IT was a day of honour for outstanding scholars in the 11th Mike Okonkwo National Essay Competition for Secondary School Students as they were lavished with gifts for their brilliant performance at the 15th Mike Okonkwo Annual Lecture last week.
The high-profile event was part of the activities organized to celebrate the 69th birthday of the Presiding Bishop of The Redeemed Evangelical Church (TREM) Dr Mike Okonkwo at the MUSON Centre in Lagos.
A yearly event, which recorded its 15th edition this year, the occasion was graced by prominent people in the society such as Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State, the Chairman of the occasion Professor George Obiozor and Prof. Akin Oyebode as guest speaker.
The renowned legal luminary and educationist delivered a very timely and thought-provoking lecture on this year’s theme: “The Power of Your Vote- A Catalyst for a Stable and United Nigeria,” which beamed a searchlight on the nation’s democratic system and preparations for the 2015 elections.
Highlight of the day was the presentation of gifts to winners of the national essay competition, who came with their proud parents, families and friends to receive their prizes.
In the two stages of the competition, the students submitted essays on the following topics- “The Power of Your Vote: A Catalyst for a Stable and United Nigeria” and “The Use and Abuse of the Internet in Education.”
After much scrutiny by the examiners, Miss Patience Brown of Apapa Senior High School took the first position and went home with a plaque, laptop computer, a trophy and cash prize of N100, 000. Her school also got three sets of computers and a printer.
Miss Precious Nwaigwe of St. Francis Catholic School who took the second position went home with N75, 000 and a plaque, while her school was rewarded with two sets of computers.
Following her in the third position was Master Akinwande Akinboluwarin of Greater Tomorrow International School from Ondo State who smiled home with N50, 000 and a plaque while his school also got a set of computer.
The third runner-up David Oluwasoromidayo of Roshalom International Secondary School, Lagos also got a consolation prize of N20, 000.
Reviewing this year’s competition that started in June, the Chief Examiner, Prof. Akachi Ezeigbo did not fail to point out the fall in the standard of entries, which she noted was poorer than that of last year.
She said: “”This year, there is again a marked decline in overall performance. After a careful consideration of the more than two thousand submissions we were given to assess, we could find a paltry four entries good enough to recommend for the second stage of the competition,” she revealed.
Speaking further on the falling standards of education, the Professor of English from the University of Lagos noted: “We want to point out to government and educationists that the education standard is falling. Children do not know how to write and if a child cannot organise words logically, then such a child cannot do well in other subjects.”
She also enjoined government to organise professional courses for teachers, noting that most of them “are not competent in the English language.”
However, it wasn’t all bad news as she pointed out that past winners of the competition are all still doing very well, adding that one of them has finished in the Oxford University and is now doing his PHD, as she commended the Bishop Okonkwo for initiating the essay competition for students.
In his goodwill message, Governor Fashola, who presented the award to the first prize winner, described the event as a “ very strong fixture on the Lagos State calendar. It is about children, it is about education, and coming from a well-respected source, I always love to witness the event.”
He was also quick to point out that efforts of his administration to improve education standards may not be felt now, as it takes a generation to realize the results.
In a two-event that was rolled into one, earlier in his welcome address, the Chairman of the occasion, Prof George Obiozor, speaking on the annual lecture topic, noted that, “We all know that the very idea of Nigerian unity is still an aspiration and not yet an achievement. Nigeria, indeed, is still a work-in-progress. The ‘Nigeria Project’ continues with the recommendation of the just concluded 2014 National Conference. Yet, for Nigeria, there are reasons for optimism. Our past may be better than the present socio-political turbulence, but the future can still be rescued, by God’s grace.”
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