Human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana, SAN, will be the lecturer of this year’s Mike Okonkwo Annual Lecture Series with the theme: “Justice as an instrument of enduring peace in nation building.”
A social critic and the first female Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mrs. Folake Solanke, CON, will chair the event scheduled to hold at the Shell Hall MUSON Center, Onikan, Lagos, on Thursday, September 5, 2019.
A statement by Rev. Mrs. Oluwayomi Uteh, Group Manager, Operations, The Redeemed Evangelical Mission, TREM, the organizers of the event, revealed that the occasion will also witness the presentation of prizes to the winners of 2019 Mike Okonkwo National Essay Competition.
Master Esigbone Omagbemi Ferdinard, a 16-year-old student of Roshallom International Secondary School, Egbeda, Lagos, was declared winner of this year’s Essay Competition by the Chief Examiner, Prof. Akachi Ezeigbo.
Ferdinard who came third in the 2018 edition of the competition clinched the top position this year with a total average score of 68%.
Oluwaseun Esther Aremu of Shepherd International College Ado-Ekiti won the 2nd position with an average score of 61%, while Adeola Ademuwa Ifeola from Chrisfield College, Itamaga, Ikorodu came third with a total average score of 60%.
Uteh further revealed that the fourth position was a tie, with West Tamunonye of Christfield College, Itamaga, Ikorodu, and Anazia Rita from Roshallom International School with a total average score of 56%.
Similarly, Ajayi Ibukun of Fit-Charis International School and Olaitan Olajuwon of Chrisfield College, Itamaga, both took the fifth position in the competition with an average score of 54%.
Prof Ezeigbo disclosed that a total of 612 essay entries were sent in for assessment, representing a drop of about 28% when compared to the 848 entries that were received and assessed last year.
Ezeigbo, however, noted that the drop was not a result of any waning of enthusiasm for the competition.
She said, “On the contrary, feedback from teachers and students indicates that some schools in Lagos are now adopting the winning entries of this competition as models in their teaching of writing and rhetoric.
“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,” she said.
“Such a compilation will build capacity and prepare students for a more viable participation in future competitions. More importantly, it will be a unique addition to curriculum materials. We assure you that our winning essays are original materials from gifted students that can function adequately as teaching materials.”
Speaking further, Ezeigbo said that the teaching of responsible internet usage in secondary school curriculum has become very paramount and of necessity.
She said, “The fact that almost any material is available and accessible via a click makes a compelling case for us to introduce the teaching of responsible internet usage in the secondary school curriculum.
“We recommend a review and expansion of the syllabus of a subject like civic education to include teaching students to understand that plagiarism violates Intellectual Property (IP) rights, and that referencing the literatures they consult as they make their points is a key aspect of their academic development.”
According to the examiner, in the first round of this year’s edition of the competition, a total of 612 entries were received from Junior and Senior Secondary Schools across different states of the federation and the Topic was, “Justice as an Instrument of Enduring Peace in Nation Building” while the second round topic was, “Entrenching Tolerance as Solution to Nigeria’s Ethnic and Religious Crises.”
Ferdinard will get a cheque of N100, 000, a personal Laptop, a trophy, a plaque, while the school gets three sets of Computer and a printer. Aremu who came second will go home with a cheque of N75, 000, a plaque and the school will get two sets of computer and a printer.
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 prize of N20, 000 each.
Mike Okonkwo National Essay Competition was initiated in 2004, as part of activities to celebrate the birthday of the Presiding Bishop of TREM, Dr. Mike Okonkwo, MFR, and more importantly to contribute to the development of the nation’s educational sector.
Okonkwo, has continued in this gesture for 16 years, using his God given talent, strength and resources to be a blessing to the younger generation in the pursuit of academic excellence by encouraging them to cultivate the habit of reading and writing.