Akaiso Eyo-Akaiso, Uyo.
The National President of Apostolic church Nigeria (TACN), Apostle E U Johnson has Urged the 20th Combined Convocation graduands of The Apostolic Church Theological Seminary (TACTS), Obot Idim Nsit, Nsit Ibom Local government Area to be good representatives of their Alma Matter.
Apostle Johnson who is also the chairman of Akwa Ibom State Territory, gave the charge over the weekend during the 20th Combined Convocation of the Apostolic Church Theological Seminary, Obot Idim Nsit, where he attended as a Visitor for the first time since he assumed the office of the National Vice President of the church in Nigeria.
Worried by dearth of funds gradually becoming a challenge for the seminary, he also charged the management and governing council of the institution to join hands with his territory in an effort to source for enough funds to expand curriculum of the institution, to include skill acquisition in farming, investment and ICT for training of both students and outsiders for a fee to increase the internally generated revenue and keep the seminary afloat.
“As an institution affiliated to the University such the University of Uyo, there is need for expansion of the scope of curriculum to include entrepreneurial skills in poultry farming, investment and other profitable ventures.
There is also the need to expand the ICT facilities of the seminary to incorporate a Training Centre for outsiders, going by the current standard of our library as an avenue for internally generated revenue,” he said.
However, he applauded the management team and governing council for the infrastructural renaissance that has transformed the institution into the 21st century bible institution for the spiritual and intellectual growth of the learners, adding that the improved learning environment and the ongoing development projects are testament that the institution is making progress.
To the graduands, he congratulated them for their remarkable achievements and reminded them that God has called them to be a “light to those in darkness, a voice to the voiceless, and a source of hope to the hopeless.” While calling on the governing council, management, staff, alumni association and on going students to team up with the territorial council with the view to restoring what appeared to have been the lost glory of the seminary.
Also speaking, the chairman of the governing council, Prof. Antiaobong O Ekong, corroborated the previous speaker on the challenge of lack of funding facing the seminary, adding that if not tackled headlong is capable of paralyzing the institution. But however, he expressed hope that with the assurance the new chairman of the territorial council has given to organize a mega fund launch in 2026, fields under the territory will cooperate by donating generously.
Welcoming the Visitor and other guests to the seminary the Provost, Pastor Friday J. Edem, highlighted major achievements the seminary has witnessed over time and under his watch, to include affiliation with the University of Uyo for the award of BA (Hons) degree in cultural Studies.
The relationship between the seminary and the host community to better project the seminary in the eyes of the public and the state of the art Library which was made possible by the immediate past field Superintendent, Prof. I N George, saying that he intends to do a memo to the governing council to consider naming the library after him.
The Provost who has sat on the saddle for about three years and a half, like the two previous speakers, also listed lack of funding as top challenge, followed by insufficiency of staff offices, which could have contributed to abandonment of duty post by some staff.
Speaking further, the Provost stated that the 20th Combined Convocation covered a period of nine sessions from 2016 -2024 with three hundred and seventy four graduands. The break down of graduands were thus: Certificate in theology – 42, Diploma in theology -82, Bachelor of Arts in theology – 167, Post Graduate Diploma in theology – 66, Master’s Degree in theology – 17.
Congratulating all the graduands like all other speakers did, the Provost announced that because two graduands tied as best graduating students none of them was going to present valedictory address.
Prof. Peter Esu from the faculty of communication and media studies, the University of Uyo presented the Convocation lecture on Religion and National Development. According to him, “religion has both positive and negative impacts on national development. When used positively, can engender good governance, peace and progress. But when it is practiced negatively, chaos, anarchy and bad governance take the center stage with attendant casualties as recently witnessed in some states in the country.”
In his well researched paper, Esu advised Nigerians to learn to respect and tolerate people’s religious affiliations and beliefs for peace to reign.
