From Tony Osauzo, Benin
Over 50,000 students have benefited from the Seplat Energy Quiz Competition in Edo and Delta States since the inception of the competition.
Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Seplat Energy, Mr Samson Ezegwuorie, who disclosed this while speaking at this year’s Seplat Energy Pearls Quiz Competition which was held at Imaguero Secondary school in Benin City, at the weekend, said many of the beneficiaries have gone through university education, some have done an internship with Seplat Energy and some are employed all over the world today.
“When I was watching our student display today, I just told our senior partner that Nigeria is so blessed, that if we do the right thing, we won’t be just exporters of crude oil, but exporters of talent to the rest of the world against the brain drain we are witnessing today. Because we don’t have enough at home and we are servicing outsiders”.
Also speaking the Managing Director, Seplat Assets, Mr Ayodele Oladele, said the Seplat Energy Pearls Quiz competition is an annual event opened to schools in Edo and Delta states which is aimed at encouraging academic excellence among the youths, to motivate those that are hard-working and reward them.
“We want to check academic excellence among our youths, and our future leaders, it is made to give back to those that will represent us in future. As leaders of today, ours is to create an enabling environment. If I will start, I will say thank you to Edo and Delta State governments for creating enabling environment and I will say thanks to the parents and guardians who made it possible; I want to equally thank the teachers who followed the students up to make sure that they grow to this level and to the company that always support to create a platform that makes this happen.
“One of our objectives is to teach the children how to win and win sustainably”, Oladele added.
On his part, Delta State Governor, Senator Ifanyi Okowa, represented by Mr Augustine Oghoro, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, said the exercise will make a very positive impact on the students in numerous ways and will also encourage them to take their studies seriously.
“The winners and losers will leave here poised to improve on their performances for future challenges. It will also prepare them to engage in ‘healthy competition with their peers and others in the wider society in pursuit of intellectually based scholarship schemes and many other competitions along the winding paths of life.
“This exercise has also brought students from Edo and Delta States to square up in a friendly atmosphere. Undoubtedly, they will all mix and chart new friendships, know themselves better and deepen the bond of unity and love among people from the two States.
“Significantly, these young ones will also learn from this contest that hard work pays and that there is always reward for sincere and genuine effort at achieving worthy goals in life”.
The governor noted that the quiz competition, while bringing laurels to participating schools and students, shows that the standard of education in the country was still high and therefore called on the private sector to partner with ggovernment, as government alone cannot fund education.
The competition is an annual event organized by Seplat and its partners (NNPC) for secondary schools in its host communities
At the end of the competition, Green Park Academy, Benin, Edo State, scored 80 points to defeat Deeper Life High School, Warri, Delta State which scored 48 points. Green Park Academy thus won a cash prize of N10,000.000.00 which converted to Seplat Energy sponsored project of their choice for the school, while the three participating students went home with N100,000 scholarship fund.
The runner-up, Deeper Life High School, Warri, Delta State got N5,000.000.00 to be converted Seplat Energy sponsored project of their choice for the school with 75,000.00 scholarship going to each of three participating students.
For the third position, the University of Benin Demonstration Secondary School, Benin City, Edo State, beat International High School, Sapele, Delta State to win a N3,000.000.00 Seplat Energy sponsored project for the school with 50,000.00 scholarship for each of the three participating students.