Mike Okonkwo Essay Contest Produces Winners

Peace Obi

The 14th Mike Okonkwo national essay competition for secondary school students initiated in 2004, as part of the activities to mark the birthday of the Presiding Bishop of TREM, Dr. Mike Okonkwo and contribute to the development of the education sector has produced winners.

Having scored 90 per cent in the first round and 80 per cent in the second round, Miss Alexandra Nwigwe of Vivian Fowler Memorial College, Lagos emerged the overall winner.

The second position went to Miss Jesudunta Ipinmoye of Corona Secondary School, Agbara, who scored 80 and 72 per cent in the first and second rounds, while Master Akingbade Gbenga of Emerald High School, Lagos came third. He scored 80 and 70 per cent in the first and second rounds respectively.

The winners will be presented their prizes during this year’s Mike Okonkwo annual lecture with the theme ‘Made in Nigeria Products: The Vehicle for Sustainable Development’, scheduled to hold at the MUSON Centre, Lagos on September 5.

For her effort, Nwigwe will receive a cheque of N100,000, a laptop computer and a plaque, while her school will get three sets of computer and a printer. Ipinmoye will be rewarded with a cheque of N75,000 and a plaque, while her school will get two sets of computer and a printer. Akingbade will get a cheque of N50,000 and a plaque, while his school will get a computer set. Other winners will get consolation prizes of N20,000 each.

The Chief Examiner and Head, Department of English Language, University of Lagos, Professor Hope Eghagha, said this year’s received a total of 796 entries, adding that they were assessed based on mechanical accuracy, the use of language, originality of thought and thematic focus.

“Ten participants were selected and invited for the second stage of the competition, which is mainly a confirmatory procedure meant to ensure that the first stage winners are indeed the authentic writers of the shortlisted essays.”

He said the candidates, who came from different parts of the country, did a one-hour test on the topic ‘Religion and National Development’, or ‘Does Religion Aid National Development’, adding that the final result of the test validated the organiser’s scoring criteria and ranking of the participants in the first stage.

He expressed concern that some entries were plagiarised, adding that it is one of the problems currently confronting the education sector. “Some students simply download materials from the internet and submit as their original work.”