Senator Jack Gyado, Second Republic Senator from the famous Tilley-Gyado family in Benue State, and proprietor of Tilley Gyado College Makurdi (TGCM), has explained his father, the late Jerome Tilley-Gyado, established the school to educate and empower the less privileged members of the society.
One of the earliest businessmen in northern Nigeria, Chief Jerome Tilley- Gyado died in 2006 at the age of 91, following a protracted illness diagnosed to be cancer.
Chief Tilley- Gyado was, before his death, a successful businessman who was into road construction and was responsible for building many federal government schools including army barracks in the country.
Senator Gyado, who spoke yesterday – Saturday, December 28, during the 50th anniversary of the college in Makurdi, vowed to revive the college to fulfil his father’s wish.
He said his father, the late Jerome Tilley Gyado, established the school in 1974 to actualise his love for education, especially of the and the less privileged in society.
The Second Republic Senator described his late father as a detribalised Nigerian who loved everyone without asking where they came from, adding that that was why he decided to site the school in Makurdi.
He thanked the community leaders for the enduring peace around the school and assured them that the school would get more than passive attention in 2025.
“We are going to turn this school into one of the best institutions in the State.
“Our father’s greatest legacy is in education, and we must not allow his vision to go down.
“It is a shame that the school has produced great people in different areas of human endeavours and the school is in such a state.
“I will work with the alumni and ensure the school is renovated as a way of giving back to where you benefitted,” he said.
Earlier, Chairman of Occasion, Mr Edward Ivambe, expressed concern over the deplorable state of the college that made the alumni what they have become in their chosen careers.
Ivambe, who is a quantity surveyor, urged the old students to collaborate with the school’s management to revive and keep the vision of the founder alive.
The chairman further urged the guests and old students to donate generously for the e-library and modern science laboratory.
Prof. Alexander Adi, the 50th Anniversary Guest Speaker, said that the school was born out of a deep commitment to addressing an immediate need.
Adi, a lecturer at the Federal University Dustima, Katsina State, spoke on the “Role of Private Schools in Community Development, Lessons from 50 Years Ago.”
He said TGCM provided a lifeline for young minds that were displaced by the closure of the illegal Commercial College Wadata by the then Benue-Plateau.
“The college provided more than an alternative to public school; it served as a catalyst for change and development.
“It broke the cycle of poverty through the promotion of social mobility and fostering community engagement and leadership,” he stated.
Mr Godwill Koko, Chairman, Central Planning Committee, said TGCM over time positively influenced the economic, academic, religious, and socio-political spheres of Nigeria and the globe at large.
Koko said that the spirit behind the anniversary was to unionise and concretise the spirit of togetherness as well as provide an avenue to celebrate 50 years of excellence in education, honour the past, and inspire the future.
Dr Emmanuel Zakaa, Principal, TGCM, listed the challenges of the institution to include poor infrastructure, absence of an e-library, and modern laboratories, among others. (NAN).
