COBA
UK is an acronym for Christ The King College Old Boys’
Association, which was coined in 1982 by a group of ex-pupils
of Christ the King College who were resident in the United Kingdom,
hence the adjunct UK to the acronym COBA.
The idea of the UK branch of the Ex-pupils’
Association of Christ The King College was conceived during
a visit in 1979 to Sierra Leone. It was around the time of the
Silver Jubilee of the founding of the school, and preparations
were being made for the celebrations. A guest of honour was
also expected for the occasion in the person of the first principal
of the school, Rev. Fr Corbett, who was returning from Dublin
where he had retired.
The Ex-pupils were jubilant at the idea of
seeing him after so many years as he was looked upon as the
God Father of the school who nurtured it from cradle after its
establishment in 1953 at the St Francis Mission School site
in Bo, Sierra Leone. As the first principal, he had put the
school on a good footing in the country and many of the first
pupils were of high standing in the administration of the country
and some held senior positions in service in the country, including
engineering, lecturers and medical doctors.He was a big guest
coming back to the school he had established 25 years ago in
the rural area of Sierra Leone.
It is important to note here the work this
man had put into building an educational institution which was
meant to cater for the poorer population of the rural area of
the country, in contrast to the older established Bo Govt School,
which was built for the sons of Paramount Chiefs and ruling
heads of clans in the Provinces of Sierra Leone.
CKC was established as a sister school to St Edwards Secondary
School in Freetown, as a Catholic Mission educational establishment
to mirror the ethos and performances of the older Mission school
away in the Provincial Headquarter- Bo, in contrast to the Bo
Govt School, which was not a designated religious educational
establishment.
The school when founded had many facilities
which do not exist today in any educational establishment in
Sierra Leone such as:
1. Modern laboratory for teaching the sciences which was more
equipped for secondary education, including biological specimens
and botanical garden.
2. Fully stocked library with all sorts of books, from novels,
comics and textbooks to reference books for research purposes
in education.
3. Sports equipment for cricket, lawn tennis, gymnastics, football,
table tennis, volleyball, and athletics.
4. The school supplied free text books, exercise books and writing
materials to every pupil on demand from the school bookshop
which was located between the Principal’s office and the
library.
This level of equipment and preparedness
of the school coupled with abled teaching staff helped to push
CKC far ahead of peer secondary schools in Sierra Leone.
By 1979, economic conditions in the country were changing. The
political system had changed from modern democracy to a One
Party State under Siaka Stevens. Things were going downhill,
both economically and in education. Numbers in classes were
going up from 25/30 to over 50, books were in demand in schools
but not available even to buy. There was no longer the sort
of facilities which some of us enjoyed in our days in the school.
That is what prompted the formation of the UK branch of CKC
Ex-pupils’ Association, as it was then called.
Upon my return to London in 1980, I contacted few ex-pupils
that I knew in the UK in order to galvanise ideas to establish
an ‘Old Boys’ Association’, but it was a daunting
task. I had time on my hands since I was unemployed. The other
few people I knew were either very busy at work or had very
busy schedules.
Discussions with Ambrose Ganda who had similar passion and views
like me led to the formation of the group with several difficulties
to overcome.He was extremely busy in full time employment, and
was also producing a Sierra Leone-focused News Bulleting, SLAM
which preceded the “Focus On Sierra Leone” in the
UK, which analysed critically the operations of the One Party
System in Sierra Leone, almost as the voice of the opposition.
We worked on ways to fertilise the idea of the Alumni branch
formation while looking for other ex-pupils to join in the venture.
We met outside his office at St Catherine’s House, Holborn
after office hours and will proceed to the lobby of Great Queen
Street hotel on Great Queen Street, Convent Garden to discuss
plans on the way forward.
By 1982, our number increased from two to five,
so we explored holding meetings on Saturdays in my flat in Hackney.
By 1983, Thames Television was promoting ethnic group organisations
and we got a slot where I appeared with Ambrose to appeal to
former teachers and ex-pupils of CKC to join us to further our
project plans for an Alumni Organisation branch in the UK.
In 1983, we launched the organisation in Camberwell supported
by One World Linking Initiative (OWLI) based in Leamington Spa,
represented by Jane Knight, who was their Co-ordinator and a
former teacher Norman White who got in touch after the Thames
TV programme.Norman White was VSOpersonnel, taught English language
and History in the school. Hewas my teacher for both subjects
in 1965 when I was in Form III. We also had amongst us Lawrence
Kamara, who had just completed his PhD at London University
that year.
The first launch of COBA UK had six members, namely: Ambrose
Ganda who became first Chairman of COBA UK, Anthony Sheriff
- General Secretary,Ken Kowa- Publicity Secretary and Thomas
Legg– Treasurer, Patrick AnsuKaikai, and Edward Alie.
These posts were held until 1988 when elections ushered in(late)
Francis Wilson as Chairman, but the executive did not function
as Francis Wilson left for Saint Kitts in the Caribbean.
COBA UK became a Phoenix which would rise from
its ashes. Like any organisation, issues gave rise to challenges
within the organisation and at times tempers boil over and people
walk away, attendance at meetings drop to zero, but we were
able to revive COBA UK on three occasions through the efforts
of few members who formed the core of the organisation in 1991,
namely:
Ambrose Ganda – retired from the Executive but remained
actively involved.
Anthony Sheriff- Chairman in the wake of the 1991 revival
Augustine Alpha – Ex-Officio and signatory to COBA UK
account
Augustine Fofana – Organising Secretary
Kebbe Kouroma – Treasurer COBA UK
Columba Blango – Ex-Officio
Matthew Sesay – General Secretary and signatory to COBA
UK account
Ambrose Ganda took leave of all executive functions
of COBA UK in 1989 because he was pursuing other matters that
needed closer attention and time to be devoted, but he shadowed
us to direct and help with fundraising activities. Unfortunately,
Ambrose died on 10th April 2003 after contracting meningitis.
The last revival of our Phoenix happened in the home of (late)DaudaLumeh
in 1991, when the membership remarkably grew and has remained
buoyant until now. DaudaLumeh relocated to Sierra Leone in the
mid-1990s and unfortunately succumbed to the CoVid virus in
2021 - may his soul rest in perfect peace.
In 1991, COBA UK was officially launched as
a registered Charity in the UK with Charity registration number
1083860, with the main objective to facilitate conditions in
the school that are conducive to learning. COBA raised sufficient
funds to purchase 10 computers and a printer for establishment
of an ICT classroom in the school, but the lack of quality electricity
supply forced the use of generators to power the computers but
the voltage surges damage the power supplies of the machines.
COBA UK established a means tested grant scheme in the school
to help alleviate economic hardship which most pupils were experiencing.
The grants covered different categories from books, tuition
and boarding home fees.
Grant money was raised from a Micro Credit facility
which the executive operated to raise sufficient funds to meet
our grant needs. The interest gained from the Micro Credit scheme
was used to augment donations, particularly from Ms KenyehKarimu
who championed our grant project.
In 1994 COBA UK launched a project to feed the
crocodile because schools were suspended during the rebel war
years and it dawned on the membership that the animal would
starve to death. The Association planned to build a pen with
an aquarium extension for the animal, but it was never to happen
before the animal died in 2020.
In 1996, an appeal was launched to fund sports
equipment and kits for the school. Kits and equipment such as
Lawn tennis and volleyball nets, a weather proof Table Tennis
table and bats were acquired and shipped to the school. An appeal
to refurbish the tennis courts was also launched and the Association
received a donation from Sal Bolton towards the refurbishment,
which has yet to be done because the amount required for the
refurbishment is slightly high, so we need to raise more money
for this project.
COBA UK agreed to contribute to the world wide
COBA fund to build extra classroom in order to relieve the two-shift
school day in the school and in 2016, COBA donated £7,000.00
to the parent body in Sierra Leone towards that project, which
unfortunately has been poorly delivered below expectations.
The CoVid – 19 pandemic has not been sympathetic
to COBA UK as we have lost members of families of the Association,
for whose souls we ask God to grant perpetual rest, Amen.