Jeremiah Adie

My Role as an Alumnus to my Alma Mater and Alumni Association
Written by: Jeremiah Adie (Pink House, 2008 Set)

Having effectively carried out her own role in producing graduates with all the endowments imperative for National Development, Our Dear College; Federal Government College, Ikom, stands out in the role of a school in the production of greatly influential people to the society. This she has achieved through her carefully built and directed policies and activities which all aim at the production of physically, morally, intellectually and mentally fit graduates who are expected not to only serve as ambassadors of the school but also give back to the school the most loyal appreciation for all she has given them.

An Alumnus, according to the Oxford Advanced Learners’ Dictionary, is “a male former student or pupil of a school”. A female former student or pupil of a school is called “An Alumna” while the plurals of Alumnus and Alumna are “Alumni” and “Alumnae” respectively. Having spent six (or more) years in pledging my loyalty and cheer to the Principal and (other) staff of the College while in school, my role as an alumnus or an alumna goes way beyond that after my valedictory service; I begin to owe my Alma-Mata the returns of all she has invested in me. Like some will say “I want to give to the streets all that the streets have given me”, alumni and alumnae of a school owe their Alma-Mata contributions to ensure the continuity of her production of graduates with the right knowledge, skill and discipline. As an alumnus, I owe my Alma-Mata an obligation of halting a current student in the street and ordering him to tuck-in his white shirt, raise his below-waist-level pair of maroon trousers or adjust his flown collar. This is not only a way of playing my ambassadorial role to my Alma-Mata but also a contribution to the making of more ambassadors.

More so, going by the mission statement of his Alma-Mata, an alumnus owes her his role in achieving it. As exemplified by that of Federal Government College, Ikom, which is “to produce graduates who have acquired the right knowledge, skill and discipline through functional education to enable them compete favorably in a Challenging society”, I owe the college the proof that she has achieved her mission through me, not just with my flying the flag high, but by boldly inscribing on the flag that my Alma-Mata is the foundation of my greatness. This proves me a good ambassador.

Furthermore, as an alumnus of Federal Government College, Ikom, I am saddled with the role of utilizing every little opportunity I have in helping a fellow FEDIKOMITE (as we are called). By considering the alumni and alumnae first, I have not only shown my loyalty to her and the alumni association, I have also put other alumni in a position to show theirs.

Also, as an alumnus of his Alma-Mata, one owes the Alumni Association his utmost dedication to the attainment of the dreams and aspirations of the Association as brought up in the blueprint of the executive board. This can be shown through timely compliance to levies and other bills and donations required for the actualization of projects, full presence at Alumni activities as well as the dedication to the spread of the lively Alumni spirit to other Alumni who may not have known nor heard of the existence of the Association.

Finally, as alumni, we oswe our Alma-Mata the obligation of periodically making donations and contributions to her development –from each according to his ability. This may not be compulsory, but it is a way of appreciating her for her role as our Alma-Mata.

In all said, as an alumnus of Federal Government College, Ikom, I want an alumni family where a FEDIKOMITE will be a commissioner because we have a FEDIKOMITE governor. I want a family where a FEDIKOMITE will come out to vote just because the candidate is a fellow. I want a family where a FEDIKOMITE will not need to belong to a secret confraternity to have the feeling of brotherhood. I want a family where a FEDIKOMITE will announce a job vacancy on the Alumni Association’s Facebook page before proceeding to place it on the National Dailies. I want a family in my fellow Alumni as an Alumnus. IT BEGINS WITH ME; that is my role as an alumnus to my Alma-Mata and Alumni Association.