Goron Dutse

The Customs Training College, Goron Dutse Kano, is the pioneer Customs training institution of Nigeria with history spanning over fifty years. It is a serene environment conducive for rugged paramilitary regimentation and excellent academic and weapon instruction. Recruits often fear to be listed there for their basic training. ‘Whoever goes through Goron Dutse and passes’, they would aver, ‘could as well have served in Waterloo and excel’. Goron Dutse is however an environment misunderstood.

How ‘expansively desolate’ it appears,

‘A malignant nemesis’

‘No wonder’ says the pessimist,

‘It is sandwiched between the PRISON and the CEMETERY’

Believe not these deceitful impressions,

Go deep, explore the expressions,

Underlying this great institution,

They are of sublime and noble constitution,

‘Tedious’ has been the path to knowledge,

Moulder of recruits of diversed backgrounds,

GORON DUTSE is the incubator,

Hatcher of golden eggs for the Service.

A citadel at the heart of the city,

Of Kano, the centre of Commerce,

Where the DALA is placed,

Strategically equal with GORON DUTSE.

Did I hear ‘Left! Right!! and Centre!!!’?

On the field for the Drills and Postures?

Or, in the class, ‘Detention and Seizures’?

THREE HEARTY CHEERS for the School and its Masters.

Little do we collectively think over,

That we, most certainly, shall ponder,

Reminisce hence, over and over,

On the college, its recruits and wonder.

We may, one day, speak nostalgically,

Recapitulate its pure memory,

And announce it honest admiration,

That the best that happened to us was GORON DUTSE.

Responsibility

To build a prosperous nation requires the contribution of all, the role played by individuals not less important. Do not therefore under estimate the importance of what you can contribute to make your nation great. For:

‘You are entrusted with responsibility

To be a public servant or a nobility,

To provide service for the community,

Only the reasonable shoulder responsibility.

Will you discharge to the best of your ability?

What society feels is part of your capability,

And strive to attain a position of accountability,

Or would you rather choose to be a societal liability?

This nation depends entirely on your productivity,

Aspire to be bad and ravel in un-productivity,

And the nation will weep at your insensitivity.

Would you wish for children to be left in captivity?

Of ignorance and disease or perhaps in abject poverty?

Would you rather our elderly die in ignobility?

Or our enterprises exposed to un-profitability?

For your malignant laziness and short-sighted mentality,

To build a nation is to cherish its historicity,

Appreciate its worth and aspire for credibility,

Improve its lot and provide for maximum capacity,

For its men and women to contribute to the best of their ability

To making their society great with strong Nationality.