The Historical Perspective
by His Majesty Eze (Dr.) Emmanuel E. Njemanze
Ozuruigbo Of Owerri
The Early British Occupation Of Owerri
The British toops marched into Owerri from Oguta in 1901. Their presence did not frighten most people. They were welcome, the people peaceful. The troops led by Captain Douglas, the field commander easily settled down.
They were fascinated by the fine topography adorned by the clean and free flowing rivers Nworie and Otamiri flanking Oweei town west and south respectively with a confluence on the way to Nekede. With stability assured, Captain Douglas, acting on behalf of the Brigade Commander, Colonel Galway, stationed at the Oguta Lake, acquired land after due negotiation with the King Eze Njemanze Iheancho of Owerri.
The land the Government Reservation Area (GRA) was leased for 99 years for one shilling. Thus the Government station was set up with a military hospital, staff quarters (both senior and junior), notably Douglas House, Government offices, the prisons, police station, post office and the present location of Imo Hotels, while the post office stood at the present site of Modotel Hotels.
Note that government business in the aforementioned areas attracted an influx of people, with the then population of Owerri in 1906. The school was sited at the present location of the prisons.
The hospital was beset with the additional responsibility as it opened its doors to the civilian population including the school children. The yearning for education rose, more pupils from within and outside Owerri enrolled in the school. The site became incommodious and in 1911, the Government School moved to where our school, the Government Secondary School, now stands. As the military occupation was drawing to a close, and mindful of the fact that the hospital was treating civilians, it was relocated to Amakohia now Orlu Road, and was renamed African Hospital. Later in 1951, it was renamed General Hospital, Owerri, and is today the Federal Medical Centre, Owerri.
Prior to 1906 when the Government School was established, the few educated ones were sent to Bonny Government School in the present Rivers State. The Colonial Government Schools (primary) were meant for the sons of the chiefs and aristocrats. The Government School, Owerri soon took over the role hitherto played by the Bonny School.
The Voluntary Agency Schools, the Missionary School Society(CMS) in the Anglican Church and the Roman Catholic Mission(RCM) now the Catholic Church, between 1905 and 1912 were for the children of the less privileged.
The Period After 1930
Many brilliant pupils passed through Government School, Owerri. In 1929, Government College, Umuahia was founded. Soon after, there was the need for another Government College. Facts were pointing to Aba. Information has it that the yearly admissions to Class one at Umuahia featured many pupils from Government School, Owerri.
The apparently unfavourable situation in Aba made Owerri an easy choice. In 1935, a secondary wing was added to the Government School, giving birth to what was known as Government Middle School Owerri. Both were under the same administration, headed by a headmaster.
The Early Years of Middle School
It was a successful experiment. The very brilliant ones after class IV were sent to Government College Umuahia to complete their secondary education. The government of the day began considering giving full secondary school status to the Owerri Middle School. In 1939, the Second World War broke out. Government could not continue with the arrangement. The idea was suspended. Government College, Umuahia was temporarily closed down and converted to a concentration camp for citizens of those European Countries that were fighting on the side of the Nazi Adolf Hitler and his collaborators who were living and doing business in the west African Region.
The students of Government College, Umuahia were transferred to other notable secondary schools east and west of the Niger like Methodist College, Uzoakoli, DMGS Onitsha, CKC Onitsha, Edo College, Benin, Kings College, Lagos among others. Government Middle School, Owerri thus remained the only government secondary school in the East during the Second World War.
The middle school logo and motto had been formed with the star of David and the inscription Dirige Nos Domine meaning “Guide us O God”. Owerri Government Middle Secondary school (OGMS) was a co-educational secondary school and remained the only co-educational secondary school of the colonial government in this country for many years.
Academics and Sports
All secondary school subjects of the time were taught except Latin. Mr. Charles W. Lowe, an Australia educationist introduced the game of cricket. The middle school was established in the year 1935 along with Edo College, Benin and Warri College, Ughelli.
In 1947 the games, Rounders and fussilade were introduced. Both were dropped in1951. The Americans, from USA modified rounders into the American baseball.
The Period of Unhealthy Politics 1947- 48
The OGMS became a victim of ethnic politics which some unscrupulous colonialists mischievously supported in order to give a dog a bad name so as to kill it.
The Second World War came to an end in 1945-46. Government College, Umuahia re-opened with the students who had not completed their secondary education and who were scattered in secondary schools mentioned earlier during the war years.
Not pleased with the presence of two government institutions that were very close, but separated by some 50 Kilometers-Umuahia and Owerri, some agitators, out of envy and jealousy, cleverly got some whites in the Educational department of the colonial government to collaborate with them in running down the middle schoolboy arranging incessant visitations to the school. I have to mention here the ignoble role of Mr. and Mrs. Wilson Parnably, both Irish, and inspectors of education who painted the school in bad light in their reports. The school whose students have kept the flag flying high wherever they were to complete their secondary school education was now facing an imminent blow. This irish couple, imperialist to the core, recommended that the secondary wing of the school be scrapped and replaced with a teacher training college. Government was to build another secondary school elsewhere in the East.
This came at the time the people of Owerri were expecting Government to move the school up to class V to make it a full-fledged secondary school. The Eze of Owerri at the time, the late Eze Johnson Osuji Njemaze MBE, WHC, CON, 1941-1965 mobilised the traditional rulers and the people of the old Owerri Division. He presented an address of welcome on their behalf in 1949 to the visiting new commissioner for Eastern province, commander J. G Pykenott, RN at the local Administrator courtyard on which Owerri municipal council now stands. Lamenting the Parnably extremist axe that had fallen on the school, the monarch rejected outright the idea of a teacher training college which he said had no justification.
The response of the commissioner was consoling and reassuring. He ordered with immediate effect a stop to the phasing out process directing that the school be allowed to become a full secondary school as was originally planned. The entrance to the school was restored in 1949 for admission in 1950. Accordingly, the school was renamed Government Secondary School Owerri and later a hostel was named after him-Pykenott house, in recognition of his magnanimity.
Before we go further, let us look back to 1950 – the beginning of the change of status. The school witnessed the arrival of new faces among the staff. Mr. Phillip John Toogood arrived to head the school. The primary wing was still there. The Science Master Mr. J. Ohieweri who had been withdrawn to Umuahia at the end of 1948 as part of the phasing out was returned to Owerri. At the end of 1950, Mr. P. J Toogood left for the inspectorate division. From 1950, the school was no longer co-educational.
In 1951 Mr W. Allagoa arrived from Umuahia to replace Mr. Toogood. At the end of the year, there was mass resignation or redeployment of all the masters, including the graduates, such as Mr. B. N. Okagbue, to other stations in the East. Only one master was left out Mr. G. O. Braide. Consequently, teachers drawn from other Government colleges and newly recruited ones arrived in December 1951 to replace them.
Notable persons among them was Mr. Moris Charles English (MCE) who was moved from Umuahia to Owerri. Mr. English from Minehead Summerset, England was of Balliol Oxford; Mr. Toogood was also of Oxford. The school was wearing a new look and shell Darcy now Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) was there to make its impact on the school Mr. F. S. Shoga from Ijebu Ode, married to a white, both of them Durham graduates, joined the staff in 1954. Infrastructural changes became noticeable. Down Wetheral road, some school buildings were springing up and before the end of 1952, the primary school vacated the premises of the school to occupy the buildings down Wetheral road as Owerri Township School, maintaining the logo and colors of the parent school.
New staff quarters and dormitories were built. The dormitories were designated “Houses”, and were depicted with colors initially before being named e. g Red House later became Pykenott House.
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.
It would appear we have been reciting and publishing an incomplete adage. The introductory and leading part that had been left out is hereby resorted to have it in full ‘work hard, play hard, keep straight.’ A closer at the adage will leave no doubt in one’s mind introductory part touched on learning or academics (work hard), play hard referred to sports in general and ‘keep straight’ was talking of character.
On that note, may I conclude by saying, God Bless Government Secondary School, Owerri, the Old Boys Association, the PTA, Imo State and the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
