Tamale, Aug. 29, GNA - Hundreds of past students of secondary schools in the Tamale metropolis over the weekend, thronged the Tamale Kaladan Park to re-unite and meet old school mates in the first ever school re-union organised by Diamond FM, a Tamale based FM radio station. The event dubbed "Diamond FM Old School Re-union," was seen by many before the actual day as the biggest entertainment show ever to hit the Tamale metropolis in view of the immense publicity it enjoyed on the airwaves and the preparations that preceded it.

Conversely, the euphoria that heralded the preparations did not really correspond to the expected crowd at the stadium, as most people who went to have fun and make merry came in trickles.

But the few hundreds that patronized the re-union defied the ill patronised event and electrified the place with "jama" songs and danced to Sidney's "Obiaa Nye Obiaa and Nkasei's Yefri Tuobodom.

As Northern schools like; Tamale Secondary, Ghana Secondary, Vitting Secondary, Islamic Secondary, Kalpohin Secondary and St. Charles Secondary competed keenly among themselves in various sporting disciplines, the event picked up and the crowd grew thicker.

The event that drew a lot of laughter and fun was the much-publicized gari-soaking competition, which saw representatives of schools in their late twenties and early thirties try to reminisce soakings, the most popular student meal in boarding houses.

In an interview with the Ghana News Agency, Mr Sammy Ed-Gar, a 60-year-old man, who had come to meet old school mates and to take photographs of them said he was not so much impressed with the turn out. He said he was expecting a larger crowd, where the old men and women would be telling the young folks stories about their experiences of school life.

Mr Ed-Gar noted that, it was because of the 5000 cedis charged at the gates, which prevented a lot more people from taking part, saying, it should have been be free.

Mr Habib Fuseini Issifu, a newly trained teacher expressed the opinion that in future events, the organizers should liaise with leaders of the various old student associations to come out with an improved re-union programme.

Mr Issifu said he did not here of the announcement on air because school had vacated and he was on the farm, adding, the event should have taken place when university students were at home.

Mr Mohammed Amin Adam, Deputy Regional Minister, who participated, however, expressed joy and contentment about the programme and commended the management and staff of Diamond FM for putting up the show. He said it had always been difficult to bring even 100 people together for a show like this in Tamale and was hopeful that the re-union will serve as one of the measures to bring lasting peace in the region. The deputy Minister appealed to the station to organize similar social events for others, who have not been to school. Mr Adam also advised the old boys and girls to contribute to their Alma mater to help build libraries for most of the schools that were without the facility.

He appealed to individuals, who have books lying idle in their rooms to donate them to such needy schools. The General Manager of Diamond FM, Mr Edward Ameyibor described the event as a success on the heels of other social events like unity football matches organised for butchers and taxi drivers and donations to the three orphanages in Tamale.

He said it was refreshing to see old school mates compete on the football field and was optimistic that the old students would go back to their former schools to help improve on the poor infrastructure and over-crowding in most dormitories. The General Manager said the event did not attract a lot of people partly because it was being organised for the first time. 29 Aug. 05