondary schools in Nigeria. Founded in 1949 by the Holy Ghost Fathers, and operated under the aegis of the Marist Brothers of Schools, the renowned institution was named after a frontline Irish missionary in Nigeria, Bishop Joseph Shanahan (1871-1943). A priest of the Holy Ghost Order, Bishop Shanahan was to become the first Catholic Bishop of Southern Nigeria, who played prominent roles in the conversion and liberation of people across Igbo land through Christian religious indoctrination and education. Thus, the Irish-born Bishop became widely acclaimed as the Apostle of Southern Nigeria.
Bishop Shanahan College Orlu, was therefore, established to immortalise the foremost Irish-born missionary in Nigeria, not just for the academic training of young boys, but for impartation of knowledge with the highest tenable standards and moral rectitude. Hence, the motto of the illustrious institution is, Duc in Altum, a Latin phrase for “Aim at the Highest.” It was therefore in this citadel of academic excellence that the then young boys of the 1980 Set were admitted and nurtured to high levels of educational development and character refinements before being despatched for greater societal exploits.
Today, many of them have grown by leaps and bounds, and metamorphosed into academic giants, technocrats, top bureaucrats, business executives, industrialists, legal luminaries, medical practitioners, scientists, political chieftains, senior military and paramilitary officers, and so on.
These men of substance and means shall be congregating with some of their less-endowed Classmates in celebration of their Second Reunion at the expansive Bishop Shanahan College premises. The epic ceremony marking their Second Reunion shall feature many interesting programmes and activities, beginning with a Thanksgiving Mass to be celebrated in the College Chapel. The Class of 1980 will not only use the occasion of the Holy Mass to thank God for preserving their lives and for the numerous successes they have attained in diverse spheres, but will be praying for the repose of the souls of their departed Classmates, numbering over 50.
The Thanksgiving Mass shall be accompanied by an interactive session with the staff and students, and subsequently, a tour of the College with a view to assessing its current state and ascertaining possible areas of intervention, as well as the presentation of branded exercise books to staff and students. The climax of the Second Reunion of the BSC Orlu, Class of 1980 shall be the presentation of tokens of appreciation to their surviving teachers, as well as special posthumous awards to two of their principals namely, Hon. Abel Ejimmadu Okwuoha and Sir FOC Iheme. The teachers to be celebrated and appreciated by the BSC Orlu Class of 1980 include: His Royal Highness, Eze John Nwosu; Sir Andrew Ajaero, aka. Sijas; Mr. Onwucha Osuji, aka. Chukwu Maths; Chief Marcus Obika; Chief Jude Uzoahia, aka. Movement; Sir Austin Ohakwe and Chief Donatus Obijiaku.
Also, during the visit to BSC Orlu, the 1980 Old Boys shall have lunch with the students in the College Refectory and thereafter, engage them in a Novelty football match. While in Orlu, the visiting Class of 1980 shall pay courtesy calls on the traditional ruler of Orlu, His Royal Majesty, Eze Dr. Patrick Acholonu, the Igwe of Orlu, as well as on one of their own, His Royal Majesty, Eze Dr. Douglas Okwara, Okwarachukwu IV and the paramount ruler of Umuna Ancient Kingdom, who himself is a 1980 Old Boy of Bishop Shanahan College.
The Second Reunion shall be concluded with a Gala Night, during which the Class of 1980 shall be hosting as Special Guests some distinguished Old Boys of the reputable institution, including Chief Barr. Hyacinth Mbachu, National President, BSC Old Boys Association; Prof. Ukachukwu Awuzie, former Vice Chancellor, Imo State University and former President, Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU); Prof. F. C. Eze, former Vice Chancellor, Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO); Barr. JTU Nnodum, SAN; Chief Marcel Ikpa; Dim Israel Osigwe; Ichie Norbert Okoro; Hon. Ethelbert Ibebuchi; Chief Eddy Olumba (Mr. E); Chief Athan Ogoh and Dr. Okechukwu Unogu, Chairman, Evergreen Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Company Ltd.
The BSC Orlu, Class of 1980 shall further use the occasion of the Second Reunion to deepen the supportive roles periodically offered to their colleagues who are either facing critical health challenges or socioeconomic difficulties by extending some financial assistance to a number of them during the reunion. Hopefully, the BSC Orlu, Class of 1980 will evolve avenues to institutionalise this support programme for their less-privileged Classmates, as well as adopt other interventionist measures to improve the quality and standard of teaching and learning in the famous institution. All in all, the Second Reunion promises to be a grand, exciting and memorable event that will leave pleasant memories in the Old Boys of BSC Orlu, 1980 Class, past and present teachers of the institution and the current students.
Joachim OLUMBA, KSJI
(Retd Comptroller of Immigration Service)
Chairman, Local Organising Committee,
Second Reunion of the BSC Orlu, Class of 1980.
