By Ogenyi Ogenyi, Uyo
Akwa Ibom First Lady, Mrs Patience Eno has commended the Transition Committee Chairman of Mkpat Enin Local Council, Mercy Bassey for interpreting the state government vision on Education in the council.
Speaking yesterday at the council secretariat during the grand finale of Mercy Bassey’s quiz and debate competition, the First Lady described the council TC as an Academia who understand the impacts of Education on children adding that the competition wohld help to groom and equip the students as future leaders.
The first lady who was represented by the Coordinator, Golden Initiative For All (GIFA), Anne Abraham, noted that education was priority to the state government because of its potentials of shaping the future, adding that the annual competition among schools in the rural communities would help bridge the gap in education.
She commended the teachers and parents for taking pains to prepare the young minds for the Quiz and debate competition which serves as a yardstick for their future success story, she also encouraged the participants who could not win to cheer up, knowing that every failure was a stepping stone to success, that the skills and experiences they’ve gained sofar are invaluable and will be very useful for their future endeavours.
“This competition marks a significant milestone in our collective journey towards achieving intellectual growth, critical thinking and the spirit of healthy competition among our young minds. The intelligence and brilliance displayed by all participants throughout this competition have been truly inspiring.
“Each of you have demonstrated not only a deep understanding of various subjects but also the invaluable skills of articulation, reading and teamwork. Competition like this are more than just mere contests. They are platforms that empower our youths to voice their thoughts, challenges, conventional knowledge and propose innovative solutions to the pressing issues of our time.
“These events help to groom and cultivate the leaders of tomorrow, individuals who could shape the future with knowledge, empathy and commitment to excellence”, she stated.
On her part, the Chairman, State Secondary Education Board (SSEB), Ekaette Ebong Okon also commended Bassey for her zeal in education and successfully completion of the 2024 Science Quiz and debate competition as it reflects the quality education that the state is known for, adding that such intellectual exercise will go a long way to complement the efforts of the state government.
“I feel highly elated about what I have seen here today. This is a prove that education is a powerful tool to change a society. Imagine these little children, already having self confident in public speaking and are able to research on debate topic to enable them back up their points. I understand that this is fourth edition of this competition so I want to specially commend the Chairman of Mkpat Enin for promoting quality education”, she said.
She noted that the outcome of education depends on the quality of education that the children receive, adding that if the goal was to make the society better and also shape the future, then the children must be given the best learning opportunities and necessary support.
She encouraged the students to embrace learning and critical thinking during educational activities and shun cramming as it was a major downfall of learning practices.Sttressing that the state government was committed to sustaining and improving the free and compulsory education policy as well as other education-friendly initiatives, appealing to parents, teachers and other stakeholders in the educational sector to cooperate with the government in order to achieve the lofty goals for the sector.
She promised to take back the message to the state government that the area was in need of science teachers and other basic amenities to expand the growth of education in the state.
Bassey disclosed that the annual competition was one of her contributions to the struggle to secure the future of the area, adding that was an effort geared towards helping secondary students in the local government learn to think intensively and critically.
“From inception, the objective of this competition, which is now in its fourth edition, was to foster a culture of academic excellence, critical thinking, and effective communication among students. We aim to inspire and empower the next generation of leaders and innovators.
“In our bit to further improve the standard of this highly competitive contest and to accommodate the interest of other students who are not science based, we introduced debate this year strictly for the arts students. The exclusive nature of the quiz for science students and debate for art students showcases the diversity and inclusivity of this competition.” She said.
She commended Governor Umo Eno and wife for setting the pace for education development through education-friendly programmes in the ARISE Agenda and GIFA respectively
“As the chief sponsor of this contest, I am proud to announce that it is designed to meet up with the ARISE Agenda ideology of the Akwa Ibom State governor’s free and compulsory education in the state in order to boast self-confidence through re-enforcement and re-awakening of the reading culture and strengthening the folds of education in our community.
“As we bring this edition to an end, I want to reassure that we have identified areas that we need to improve and will surely do in subsequent editions.
