Over twenty five years ago, I attended the only primary school in my village which has consistently played a significant role in the training of children within the community for over four decades. When I had an opportunity to visit home (my village) recently, I took a walk to the primary school since it was close to the village church I attended. As I walked through the road that leads to the mango tree where we (school children) used to play, striking memories ensued my thought and it quickly occurs to me how time flies.
RCM primary school, Yabo is the only academic learning centre located in Mbagba Council ward of Mbasombo District, in Gwer-East Local Government Area of Benue State. The school was established over 40 years ago by the Roman Catholic Mission (RCM) as part of the strategy to spread the gospel as well as educate the followers of the Christian religion, which were majorly the local populace in the area. Due to frequent change in educational policies in Benue state, the school was latter taken-over by Gwer-East Local Government Authority as directed by the state government. This was in the 1980s and since then, the primary school remained an enduring academic centre in the training of pupils for the near-by secondary schools.
I remember most of the faces of my mates in class three even though I could not remember their names in full. In primary three, we weren’t much and there were people I remembered vividly, not because we were in the same class but because they were excessively outstanding in the class. There was this particular lady (girl) called Mfanyi Tsegba who came from a different school and joined us in class three. Her normal position in class was First (1st) till the time we parted ways after primary six. Other people I also remember are Terver Mba’akaa, Aondongu Ugba, Terhemen Kyura-an, and Cormfort Adie.
The name of our Headmaster, then, was Mr. Patrick Aduku Iordye. He was an indigene of the community and knows every body’s father as well as mother. Sometimes he could even tell you when your got marred in the village and the event that took place during your birth. All these were somehow meant to impress you but mostly to show that there is nothing about you that he does not know. He had a unique way of handling pupils that made him the most fearsome figure in the school. His usual way of punishing pupils was “Va mwua u kyua”. This involves hurting of cheeks in a manner that no pupil will want to experience it twice. For those that have not experienced the headmaster’s punishment, they always pray never to come across it. On the other hand, the headmaster was an intelligent teacher who teaches almost all subjects. However most pupils, with me inclusive, only passed his exams or tests for fear of being exposed to ‘hurt-cheeks’ punishment’.
In primary six, I was given the Health prefect. The role of this position by design is to look after the cleanliness of the school compound, ensure that pupils dress neat (tuck-in with clean uniform), wear sandals instead of bathroom sleepers, as well as test any food prepared to be sold to pupils in the school. Among all these, testing of food like Moi-Moi, (boiled dough) Akara, (beans cake) Alum and Mango (orange and mango fruits), before allowing pupils to buy was my best. The reason is obvious. Hunger was a common enemy for all pupils. Yet on a few pupils could pick yam with them. The yam would be roasted during break time in particular house which was nearer to the school than the neighboring houses. Getting food to eat in the school before closing time which was 1:30 pm was a case. In this circumstance, one can understand why testing food was my best or favorite duty as a Health prefect. The primary school has just one Well (Bore hole) of about twenty eight feet deep which every pupil drink from. The water was obviously dirty but fairly ‘translucent’ which make pupils count on its goodness.
Until the time I left the primary school, the Mbagba community was responsible for the building of class rooms, or huts which were basic shield under which pupils sit and learn. Black boards, chalks and English and Mathematics text books were usually provided by the local government authority. In every week, there was a particular day tagged “Labour” which all the pupils would come out to work. Matured pupils would be sent to work in farms of teachers, while immature pupils mostly in primary one, two and three would be asked to clean the school compound. No pupil likes labour day yet all must come to school and partake in the labour for fear of being punished the next day.
Structure wise, the primary school has not changed. However, there is consequent depreciation in the population of the pupils attending the school as new private schools have emerged in the neighboring towns. At the moment, only few pupils attend the school as many parents take their children to better schools in the neighboring towns like Ikpa-yongo, Apir, Aliade or even Makurdi which is the state capital.
One thing about the primary school which still makes it stands out is that, RCM primary school, Yabo has remained one and only school in Mbagba-Mbasombo, which has trained and will continue to train future resource individuals/leaders. Any child who grow-up in Mbagba must pass through the school academically to his designed future. One day, one of its old students shall remember to put it in shape.
*** Art in Disguise ***
