By Kasie Abone
As part of its corporate social responsibility in support of academic excellence, Abagana Committee of Friends (ACF) held 18thedition of its annual Award for Academic Excellence and Symposium. The event which held at Girls Secondary School, Abagana in Njikoka Local Government Area of Anambra State aimed at encouraging healthy academic competition and excellence amongst the two secondary schools, Nnamdi Azikiwe Secondary School, Girls Secondary School and eight primary schools all in Abagana. The event featured award of prizes to students who excelled in different subjects, symposium and other activities.
Speaking at the occasion, Anambra State governor, Dr. Willie Obiano charged the students and Anambra youths to remain focused so as to achieve academic excellence. Represented at the occasion by his Special Adviser on Youths Empowerment and Mobilisation, Dr. Onyekachukwu Ibezi, Obiano described the occasion as a worthwhile program worthy of government attention. In his words he said “Don’t lose hope in Nigeria. It is a great country; the Igbo man has seen the worst where they had nothing during and soon after the civil war; how much more now. So, there should not be any reason to lose hope.” He added that the state has created enabling educational environment and urged them to take advantage of government’s efforts to achieve academic excellence as a foundation to future career success.
Ibezi added that government is doing so much to improve the lot of students in the state schools. He said ACF involvement to support government initiatives to advance teaching and learning is a welcome initiative.
Speaking on the theme “Youths In Nation Building” Prof. Pat Utomi, who was the guest speaker at the occasion, charged youths from South East to shun the quest for materialism and return to the glorious path of pursuing academic excellence. He said only through academic pursuits could they stand shoulder to shoulder amongst their peers in the global stage.
The erudite professor of Political Economy and management expert reminded the youths that education was the only tool at their disposal to achieve real success. Speaking on the theme “Youths in Nation Building” Utomi who was the guest speaker at the occasion admonished the students to shun the urgent quest for materialism which has taken the shine off the region and strive to attain academic excellence. He harped on the need for the East to return to the glorious past when communities support their brilliant but indigent subjects to realize their dreams of acquiring education. He added that Eastern communities should not allow their brilliant youths to die with their brilliance due to poverty as the society as a whole stands to gain from the education of such a child.
Also present at the occasion, Managing Director of Anambra State’s Investment Protection and Promotion Agency (ANSIPPA) Mr. Joe Billy Ekwunife extolled ACF for such laudable initiative adding that he would replicate such programme at his home town, Abba.
Earlier in his welcome address, President of the association, Mr. Tom Okoye while commending all the partners to the annual event said the award was instituted as bedrock to equip and encourage students who want to seriously pursue their academic as a foundation to their future endeavours. “Since education is the key to the success anyone can make in life, we in the ACF brought in this Award for Academic Excellence as our little way of encouraging students to seriously pursue their studies so that anywhere they may find themselves in the future, they may not be cowed by the circumstances around them.” He added that besides the award the symposium was aimed “address academic, social and psychological development of the students and pupils for future career endeavours.”
In the past eighteen years, the body had also equipped and powered computer libraries in the two secondary schools at Abagana; through their NGO (Rural Health and Educational Development Initiative (RHEDI) partnered with Neimeth Pharmaceuticals Plc to deworm pupils in the eight primary schools in the town; with assistance of medical doctors of Abagana origin organized health match, diagonised and treated none communicable diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure and stress.
The award is in three categories namely cash prize for the Best Overall SS2 Student in each of the secondary schools, cash prize award for the Best Overall Student of JS 2 in the two secondary schools and cash prize award for the Best Overall Pupil in Primary 5 in each of the eight primary schools.
Other endowed awards include Arc. Jidemma Foundation Award for the Best Overall Student in Mathematics in SS2 and Overall Best Student in Basic Science and Technology both in Nnamdi Azikiwe Secondary School (NASSA), Abagana.; Celine Ezenwa Foundation Award for Best Physics students in SS2 and Best Mathematics Students in JS 2 in G. S. S. Abagana and Dr. Chris Anyakorah Foundation Award for Overall Best SS 2 Economics Student in both NASSA and the
