Six Bayelsans under Diete-Spiff's Scholarship emerge Best Graduating Students in 2022 WASCE

Six young Bayelsans who were selected in the 2016 edition of a scholarship program organized by the Queen of Twon-Brass Kingdom in Brass LGA, Her Majesty, Dr Josephine Diete-Spiff, have emerged best graduating students in the 2022 West Africa School Certificate (WASC) examination.

The students, Ifiemi Ayebanengimote Bonnie; Ogbulu Wanaemi Fiberesima; Seigha Abraham Ingonabo; Augustine Preye Paige, Ababo Naomi Ota and Azazi Peter Kingsley, who were admitted into JSS 1 in Titare Academy in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, got enrolled into the scholarship scheme in 2016.

It was learnt the six students won the scholarship after participating in a keenly contested examination for primary school children who were drawn from each household in Twon-Brass and desirous for academic excellence but are hindered from furthering their education irrespective of their level of intelligence.

This was part of the successes recorded over the years by Mrs Diete-Spiff in her tireless drive to tackle issues of poverty, cultism and gender-based violence by educating and empowering the boy/girl child through enhanced opportunities for developing talented students.

Addressing the young stars during their graduation ceremony, Queen Josephine enjoined the students to be good ambassadors in their various endeavours, while expressing optimism that their achievements will spur them to greater heights which will enable them to contribute to the growth and success of Twon Brass Kingdom.

She said, “This year is unique to us and my kingdom as among the graduands here today are five children of Twon Brass Kingdom, from each house, taken six years ago, and trained with full educational scholarship, inclusive of free transport, boarding, and medicals by my humble self, their Queen.

“I am glad to state that I fulfilled that promise, as they came here as teens and are leaving here as grown teenagers more enlightened, brave, courageous, and confident in themselves. I miss you all and hope your achievements here will spur you to great heights that will enable you to contribute to the growth and success of Twon Brass Kingdom.

Speaking in an interview, the overall best student, Ifiemi Ayebanengimote Bonnie, now 17years old, said the opportunity was indeed a gift from God because it was through her sister who could not pass the examination that she got to know about the scholarship program.

Recounting her experience, Ifiemi said, “I was sleeping in the house that morning when my sister came back and asked my father to buy her math set. My father asked her what she wanted to use it for and she said there was a scholarship exam going on and she wanted to go and write the exam. My father then told her to wake me up to go with her including my brother.

“We went and bought the math set. So that was how I wrote the examination. The result came out the next day, I qualified but my sister and my brother didn’t qualify. We were about five candidates that qualified in the whole of the Brass Kingdom.

“Am happy and they were not angry that I was selected out of the three of us. My experience has been good. Things have been going on well for me. I have been studying well and I was lacking nothing because Her Majesty has been providing virtually everything that I needed.”

Ifiemi who is passionate about studying Mass Communication at the university also disclosed that she was able to come top among the rest of the students because she laid down some goals and prayed to God to help her achieve them.

“I was working hard, I will always be in the line and I always attend classes, do my homework; that’s how I was able to do that. I want to advise other Bayelsa students to keep pushing, they should be focused, they should keep striving and they should pray to God for them to locate their destiny helper”, elated Ifiemi stated.

Also, Azazi Peter Kingsley from Ekeremor Local Government Area in Bayelsa State who was discovered in 2016 for his unique talent in constructing buildings with local materials like cardboard paper, gum and paint, said he never dreamed of gaining a scholarship in his life until destiny brought him to Queen Josephine Diete-Spiff.

He said, “On a faithful day that was on a Saturday, I never knew I will get a scholarship that day. I made a project for a man who told me to bring it to a hotel. I took it there not knowing that Her Majesty was hosting an enlightenment program in the same hotel. When I got there, the hotel was full of crowds, so I stood at the gate.

“Some journalists met me because I constructed a bungalow building and they saw it and they said I have a talent. They took me to Her Majesty. She asked me some questions and finally, she gave me a scholarship to her school. I am very grateful for what she has done for me. The school has imparted so much to me. I have gained more experience in my building construction and they have uprightly brought me up. My moral life has changed since then.”

For Ogbulu Wanaemi Fiberesima who has wanted to leave the shores of Twon-Brass to a more promising environment where he will compete with bigger brains, the opportunity was indeed an answer to his prayers.

According to him, it was a family friend who rushed down to his house on the examination day while he was doing normal house chores to inform him about the scholarship exam, adding that he never knew or heard about it but was prepared and confident he will make it if he is given the opportunity.

“When the opportunity came, I was more ready because I was preparing for another school entrance exam to write. I put all my mind into it, I kept every other thing aside; I was persistent concerning the whole exam. I was very happy when I was told I passed the exam because when I saw the number of students from the community that turned up for the exam, it gave me a little problem because I wasn’t expecting such a number of people since I wasn’t aware.

“So, when they told me about the result, I was very happy at least out of all the kids in the community, I was chosen. It was more of an opportunity and a privilege. Before I came to the school, I wasn’t more of a bold child, I wasn’t that outspoken though I was good, brilliant and smart I wasn’t that social type.

“But when I came, I realised it was a different environment where they gave me this opportunity to be very sound and speak among the crowd and there will be no atom of fear in me. They gave me this inner confidence that I can do whatever I want to do; it’s just within my mind. Today at least I am where I am, I can speak wherever I am asked to speak because it has given me that boldness. It just increased my personality and I am very grateful to God and very grateful to Her Majesty for her giving me this opportunity.”

Mrs Ogbulu Favour Fiberesima, the mother of Wanaemi, while expressing appreciation to God and the Queen on behalf of the parents said the whole process was a big relief for her and other parents, adding that “for good 6 years now Her Majesty came to Brass and took these children under scholarship, we did not spend a dime.

She said, “From their uniform down to exercise book to their feeding, accommodation and to the surprising aspect is that at the end of every term, she will still give them transport fee to go back to their destination for these six good years. This woman has not complained about anything. And not that these children are not misbehaving in one way or the other but she accommodated them and did everything to see that those children graduate as great minds and be useful to their families and the community.

“In fact, we don’t have silver and gold to appreciate her nor can we even pay back what she did but one thing I know is that God Almighty will fill her pocket wherever place she must have taken this money to take care of these children.

“God in his infinite mercy will take care of her and her children in time she too doesn’t expect because we didn’t expect it; we never bargained for it until we came that very day. We went there and took the exam and she never discriminated against the poor from the rich.

“They all wrote the exam, she just picked them from each of the various Ama/compounds without knowing any of the children. And behold here they are; they have finished their secondary school, and made us proud.”

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