‘Pick Up a Book Instead of A Gun’ initiative launched at Ibadan Grammar School Second Spelling Bee

The second annual Spelling Bee and the inauguration of the ‘Pick Up A Book Instead of A Gun’ initiative was held at Ibadan Grammar School (IGS) on Thursday, November 3, 2022.

The event was organised and sponsored by the Urban Books and Technology, Inc., the brainchild of Mr. Olajide B. Ogungbadero, an IGS old student of the 1965/69 set in commemoration of his 71st birthday.

The theme of this year’s Spelling Bee is ‘Education is the Weapon for Nation Building.’

Mr. Hakeem Suara, the immediate past chairman of Ibadan Grammar School Old Students Association (IGSOSA), Lagos branch, emphasized that education is one of the viable tools to transform and develop the minds of our youth and, most importantly, to build the nation.

Speaking about the rationale behind these efforts, Mr. Suara, who doubles as the coordinator of the annual competition and ‘Pick Up A Book Instead of A Gun’ campaign in Nigeria, said that it is meant to change the narratives in the educational system in the country and to raise the bar of education standards at IGS and in the country at large.

He added that the Spelling Bee is intended to reawaken and inculcate the reading culture in the students of the school, in order to prepare and motivate them to seek higher educational opportunities and a better life, protecting them from becoming involved in criminal activity.

“Essentially, we want the students to imbibe the reading culture while they are in school. When they do and they can see their potential and further educational opportunities, they are less likely to engage in vices such as thuggery, hooliganism, banditry, yahoo yahoo, gambling, drug abuse, prostitution, among other sexual offenses when they are informed through reading,” Suara said.

He then called on the federal and state governments, schools, and communities to join the ‘Pick Up A Book Instead of A Gun’ campaign, which has its base in Boston, Massachusetts, USA, where the benefactor resides, in order to change the status quo and arrest the situation in the country’s educational system, most especially at the basic level.

He said that the Spelling Bee is the benefactor’s way of giving back to his alma mater and reaching out to the current students whose academic progress he is very passionate about.

“He is quite passionate about the progress of Ibadan Grammar School students, in particular, which is the reason he has been sponsoring them for the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) and Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME),” he noted.

In his remarks, the first national Vice President of IGSOSA, Mr. Gafar Ojetola, who represented the National President, Mr. Oladimeji Mako at the event, said, “This type of exercise will no doubt catch the students while they are young and build their command of the English language, which IGS was known for in the past.

“The Spelling Bee competition will engage their thinking faculties, arouse internal challenge and spur them to study more as they have learned during the competition,” he added.

He challenged other schools to emulate and replicate the exercise, noting that the ‘Pick Up A Book Instead of A Gun’ initiative will distract the students from criminal activities and settle them in their studies.

He thanked Mr. Ogungbadero for this initiative, hoping that these efforts will continue and wishing him a happy 71st birthday and many more glorious years of life.

In his response, the principal of the school, Mr. Johnson O. Oladejo attested that “the Spelling Bee programme has really stimulated reading interest in our students. They now read and comprehend more.

He noted that “It had a great effect on the last WASSCE results of the school where our students did very well, especially in English Language,” adding that “We are seeing the results. We pray that the programme will continue to achieve its purpose.”

He disclosed that as a result of the impact, the programme has been extended to the IONIAN Brotherhood sporting and academic competition among the 12 old schools in South-West, Nigeria, where IGS is the only school from Oyo State.

He advised the students of IGS and the AIONIAN schools to make good use of the opportunity to develop themselves academically.

At the end of the competition, six winners emerged and they were rewarded with a sum of N50,000, N30,000 and N20,000 each in the range of first, second and third positions, respectively, as well as each receiving a copy of a new Oxford Dictionary.

In the senior category, Abdul Wasiu Waris came first; Oluwatomisin Fasina, second; and Idris Olugbode came third. In the junior category Oluwanifemi Favour Ikuerowo was in the first position; Mozeedat Adebayo came second; and Mohammed Ogundepo in the third position.

The programme which had in attendance some of the old students of the school also included the President of IONIAN Brotherhood, Mr. Dare Sorinola; the Principal of the Junior School, IGS, Mr Akinpelu Akinkunmi; and former Chairman, IGS, Ibadan branch, Mr. Bola Raji.

ALSO READ FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE 

• American Rapper, 50 Cent, To Shoot TV Series On Hushpuppi

• Stroke No Longer A Disease Of The Elderly —Stroke Action

• Japa: Medical Experts Bemoan Loss Of Best Hands To Brain-Drain

• Over 4 Million Nigerians To Benefit From £95m UK Investment To Help Adapt To Climate Change

• Oshoala wins Women’s ICC award

• EDITORIAL: Still On Kidnapping On The Highways