Federal Government College Wukari was opened as a co-educational institution on Friday, 27th October 1978. During the first year of the college,there were 81 students: 64 boys, 17 girls, and three permanent teaching staff including the principal.
The students are drawn from all the states of the federation.
The college started operations at the temporary site along Wukari- Zaki Biam road. The temp site was vacated by a road construction firm, Stirling Astaldi.
In October 1980, the students started making partial use of the permanent site until completion.At present, the permanent site is of the school is along, Wukari-Jalingo-Yola road.
OBJECTIVES
Federal Government College Wukari is one of the “Unity schools” located in various states of the federation. The motto of the college is “PRO UNITATE” (For unity).The aims and objectives of the college include:
- Promote Nigerian unity by bringing together children of different ethnic groups to live and study together.
- Promote excellence in academic work, conduct and in the field of sports.
- Provide broad based education to enable each individual develop his or her potential to the fullest.
HOUSE ORGANISIATION
Students are admitted either as borders(those who live in the school hostels) or as day students(outside the school).
The school operates a House system. Currently there are four houses to which all students belong irrespective of weather they are day students or boarders.The houses includes :
- Federal house, named after the federal nature of Nigeria.
- School house, named after FGC wukari
- Independence house, named after the country’s independence.
- Republic house, named after the republican status of Nigeria
On Admission,each student is allocated to a house and remains in that house for his/her entire stay in the school.(Usually 6 yrs)
Each house has a house captain and assistant(student reps), these officers makes sure that the day to day affairs of the house is carried out smoothly. Each house is supervised directly by a house master(staff) who reports to the senior boarding house master(staff), who reports to the principal(school head) on activities of the students.
Due to the fact that the school is co-educational(boys and girls), there is an additional boarding house mistress who directly supervises the girls’ hostel. There is also a Matron who looks after the welfare of the entire girls.
WUKARI AND ITS PEOPLE
Wukari is the headquarters of wukari local government located in the south western corner of Taraba state middle belt Nigeria.
It is situated south of river Benue. The town is fairly big and has basic facilities like pipe borne water, post office, divisional police station, divisional library, a cinema house etc.
Road links to wukari are good and tarred, wukari is about 170 km from makurdi via kastina –ala.
From the north it can be approached by road or rail to markudi- yandev – kastina ala or through Abakaliki – ogoja – Adikpo – Kastina –Ala.
From the south east it can be approached from Calabar – Ikom – Ogoja – Adipo – Kastina – Ala.
From the North it can be approached by road or rail to markudi and then to Wukari, or through Jos – Ibi – Wukari.There is a ferry service across River Benue at Ibi.
From the North East it can be approached by road through Jalingo, the state capital.
Regular buses and taxi services are available at the following places:
Markudi – Gboko, Gboko – Kastina Ala, Kastina Ala – Wukari,
Makurdi – Kastina Ala – Wukari
Makurdi – Kwantan sule – Wukari
Jos – Shendam junction (yelwa) – Ibi – Wukari,
Onitsha – Wukari,
Enugu – Abakiliki – Ogoja- kastina ala – wukari,
Calabar – Ikom – Ogoja – Kastina Ala – Wukari.
Yola – Jalingo – Wukari.
Railway services from Northern and Southern parts of the country are available up to Makurdi, the nearest Railway station.
Nigeria Airways operates flights from Lagos – Makurdi and return once each day. There are also occasional flights to and from Kano, Kaduna, Enugu, Port Harcourt and Jos through Makurdi.
There is a number of historical monuments in the town. These include the tomb of the exiled Sultan of Sokoto, Ahmadu Tambari located west of Wukari town, a Traditional Crocodile pond known as ‘ Marmara “ and a place known as “ Puje “, Aku Uka of Wukari’s ritual home.
The main tribe of the town is Jukun . The Jukun people are know for the popular “AKESHE” dance which reflects the cultural pattern of the ethnic group.
The biggest cites around the town are Jos, Makurdi and Yola.
It has a tropical climate marked by the dry and rainy season. The rainy season begins as from early March and ends middle of the November. The wettest months are August and September. The average rainfall in the area is 1050 mm as compared to 759 mm around northern parts of the state.
The dry season commences from middle of November and ends early march. This period is dry. The wukari town is not much affected by harmattan. The temperature varies from approximately 170 c to 370 c.
Because of the general “ Hausa “culture pervalent in the vast Northern parts of the country, dress patterns in these areas are usually the same. Emirs and Chiefs normally wear an “ALKYABB “over heavily embroiled gowns and native trousers with a turban around the head. The Aku Uka of Wukari is how ever an exception. He wears hand woven Jukun regalia (Hypo) always featuring Red, Black and White patterns of Scorpions, birds and crocodiles.
Some elderly men in wukari wear Lion cloths around the waist with pigtails.
In wukari division one of the important festivals is the Ibi Fishing festival held once a year and attracts a lot of people within and out side the state.