Anambra State at the weekend clinched four out of the 24 awards bestowed by the Federal Government on institutions and individuals to mark this year’s Teachers Day in the country.
A statement issued by the state’s Commissioner for Information & Public Enlightenment, Mr. C. Don Adinuba, stated that none of the other 35 states and the Federal Capital Territory received more than one award.
The Commissioner said: “At the 2019 President’s Teachers and Schools Awards for Excellence in Education organized by the Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Education, Anambra State won prizes for producing the best public secondary school in the country, the best secondary school administrator, and for producing both the first and second runners up in the Best Administrator category.”
According to the statement, the winning schools and individuals were; Flora Azikiwe Model Secondary School, Neni in Anaocha Local Government Area, recognised as the overall best secondary school; Reverend Sister Veronica Ifeoma Onwuadi of Maria Regina Model Secondary School, Nnewi decorated with the Best Administrator prize while Samuel Izuegbu of Owerre Ezukala Community Secondary School, Orumba South Local Government Area and Gabriel Izuegbunam of British Springs School, Awka were decorated as first and second runners up respectively.
The statement further disclosed that Flora Azikiwe Secondary School was presented with an 18-seater bus while Rev Sr Veronica of Maria Regina School, Nnewi, received a car from President Muhammadu Buhari for their excellent performances.
The other three vehicles available at this year’s competition went to Lagos State for having the best public school teacher, Ogun State for the best private school teacher and Imo State for having the best private school.
The statement quoted the State Commissioner for Basic Education, Dr. Kate Azuka Omenugha, who spoke at the Award ceremony held at the Eagle Square in Abuja as saying: “It is humbling to clinch four awards when many states did not get anything.
“It is worthy of note that Mrs. Amala Ezenwa of Awada Primary School 1V in Obosi, Idemmili North LGA of Anambra State, won the Best Administrator prize last year, and this year Rev Sr Veronica of Maria Regina Model School in Nnewi has retained it for the state”.
Professor Omenugha recalled that Anambra State won four prizes in the same competition in 2017, stating: “Loretto Special Science Secondary School in Adazi won the first prize for academic excellence among senior secondary schools while The Queen of the Rosary College in Onitsha, another girls school, won the best prize in the junior high school category.
“Mr. Clement Okodo of Central School in Abagana clinched the first prize in the teachers category while Governor Willie Obiano was rewarded the Best Performing Governor award”.
Meanwhile, the state Governor, Willie Obiano has congratulated both the prize winners and the state Commissioner for Basic Education on the “impressive performance which shows that Anambra has since become Nigeria’s most competitive state, including in education”.
In the congratulatory message, Governor Obiano recalled how Anambra in 2017 became the first state in Nigeria to win the President’s School Debate for three conservative years and last December won the competition for the fourth time by beating Benue State 3 to 1.
He thanked the people of Anambra for their cooperation over the years which he said “has enabled Anambra state to become synonymous with excellence in various areas”.