By Freda Lamini Cletus
The Guinter Memorial Secondary School Bambur, a mission school of The United Methodist Church, Central Nigeria Annual Conference (UMCN), has officially reopened after being temporarily closed for over a year.
The school was closed due to attempts by the GMCN breakaway faction of the UMCN to forcefully lay claim to it, as the case is with several UMCN properties.
The Guinter Memorial Secondary school is located in Gwaten, Bambur, Karim Lamido Local Government Area of Taraba State, Nigeria, and is renowned for producing high standards of learning and graduating some of the best students in the Community.
The school was formally reopened at a ceremony in Gwaten Community, where the Bishop of the UMCN and the Mission Districts Of Cameroon and Senegal Ande Emmanuel expressed joy on the resumption of academic activities in the School.
Bishop Ande Emmanuel was represented by Rev. Gloria Iliya Dogara, the Conference Administrative Assistant to the Bishop.She noted that the reopening marks a renewed commitment by the church to nurture young minds through sound education.
Rev. Dogara urged parents to seize the opportunity to enroll their wards, emphasizing that the school remains a center of moral and academic excellence that will help shape the future of the church and the wider community.
She also appreciated the visionary leadership of Bishop Ande I. Emmanuel, commending him for creating educational opportunities that empower young people, especially in areas where such initiatives are most needed.
The school’s principal, Rev. Deborah Bissalla, also expressed gratitude to the Episcopal Area and the Central Nigeria Annual Conference leadership for their support in ensuring the school’s reopening. She pledged to work with her team to maintain high academic standards and provide a strong foundation that will enable students to excel anywhere.
Speaking on behalf of the Bambur District Superintendent, Mr. Bukar Garba applauded the conference leadership for their efforts in reviving the school. He thanked Rev. Dogara for her tireless commitment and promised continued local support to sustain the school’s growth and ensure it remains a beacon of learning within the district.
Despite the drop in the number of students from two hundred (200) to thirty-three (33), the United Methodist Church in Nigeria is positive that it is a temporary setback that will be quickly resolved with the return of academic activities in the school.
UMC Nigeria is reclaiming its lost glory.
