Lagos School Produces One-Day Governor
A student of Awodi-Ora Senior Secondary School, Ajegunle, Miss Bukola Zoffun has emerged winner of the 17th edition of the Spelling Bee competition organised by the Lagos state government to become a ‘One Day Governor’.
She beat Roseline Ogidan of Methodist Senior High School, Badagry and Philip Daniel of Yewa Juniour High School, Agege, to the second and third positions respectively.
Speaking at the programme, held , recently at Adeyemi Bero Auditorium, the Deputy Governor of the state, Dr. Idiat Oluranti Adebule who was represented by the Chairman, House Committee on Education, Hon. Lanre Ogunyemi congratulated the winner , while promising that she will be awarded Lagos State Government scholarship, as was the practice, to pursue any course of her choice in any university in the country.
She added that the winner and the ‘cabinet’ will also attend a cultural exchange program in Finland.
She expressed delight that the competition is getting better as the year progresses, adding that its an indication of the quality of teaching and learning in the state’s schools which is improving steadily.
Adebule affirmed that policies and programmes in the sector are addressing the purposes for which they were initiated and implemented.
According to her, “this sterling performance will strengthen the resolve of the state government to continue its free education policy because it gives opportunity to many indigent pupils to also pursue tall dreams, excel in their academic pursuit and become major players in national growth and development.”
The Deputy Governor assured that the state government will continue to invest heavily in the education of the children and also introduce more educational and co-curricular programmes which will further expose their innate capabilities.
“The government is convinced that education plays an important role in human capital development.”
Earlier, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Mr. Odeyemi in his remarks, said the competition has become the most interesting and keenly contested because of the prestige and privileges that comes with winning.
“The Lagos state government has kept faith with making the winner a One-Day Governor, awarding scholarship to study any course of interest in any public university in Nigeria and sponsoring them for education and cultural exchange programme to Finland.”
He said it has deepened learning, and embolden the students to compete, interact and exchange views with their peers home and abroad, while appealing to students to continue to work hard and excel academically and in co-curricular activities.
In another development, Nigerian Bottling Company Limited (NBC) in partnership with the Lagos State Ministry of Education rewarded the winners of the 8th edition of the Lagos state School’s debate competition to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the creation of the state, tagged ‘Lagos@50’.
In the senior secondary school category, United Senior High School, Ikorodu represented by Ayobami Torishade and Qodiat Anifowoshe Qodiat emerged winner and received a cash prize of N250,000.
Vetland Senior Grammar School Agege represented by Tobi Odebowale Tobi and Dennis Akinyemi and Epe Senior Grammar School represented by Marvelous Adebayo and Mariam Ogunwale got cash prizes of N150,000 and N100,000 for emerging the second and third positions, respectively.
Speaking at the grand finale of the competition, the Legal, Public Affairs and Communications Director of NBC, Mrs. Sade Morgan noted that NBC as a company makes significant investment in education through the provision and upgrade of educational infrastructure across the country, capacity building for academic professional at all levels of the educational system as well as other support initiatives.
She said the sponsorship of the programme is a platform through which the organisation is adding value to the lives of the future generation .
“We have decided to sponsor this laudable competition because we believe that corporate organisations should focus on listening to, celebrating and rewarding our future leaders; this is why we are always found setting the pace.”