SIXTEEN-YEAR-OLD Master Esigbone Omagbemi Ferdinand of Roshallom International Secondary School, Egbeda, Lagos who came third in the Mike Okonkwo National Essay Competition for Secondary School students in Nigeria last year (2018) has emerged the overall winner in this year’s edition of the competition, with a total average score of 68 per cent.
The second position went to Oluwaseun Esther Aremu of Shepherd International College, Ado-Ekiti, with an average score of 61 per cent, while Adeola Ademuwa Ifeola from Christfield College, Itamaga, Ikorodu, emerged third with a total average score of 60 per cent.
West Tamunonye, also of Christfield College, and Anazia Rita from Roshallom tied on the fourth position with a total average score of 56 per cent, while Ajayi Ibukun of Fit-Charis International School and Olaitan Olajuwon of Chrisfield College both took the fifth position respectively with an average score of 54 per cent.
While announcing the 2019 results of the competition, the chief examiner, Professor Akachi Ezeigbo, disclosed that a total of 612 essay entries were sent in for assessment, representing a drop of about 28 per cent when compared to the 848 received and assessed last year.
Said Ezeigbo: “As we understand it, the drop arises in part from new management strategies introduced by the organisers to ensure that only credible entries are sent in for assessment.
“Based on the positive feedback and to further the institutionalization of the Bishop Mike Okonkwo Lecture Series, we urge the organisers to put the winning entries in a book form, as had been done to the adult version of lectures, in order to make the materials more portable and accessible to teachers and students.
“Such a compilation will build capacity and prepare students for a more viable participation in future competitions.”
For coming top in this year’s edition of the competition, Master Esigbone will get a cheque of N100,000, a personal laptop computer, a trophy and a plaque, while the school gets three sets of computer and a printer.
Miss Oluwaseun who came second will go home with a cheque of N75,000, a plaque, and the school will get two sets of computers and a printer. For emerging the third position, Master Adeola Ademuwa Ifeola will go home with a cheque of N50,000, a plaque and the school gets a computer set.
The other winners will get a consolation price of N20,000.
The prizes will be presented at this year’s Mike Okonkwo Annual Lecture, billed for the Shell Hall Muson Centre, Onikan, Lagos, on Thursday September 5, 2019.
The theme for this year’s lecture is ‘Justice as an Instrument of Enduring Peace in Nation Building’, to be delivered by Mr Femi Falana, SAN. The event will be chaired by chaired by Chief Folake Solanke (SAN).
Mike Okonkwo National Essay Competition was initiated in 2004 as part of activities to celebrate the birthday of the presiding bishop of The Redeemed Evangelical Mission (TREM), Dr. Mike Okonkwo, and more importantly to contribute to the development of the educational sector.