Students laud Mike Okonkwo Essay Competition Website
The Mike Okonkwo National Essay Competition, which debuted four years ago, has become one of the key strategies for improving reading and writing culture among secondary school students throughout the country. And these students have been speaking glowingly about this competition that encourages academic excellence among them. They are also full of appreciation for the mouth-watering gifts that are annually given to winners of the educational contest. Matthew Ohiani Adeiza, who came first in the 2005 edition of the essay competition, says “Financially, it opened more doors than I had ever imagined. I received monetary gifts that far surpass the prize money of the essay.” Adeiza had every reason to be so elated. Apart from the cash gift showered on him and the computer system given to his Community Secondary School, Adavi-Eba, Kogi State, he was also given scholarship to cover his tertiary education, a largesse that was given to mark the 60th birthday of the Presiding Bishop of The Redeemed Evangelical Mission (TREM), Dr. Mike Okonkwo. Adeiza is now enjoying this scholarship at the University of Jos, where he is a 200 level student of Mass Communication. He says of the essay competition, on whose platform he won the scholarship: “The essay provided me the opportunity to express my opinions on a national issue, that of building the leaders of tomorrow— the youth. I was lucky to have won the scholarship and it has been doing wonders to my pocket. I felt the luckiest person on earth when I got the scholarship! Think of it, it was not part of the package. I never knew anything about it before that day. It was a big pleasant surprise.” Commenting on the competition, Adeiza says: “The competition is an incredible opportunity for young people to contribute to the development of the country. This is one way of engaging youths in national development and preparing them to be solution providers. It is a vision that I am convinced was initiated by God, given the quality of essay submitted so far.” The undergraduate student of Unijos said his emergence as overall winner in 2005 ignited in him a feeling of achievement. He said: “I felt that I was on the right track. It also boosts my confidence to go for greater heights. This surely played a part in my emerging the Plateau State winner of the Nigerian Stock Exchange Annual Essay Competition for Nigerian Tertiary Institutions in my first year at Unijos in 2006. In short, September 1, 2005 is a day I cannot forget in a hurry.” Adeiza’s secondary school will remain eternally proud of him. This is so because, before he won the essay, the school had no single computer system. It only made use of an old fashioned typewriter. But, by winning the competition, Adeiza won a computer for the school. This school has now discarded with the typewriter and now uses the computer to type examination questions and official documents. Also, the school’s students also use it to learn the use of computer. Adeiza, therefore, advised secondary school students to be focused in their studies. “As a student, you are faced with a lot of options from which you can choose. But you must remember that your decision affects your destination. So be careful. I have my four Ds that guide me, which are - Decision, Dedication, Determination and Discipline. Having taken my time to study the life of some great people, I discovered that each decided to do certain things they are convinced about by devoting their time, energy and resources to it, and by pressing on despite difficulties and avoiding all things that could derail their dreams.” Miss Ogonnia Rose Idam, who came third both in the 2006 and 2007 editions of the essay competition, also describes the contest as a “very nice initiative which makes the typical teenager in the society to be able to express him/herself, an avenue to be involved in the politics and governance of our country.” Like Adeiza’s secondary school, Queens College, Yaba which produced Miss Idam, is still making use of the books which Idam won for it. These books are presently in the school’s library for the use of teachers and students. In the last four years, a total of about N1,150.000 has been spent on gifts to winning students and schools. In fact, as part of efforts to encourage the students to give their best to the competition, the prizes for the 2008 edition of the competition have been reviewed upward. First prize will now be computer and printer worth N140,000 to be given to the winner’s school while the student will go home with a cash prize of N75,000.00. To the student who comes second will be given N50,000 while his or her school gets computer worth N75,000.00. For the third prize, books worth N40,000.00 will be given to the school while the student will get N25,000.00 cash. These prizes are to be presented to the winners during the 9th Mike Okonkwo Annual lecture scheduled for September 4 this year. Written by Olubusuyi Adenipekun Thursday, 17 April 2008
Source: vanguardngr
