By Dennis Udoma, Uyo
The Catholic Bishop of Uyo Diocese, His Lordship and Most Rev. Dr. John Ayah, has commended the management of St. Brian Model College, Uyo for the achievements it has recorded since the institution was established.
Bishop Ayah, who was represented by the School Manager, Very Rev. Fr. Ephraim Asanausung made the commendation during the institution’s founder’s day celebration held at the college grounds on Saturday.
He expressed appreciation to his predecessor, Archbishop Joseph Ekuwem for approving the establishment of the college some years ago saying that, its establishment would not have been possible without the cooperation and understanding of school’s management board, the pioneer principal, Lady (Mrs) Bernadette Eyo and Christ the King Cathedral International Nursery School at that time.
The Bishop decried some of the environmental problems facing the college stating that, ‘‘all we have seen here is consistent progress but, we are confronted with a confined space making impossible for the school to admit many students at one time.
‘‘We would want to create another campus different from this one’’ citing inadequate accommodation, topography and comfortable structures as challenges.
He lamented the environmental challenges posed by erosion, which frustrated management effort of maintaining the school’s sports facility tasking and more expensive.
The bishop while thanking the parents for their support to the school said, ‘’St. Brian Day Celebration’’ was a test-run of a greater event of the future.
Chairman of the occasion, Mr Clement Akpanobong while declaring the event opened, eulogised the school management and students for continuously maintaining an enviable academic standard and steady lead in public examinations in the past years.
He advised the school management to also pay more attention to the entrepreneurial development of the students to make them all-rounder and self-reliance.
Principal of the college, Mr Linus Etuk in his remarks said, the all-boys boarding Catholic school was established in 1999 with a desire to provide an all-round quality education to students, with the mission and vision of inculcating high morals, religious, ethical and academic standard in the children at a time, when moral values are at lowest ebb.
He said, the school was approved by the state government on November 7, 2000 and given authority as centre for both Junior Secondary Certificate Examination/Senior Secondary Certificate Examination on February 17, 2003 and February 24, 2004 respectively, adding that, the students’ population has presently hit 600 with 86 staffers (teaching/non-teaching and ad-hoc staff).
Mr Etuk, while commending the school for its giant strides said the school is rated as one of the best performing institutions in academics, graduated 14 sets with a total of 977 graduating students and recorded between 80 -100 per cent in West African Senior School Certificate Examinatios from 2006 to 2019 and 70 – 100 percent in National Examinations Council (NECO) from same year till date.
He maintained that, the school had won several awards/laurels including 2nd /3rd best mathematics in Akwa Ibom State Cowbell Competitions in 2003, 1st position in NAFDAC (Arts) Competition in Akwa Ibom 2004, 1st/2nd in National Essay Competition by Nigeria Wildlife Conservation Foundation in 2004 and Best mathematics in Akwa Ibom (PTDF) Completion in 2005.
Others are; best in Science in Akwa Ibom NNPC Science Quiz in 2005, Uyo Champions, Mobil Schools Challenge 2005, Ist/2nd positions (Junior Category) NAFDAC organized national examination 2005 and Gold Medallist, 5 National Youth Games, Ilorin 2019 amongst others.
