Build Character While Pursuing Academic Excellence – BNGS ’95 Tells Students, Donates Educational Materials 

The Bonny National Grammar School (BNGS) graduating set of 1995, also known as Team 95 have admonished young people to build good character while aspiring towards academic excellence. 

Chairman of Team 95, Grant Puma, who is also a Pastor with the Living Faith Church, also known as Winners Chapel in Bonny, gave this admonition on Tuesday, December 9, 2025 during a visit by the group to its alma mater in Bonny, Rivers State. 

“Concerning your character; if you don’t have character, you have lost it all. If you don’t have character, you have lost it all,” Puma, who was a Sports Prefect during his time in the school emphasized.

He informed that the visit to the school was part of Team 95’s 30th anniversary celebration, saying it is aimed at motivating the students and supporting their alma mater with essential learning materials. 

During the visit, Team 95 donated diverse items including a large printer, two lawn mowers, two cartons of A4 paper, five magic boards, assorted textbooks for senior secondary school students, and a large public-address system.

Chairman of the 30th Anniversary Planning Committee, Eric Jumbo hinted of their plan to equip the school library to create a better reading and learning environment for the students, saying that the donations were made with the intention of addressing the immediate needs of the school and improving the overall learning conditions. 

Drawing from their personal experiences, other members of the Team 95 also used the occasion to advise the students to avoid social vices, attitudes and habits that can truncate their academic pursuit, encouraging them to take their education seriously. 

They proffered advice on the importance of making informed decisions, choosing meaningful career paths, and staying focused despite peer pressure, pointing out to them that their futures were worth any sacrifices they are making today in furtherance of their education. 

They also encouraged them to pursue their ambitions in various fields such as law, medicine, engineering, and the arts, reminding them that success comes from discipline, integrity, and listening to their teachers. 

The team was received by the Principal of BNGS UBE, Gloria Amachree, accompanied by a representative of the Principal of BNGS Senior, Maurice George, and other teachers on duty, thanked Team 95 for their kind gesture, assuring that the donated items would be properly utilized. 

The principals solicited the support of the team in addressing challenges faced by the school such as vandalism, including lights being pulled off in the hall. 

Some students were instantly rewarded for their outstanding academic performance in both the science and arts categories.