A Message From Your Treasurer

Dear QCOGA (UK) Members

My name is Ozu Okere (Ozuruonye to my 1980 set) and I am the QCOGA (UK) treasurer just reaching out to you in my drive to collect subscriptions for 2015 and for the future.

We have tried different tactics over the years in trying to collect the annual subscriptions and I have to say it has not been very successful.  The fees are £50 for the whole year (less than £5 a month) for those in full time employment and £25 for retired members and those not in employment.  If £50 is too much for you why don’t you set up a monthly direct debit for £4.50 a month immediately after pay day – you won’t even notice the money coming out of your account.  Also bear in mind that you can always speak to me in confidence if you unable to pay but will be willing to make a contribution that suits your circumstances.  We don’t name and shame people honestly!!!

Sadly, only a handful of people, and usually the same people, pay their subscriptions each year.  The problem with this is that we are not able to develop as an association and offer you benefits such as resources or speaking events or support any causes which are close to your heart, but more importantly we are not in a position to support our alma mater in any significant way.  Bearing in mind that, outside of the US, we have the highest concentration of old girls we need our coffers to reflect our numbers.

I guess the question I suppose you would like answered is what your subscription is used for.

In accordance with our constitution

The objective of the Association is

a) To keep alive amongst old girls of Queen's College interest in the welfare of the school.

b) To promote the ethical and social activities amongst its members.

c) To support the school in every possible way.


In the past our most substantial influx of funds came from the dinner dances that we hosted and we raised a significant amount of money which we were able to use to buy much needed computers for the school in Lagos.  But the last dinner dance we held was in 2004

We were also in a position to subsidise QCOGA UK merchandise such as t-shirts, badges etc. as well as days out e.g. the trip to Chessington World of Adventures stands out, and we would love to continue to do this but we cannot afford to subsidise these items/events.

Going forward another example is the annual summer picnic which has just taken place.  This is one event which ideally we would like to subsidise or even host for free as a thank you for all your support over the year and for your families and friends to attend.  However, the reality is that due to the limited purse strings we are unable to do so,  which is why we ask for a contribution of £10 per family and still have to sell raffle tickets to raise funds.  The picnic is always fun and this year was no exception, but we only raised £114 because of the small number of people who attended.  There is also the added pressure on the few members who have to contribute both monetarily and in terms of refreshments and prizes for the raffle etc.

Finally, there is also the annual Nigerian Schools Sports & Family Fun Day (NSSFF) event which takes place on the last Saturday in August. At our last meeting in June it was agreed that as an association we should formally join as most of our peer secondary schools are members. This incurs an annual subscription of £200.  We cannot afford to pay for this from the coffers so we will need to ask you for a contribution from everyone to meet the cost for this year.  Of course the more people that pay the less each person has to contribute individually. We need to look at a viable way of participating in this event, as it will bring numerous benefits not only to our association  but it also promotes jobs and lectures/events specifically targeted for us in the diaspora – please visit www.nssff.co.uk/ for further information. It goes without saying that we need your attendance at the event as well.

We now need to step up to the plate.  Currently, the Nigerian branch have asked that we in the UK contribute to buying mentoring books which the teachers can use and will be made available to them in the office of the Nigerian branch which is located in the school.  We have committed to do this, and will be hoping for suggestions of how we best go about this, not just in terms of monetary contributions but how we can co-ordinate our efforts to be able to deliver on these much needed books. In the grand scheme of things this is not onerous but again with only about £2,000 in the account we have to be careful how this money is spent and ideally we would like creative ideas from you on how this can be achieved without running the account down.  For those of you who have seen the latest edition of the magazine produced by the Nigerian branch, you will see a list of the various donations made by various groups for the rebuilding of the school but the UK branch is not on this list which is a sad state of affairs considering the number of us in the UK.

This is why I would ask that as many of you as possible support the Association either through payment of your subscriptions, attending meetings (only 4 in any calendar year), attending organised official events or just even giving suggestions and acknowledging receipt of emails.  Only by working together can we achieve anything.

In reality this association is for all QCOGs, and it will only work if we all work together to make it a success. We all have busy lives so you are not expected to attend every meeting/events but you can still support the main UK body.  Holding your individual set meetings is absolutely fantastic but we also need to support the main UK body so we can in turn support the Parent Body in Nigeria.   Ladies, we are asking you for your hard earned cash, you must surely have an idea of what you would like us to do with that, please tell us, email, call us, send us a message on Facebook or how so ever you please, but just tell us. Contact details are below.

President  - Nike Akiti (1980 set – 07956 2044454)
Secretary – Tosin Otubanjo (1980 set – 07931 518694)
Social Secretary – Taiye Sanwo (1984 set – 07871 846749)
Treasurer – Ozu Okere (1980 set – 07736 418467)


After this long begging letter please send your subscriptions either to me by making your cheque payable to QCOGA (UK) (Ozu Okere – 60 Fanshawe Crescent, Dagenham RM9 5ES) or to the president (Nike Akiti (nee Davies – 90 High Beech, Luton LU3 3DD) or pay directly into the account Barclays Bank, Account No: 60037265; Sort Code: 20-67-88 and enter as reference your name with subs written beside it.

I will send out a regular reminder notice so you won’t be getting rid of me that easily.

Finally, I would just like to say that QC played a significant role in forming who we are as women today and it is now time for us all to give back.  This is certainly one of the ways you can do this.

Kind regards



Ozu Okere
(Treasurer)

It Is with a sad heart

It is with a sad heart, that I bring you the news that our QCOGA Member, Moyeni Odunlami passed away on Friday 27th March 2015 after a long battle with illness. 

Before her illness Moyeni was a very active member of this association, she was born in 1969 and attended Queen's College between 1980 and 1985.
Please remember her and her family in your prayers. I will be sending out Funeral detail when they become available.

If you would like to make a donation, that we can give to the family, please email mail@qcoga.org for details of how do to do this. 

Meeting: 28th September 2013 - Luton UK

28/09/2013

After all this time how do you see your old school mates or indeed anyone who went to the same school as you? I would like to say that this was business as usual for QCOGA (UK) but this was the first meeting in absolutely ages, but the screeches and yelps and the desire to hug was all there as loud as ever. To be honest, this was one of the best meetings we have had. Its always great fun when the QC girls get together, but to have so many ladies come to the meeting that I had not met before was so exciting, that before it even started I felt it was a success.

One of the key themes running through the meeting was the desire by all present  to improve the attendance and participation in the association, we know there are lots of OGQCs living and working in the UK, and its interesting that many of them do not know about this association, we had two attendees who live in Nigeria and another who heard about the meeting from someone in Nigeria. So if you are QC girl reading this, please pass it on to other QC girls that you many know, please ask them to register so that we can keep in touch. One of the actions that I took was to look into the possibility for teleconferencing as it is believed that this would improve participation. I am no enemy of progress, but a bit of me worries that we may lose some of the sociability of the association by doing this.

The great thing I personally enjoy  about these meetings are the numerous trips down memory lane, who can remember this teacher, who remembers senior so and so: well one such trip had us singing an old a familiar song that goes something like this:

Can a picture talk oh no

Can a picture walk oh no

Can a picture do what your love has done for me  ha ha how funny is that? Or even funnier is a group of women in their mid 40s singing at the top of their voices in a 16x 18 foot room!

One of the other things we tried to ascertain at this meeting is what you want from the association. These are things that we need to know about  or that we can improve  and make sure that there is a mantle to pass on. Please be sure to email us using the contact form, or directly to qcoga@yahoo.com.

A particular resolution was made, and this was to endeavour to ensure that our subs are paid regularly. They were increased to £50 and for pensioners or unemployed members remained at £20.  Pls click here, for details of how to pay your subs. 

if you want to see more pictures from this meeting Click here
To see the minutes from this meeting Click here

Nike Akiti 

(Morenike Davies, 1980 set!)

KCOBA Dinner Dance 20th July 2013

QCOGA Girls at the Dance!

Ladies I have to tell you about this event, The King’s College Old Boy’s Association Inaugural Dinner Dance that I attended.  It was indeed a very well attended event, with it appears nearly 250 attendees and it was so nice to see them in all of their finery. and what finery it was.  

The point I wanted to make was that after having been shocked when my presence as the President of the QCOGA (UK) branch  was acknowledged, the shock pretty soon gave way to humility and if I am honest with you my fellow QCOGs   felt more then a little red faced! I felt acutely aware of the inactivity of QCOGA ( UK) of recent times, of which I must shoulder the Lion’s share of the blame, not to detract from the good work of the individual sets, but clearly I have to look at the wider picture on alumni of an illustrious school such as ours. 

I have to say that listening to them sing their school song, with so much gusto I was quite in awe, and they all knew all the words to all the verses! It really is a fabulous song, befitting, but I was particularly stirred by verse 3 that went as follows

‘Present, past and future form one mighty whole

Shining forth emblazoned on the muster roll

When the call is sounded all must answer “here”

Voice and bearing showing neither shame nor fear

Pointing to our honour which stands bright

As when we took it from our founder’s hands’

It’s there, in the ‘from one mighty whole’ the idea of unity standing and working together, it’s almost a lion’s call. At least that is what i was hearing, the display of comradeship amongst the men who were but boys in KC was incredible, the hailing of each other, the old school rituals all there, present, ticked and marked off.  I feel that its pertinent that we sing 

‘Pass on the Torch, still brightly gleaming, ....’ in our school song, another call to arms, pass on to the next generation, a similar pretext all very stirring. 

It was interesting to hear of  the challenges  faced by the alunmni of King’s College, the broken kitchens, the over crowding, the annexes, falling standards and so on and so forth.   How similar they are to ours! Having attended this event, I am feeling extremely invigorated and a quite a bit nostalgic, remember our dinner dances and all that went into planning and executing them in trying to raise funds for our alma mater! So now I am heeding a call and i am extending that call you my fellow QCOGs.

I have to say that I was surprised at how many ladies went up to have their picture taken as being part of Queen’s College- knock me for six call me a snob, but i do believe that that Queen’s college, Yaba is the Queen’s College and our only true affiliation is with Queen’s school Ibadan! Please do correct me if I’m wrong, but i do find it rather irksome that others like to ride off the back.

Then there is the issue of the standard of the school in present times, I have had people tell me, that we are feeding off our past history and that we are not that good, which in effect may be true, but people need to understand that history cannot be re-written, we learn from it, we improve on it but re-write it? Thats not possible. we do however have an opportunity to be part of those that chose to learn from history and work to secure a better future for our alma mater.

RIP- Mrs BIsi Abe

It is with sadness that we announce the passing of Mrs Bisi Abe.  Mrs Abe was a former QC girl. We wish her family sympathy in this sorrowful moment. May God bless them.

On behalf of QCOGA (UK) We wish her family  God's Grace and strength to comfort them in this time of loss.

Dear all   You probably have heard about the above event. www.nssff.co.uk           In line with the theme and spirit of the Olympic year a group of schools have got together and are hosting their own mini Olympics. The events on the day  include team/individual competitive events. In addition to athletics and fun day events , there will also be music/picnic/food/ BBQ and  a Marquee with stalls for exhibitors. The  team events will have competitive and valuable prizes for the schools.   Though not actively involved in the planning process so far, we have agreed to participate on the day.     Current list of participants can be found here:     http://www.nssff.co.uk/nsf/registered-participants     FAQs   1)      One off Collaboration of Organisations for 2012 2)      Collaborating organization must have a link with a Nigerian school (product of Nigerian school). 3)      Collaborating activities must be non-political 4)      Non commercial/Non profit making activity 5)      A token amount of £100 contribution per participating group to cover costs and for unlimited number of attendees 6)      Representatives of schools on the day can be anyone (kids, adults even Usain Bolt). It will be competitive and fun     The planning committee sends out detail periodical updates to all schools. They have indicated that they require support and assistance in the following  areas:     +Donation in Cash or kind +Corporate Stall hire on the day (£500)- 500 mixed age groups will be attending (target group for businesses) +Advert placements-the Advert rates are:- - Inside Front/ Inside Back/ Back cover: £200.00 - Full page: £100.00 - Half page: £ 60.00 - Quarter page: £40.00    

More News Posted on Facebook by an OGQC

It is with heavy hearts that I on behalf of OGQC81 SET announce the passing of the following OG's and their family members on the ill-fated DANA MD83 crash : HADIZA OTEGBEYE (nee THOMPSON) - 1984 set MAIMUNA ANYENE (nee MIJINDADI) - 1996 set. She died with her husband, 3 kids and mother and she was pregnant. AYOOLA SHOMOLU - 1998 set DUNNI DOHERTY - 2000 set Relatives: EHIME AIKHOMU - Husband of Titi Oladitan - 1984 set. AMAKA OJUGBANA - Sister of Ebele Mgbor (nee Awani) 1998 set IJEOMA ONYIUKE - Sister of Chika Ikemobih (nee Onyiuke) 1982 set MARIA OKWULEHIE - Mother of Chinemerem Okwulehie 2000 set May the Almighty God grant those loved ones left behind to mourn the fortitude to bear this tragic loss. God bless us all and God bless Nigeria.