Months ago, I had written a topic “The Old Owerri I know” and was surprised with the number of reactions I got, including from over seas. Infact, the story hooked me up with my “Senior” in the secondary school, one Senior Jude Ben, who called all the way from United States of America, USA to find out if that was the Henry Ekpe he used to know.
That write-up showed me that many readers cherish social pieces that can refresh their memory and take them off politics, politics, politics!
Therefore, in line with this thinking, I took a hard retrospect to ask myself if the youths of today otherwise called “New breed” are more exposed and intelligent than the “Old School”. I mean those born around the late 60s and 70s.
As far as I am concerned, the current youths of today are exposed to global trends, which include discoveries recorded in Sciences that in most cases have caused our children to be lazy and wild.
When we were growing up in “Old” Owerri town, we had Black and White Televisions, with just a few families that can afford Land Telephones, and these phones had their keys usually locked by our parents, and were left for only incoming calls. That was the hey days of Post and Telecommunications, P & T.
My parents, who were then in the USA, will inform you what time to expect their calls, which were usually in the nights, but if you sleep off, that is it for weeks.
However, today’s youths enjoy the freedom of owning handsets, including those in primary schools. With the handsets, they make mathematical calculations to the extent that if you remove their handsets, children of today cannot add two plus two.
In our own time, we made use of our fingers and toes to calculate numbers, if need be, and that is why the old school are more practical, than the automated machines of today we produce as the new generation.
When we were growing up in Old Owerri, there was nothing like private schools. All primary and secondary schools including universities were owned by the Government. And public schools were the norm, as both the children of the rich and poor attended the same schools.
This situation created a synergy among the youths then that even a Mason’s son could spend his holidays in a millionaire’s house through young boys and girls who met in schools without a care of their parent’s status.
But the current fad where rich parents quarantine their wards in cosy private schools, have helped to create wide division between the rich and the poor, which aggregation is the restiveness in the society today, as the poor sees the rich as enemy that should be thought a lesson.
In the “Old School”, what goes for private schools today were dubbed “Commercial Schools” in Owerri. Among them were City Commercial and Ozims Commercial, owned by the dreaded Chief Ozims, known for encroaching into Lands, whose owners will run away following the myth that Ozims was “Odeshi”.
The secondary schools then were all equal, except that there were those that were “more equal than the others”. What it meant was that in the Old School era, every secondary school was solid, with Libraries, Science Laboratories, Football Fields and venues and facilities for other sporting activities.
Then Inter-House Sports, which served as fishing grounds for budding sporting stars, was like a National Sports festival. Secondary schools “happening” then include, Holy Ghost College, (Hogosco), Government College, Emmanuel College, (Ecol), all in Owerri. There was Ocogram Mbieri, Sabastine Academy Emekuku, Ejiogu Memorial Egbu, John F Kennedy Obibiezena, Owerri Grammer School, OGS, Immerienwe, Owerri Girls, (Ojimgbo), Egbu Girls etc.
Among the high ranking primary schools in Owerri those days was Shell Camp Primary School, which haboured children of most top public servants who moved down to Owerri from Enugu, after the creation of Imo state. Yours faithfully was among the privileged pupils of Shell Camp, who “Swagger”, whenever we go to Old Stadium for October First match past rehearsals, where we meet our colleagues from other primary schools. There was also Ikenegbu Secondary School, which today is called Ikenegbu Girls. That time the building in the school were among the best in the state.
The legendary Kanu Nwankwo and his elder brother Goddy, were all in Owerri Urban Secondary School. And “Swagger” ends after school, as we all gather together, both the children of the rich and poor to construct cages for our pigeons and play together with our constructed “Boress”, which was a local Rolling skating machine built with wood.
Today, most children are “caged” in private schools where there are no foot ball fields, and other sporting facilities, therefore limiting their early exposure to individual chosen sporting careers. Kanu Nwankwo, at the age of 14 had started playing for Ministry of Works Football Club. How many private primary schools in Owerri own a football field?
All what the “New School” care about is browsing of handsets and computers and are usually brought to and picked from school by their parents or drivers with cars. It is therefore not surprising that most children in Owerri today can hardly located their residences, if left to trek home from their schools.
When we were kids, I preferred trekking to school, because of the game the children of the “poor” enjoy while going to school. They will throw an object on another, who picks it and pursues the other until the get to school. Because of this, before 8am I would sneak out from the house so that I will not go to school with the Driver. I wanted to be free to mix up with my colleagues. Today, my parents are dead, leaving me to “hustle” like others. So, if one had lived the “Aji butter life” what would have become of me now they are no more around to pamper one? How would one have mixed up freely to make ends meet? That is why it is necessary for parents to expose their children early to the vagaries of life, as no condition is permanent.
Socially, the life in Owerri is still bubbling, but cannot be compared to the “old School” days. Then in Owerri, you could easily leave your key on the lintel of your door for the next friend to have access to your room, even when you were not around.
There was this spirit of “brothers’ keeper”. You buy a Geisha, and call your friend to bring bread, for both of you to enjoy. Parents knew their children’s friends, who can even decide to spend holidays in friends’ houses.
Through out my growing days in Owerri in the 80s, there was no story of cultism among students. There was no thought of get-rich quick. Infact, if you brought a shirt home that was not bought by your parents they must know how it came about. That was the reason that even if one of your “Senior” friends “dash” you a shoe, you will not bring it home, or you be ready for query. Does such things still happen today? I hope they do.
I remember when one of my cousins returned from Ekwulobia in Aguata Anambra state those days with a Renault car. He was chased away from the house by my uncle who said he would not accommodate the vehicle in his compound because Okey’s salary as Secretary to Dr Alex Ekwueme’s Company could not have afforded him a Renault car. Okey had to sale the car.
In Old School Owerri, we prided our selves with the number of (Novels) Books we had read. We use slangs from James Hardley Chase to discus, and if you do not “follow”, shame will lead you the next day to look for copies of the Author.
Today, the pride of Youths in Owerri is the name of the exotic car you are driving. Ask the person his source of income he will be staring at you. Some of them even own houses, yet the parents will not ask.
The highest one could go during the Old School was to “pull out” your parents Peugeot GL or SR, Lada, Toyota Panel Van etc or even Benly motorcycle, which were mostly during Egbu Girls, or Owerri Girls or Federal Girls Inter-House Sports. And you just “pose” for a few minutes and return the car, because it was the only vehicle in the House. Why would your parents own two cars? Civil Servants for that matter! Are they DC Opara, Obiekea, Uwandu or Osondu? Then in Owerri, we all knew who were the millionaires and source of their wealth. This Group drove Citroen, Toyota Crown, Range Rover or Mercedes 200 etc.
In the Old School Owerri, girls were hard to come by, not that they were scarce, but because you will “suffer” to get a girlfriend. It will take you up to four months before a girl will agree to be your friend, another two months to agree you touch her hand. Another two months to visit you, and another four months before she sits on your bed. And when she is coming, she will arm herself with a Book, which she will discuss the characters with you, while drinking her soft drinks, and may be eating rice.
And this must be working hours when your parents must have gone to work. If they mistakenly “catch you”, they may threaten not to pay your next school fees.
And the only place you can do a talking to TT, is at the Library, because that is where you can find girls then, because it was the gathering point for youths in Owerri, not party or club.
Today, you will see a girl in my Old Owerri, and as you stop to ask her help you with direction, she would be opening the door of your vehicle, when you had not said anything yet. You ask her her name, and within two hours, a lady you have never met before has bared her body and self before a total stranger. No wonder new diseases never envisaged in my Old School are now ravaging the new breed.
Unfortunately, any group of girls standing in new Owerri are now for takes. In Old Owerri, you hardly will see girls parading the streets. If you need such girls, you go to Afro Hotel. Some guys do it after watching “Film” at Rex Cinema at Royce road.
The youths of now are “lucky” as they can with just a focused gaze on the opposite sex take her home without even a bride price.
There are Night Clubs, even Nude Clubs every where in my revered Old Owerri today. The New school can Club nude with out a care in the world. In our time, it would sound like stoning Jesus Christ with what they put on now as dresses. How could any body in the 80s believe that there would be a club in our Owerri, where women dance naked? When we were growing up, you hardly can see where a girl spread her pant. Today, those who even try to wear pants expose them for the public to see. What a man ought to have spent time and money, including with parents is given to him without pains, and women become cheap as penny.
During our time, to dance “Bruce or wholesale” with a girl was difficult.
Although there were some Hotels for Disco, but most Discos were held in School Halls, where windows and doors were shut, leaving just one entrance after paying ticket.
But during First October or Children’s day we “rocked” at Chase side Hotel, Gulf Course, Awareness Hotel, Third House, etc. For good food you go to Ihuoma Hotel located at Christ Church road. For snacks, you go to Kemo, and for drinks you go to “Kakadu” at Christ Church road also where “mercury light” will show your white shirt in the dark.
The only Night Club then was Afuruola Nite Club in White House Hotel, owned by late Eze Zep Phillips. Geraldo Pino was the in-house Band, with Fridays as Lady’s free nights.
While the New School now relish in songs and Artistes that sing about “moving your waist and show me your backside”, we listened to love songs that are meaningful and still ever green till date.
Old School loved Dona Summer, Margaret Singana, Brother Johnsons, Marcia Grifits, Shalamar, Bongos Igwe, Ofege, Doves, Wings, Blo, Jackson Five, Cuttis Blow, Suger Hill, Commodores, Whispers, Cool and the Gang, Karl Carlton, Semi Colon, Diana Ross, Bony M, Lijadu Sisters, Oby Onyioha, Delegation, Dizzy K Falola, Felix Liberty, Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Grace Jones, Sweet Breez, Bob James, Spirogira, James Brown, Malvin Gaye, Rapheal Cameroon, Ozidi etc.
Then, even to record music you either go to Labamba Studio Owerri or to John John Duke at Park road, Aba. To have a decent hair cut with Whal Clipper, you had just one place; Soul Scissors at Tetlow road.
Today, the New Owerri youths can record their own songs in their bed rooms and have a clean hair cut at home. Their best artistes include 2 Pac, Jay Z, 2 Face, Flavour, Kcee, J Martins, D Banj, Whiz Kid, Wadada, Ice Prince, T I, LL Cool J, 50 Cents, P Square, Tiwa Savage, D Banj, Praiz, Niki Minaj, Rihana, Beyonce, and others. Are we moving forward or back ward?
Continues next week
