09/04/2026
AN IDENTITY WE MUST HONOR
By: Muhammad Saleh Katam
As someone who genuinely cares about the GSU Alumni community, I feel it’s important to speak on the recent conversation around Gombe State University Alumni Association subscription and the narrative being pushed publicly by our brother Ahmad Usman, a fresh graduate of the institution.
Let me begin with clarity that the right to freedom of association, as provided under Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, guarantees that no individual can be compelled to join any group against their will. This principle is fundamental and must always be respected. However, rights must never be interpreted in isolation from responsibility.
The GSU Alumni Association is not just another box to tick after graduation, but a bridge that connects generations of graduates together. It is a platform through which we give back, support the university, and preserve the value of the certificate we all proudly hold.
Some may view the alumni subscription as a burden, but in reality, it is a symbol and a small yet meaningful commitment to a shared legacy. Becoming an alumnus is not optional, it is an identity earned by passing through the institution. What remains optional is whether we choose to honor that identity.
For years, alumni subscriptions have been part of the post-graduation activities, a convention rooted in continuity, responsibility, and belonging. It reflects a system built on shared contribution, not enforced compliance. The decision of the institution to exercise discretion in a particular case should not be mistaken for a rejection of this collective value.
It is therefore deeply concerning when such discretion is portrayed as a social media victory. A victory over what? Over a system that nurtured us? Over a structure designed to sustain our collective future?
To those who see Ahmad Usman as a hero who has won, let it be clearly stated that true advocacy is not measured by how often one opposes a system, but by how effectively one contributes to its growth. There is a clear difference between seeking change and seeking attention.
For several times, I have followed Incidences where Ahmad has been engaging in advocacy for accountability on social issues from relevant government authorities which I admire. Of course, using legal knowledge and engaging institutions shows awareness, but awareness must be matched with wisdom. When every action is turned into a public win, and formal institutional processes are reduced to social media victories, the real purpose of the advocacy is lost.
True activists are not those who constantly position themselves against systems, but those who understand when to challenge, when to collaborate, and when to contribute quietly for the greater good. No one becomes a giant overnight. Every strong voice was once guided, corrected, and refined. Growth is a process, not a performance.
The GSU Alumni Association remains open, inclusive, and committed to progress. But its strength will always depend on the willingness of its members to stand for something greater than themselves. In the end, history will not remember those who avoided responsibility, but those who carried it.
Let us choose to be remembered for building, not bypassing. For contributing, not withdrawing. For strengthening, not weakening. Because the true measure of an alumnus is not just in having passed through the institution, but in what they give back to it.
A certificate may be presented by an institution based on character and learning, but its value is sustained by the people who stand behind it. When we begin to celebrate avoidance over contribution, we do not outsmart the system, vwe weaken it. Today, it may look like a personal win, but tomorrow, it becomes a collective loss.
Choose wisely what you celebrate today, because it will shape what remains tomorrow.
✍️ Proud Alumnus of Gombe State University, Gombe Nigeria.
