Governor Alex Otti of Abia State has rewarded 5 college students who represented Nigeria on the 2026 International Schools Debate Championship in Doha, Qatar, with N1 million each.
Mr Otti introduced the rewards on Saturday at a welcome ceremony within the Michael Okpara Auditorium, Umuahia, for the contingent made up of scholars from Abia Model Junior Secondary School.
The group received 4 main awards: Best International School Debate Team, Overall Best Team within the junior class, Best Debater Award, and Best Leadership Award, alongside 12 medals for excellent particular person performances.
The governor accepted the group’s request to take part within the 2027 competitors, saying monetary rewards for the varsity and the officers who facilitated the group’s participation.
Mr Otti introduced N750,000 each for 3 schooling officers concerned within the college students’ participation and N1 million for the Executive Chairman of the Abia State Universal Basic Education Board (ASUBEB), Lydia Onuoha.
He additionally accepted N1.75 million for Abia Model Junior Secondary School, which produced the debating group.
Mr Otti introduced one other N1 million reward for Okonkwo Onyinyechi, winner of the 2026 National Essay Championship.
Scholarship for orphaned woman
Mr Otti additionally directed the Alex Otti Foundation to sponsor 15-year-old Esther Christian, captain of the debate group, making an exception to its ordinary undergraduate scholarship programme.
“Because you lost your dad when you were four, today you have another dad. So, the Alex Otti Foundation takes over your sponsorship,” Mr Otti mentioned.
The governor mentioned that the choice was an exception to the inspiration’s ordinary apply of supporting undergraduates.
He mentioned the woman could be admitted into its scholarship programme earlier than college.
Mr Otti congratulated the scholars and counseled their coaches, faculty authorities and different stakeholders, urging the group to maintain its dedication to excellence.
He mentioned that his administration was renovating public colleges and enhancing educating and studying amenities throughout the state.
The governor disclosed that the federal government had accepted 21 sensible colleges, with two accomplished and handed over, whereas a 3rd was anticipated earlier than the top of the 12 months.
He urged people, group leaders and different stakeholders to undertake colleges of their communities to enhance authorities efforts.
Mr Otti mentioned the federal government was working to deploy armed personnel of the Homeland Security outfit to varsities to guard pupils and faculty property.
Commendation for Abia authorities
Earlier, the Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Aisha Garba, counseled the state authorities’s funding in schooling.
Ms Garba, represented by the fee’s Abia Coordinator, Unyime Umoetti, urged political workplace holders and different stakeholders to help grassroots improvement by visiting their communities and adopting native colleges.
She inspired the scholars to stay centered and pursue better achievements.
In her remarks, the ASUBEB chairman, Ms Onuoha, mentioned the group received 4 trophies and 12 medals on the worldwide championship, competing in opposition to groups from Jordan, Pakistan, India, Kenya and Ghana.
She mentioned that Chukwuemeka Akamnonu received the Best Speaker Award within the ultimate, including that the group’s success mirrored ongoing investments in class renovations, instructor coaching and free, obligatory fundamental schooling.
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Speaking on behalf of the dad and mom of the debate group members, Christopher Akamnonu, thanked the federal government for its efforts in enhancing the usual of schooling within the state.
Mr Akamnonu mentioned Abia’s funding in schooling was reworking the varsity system within the state and creating alternatives for college students to excel.
Speaking on behalf of the group, Miss Christian mentioned the group competed in opposition to 84 groups and 168 debaters, with all 5 members rating among the many world’s prime 10 audio system.
She thanked the governor, the group’s coach, Emmanuel Chigozie, and different stakeholders for supporting the group, pledging that the scholars would proceed to try for excellence.
The ceremony featured the presentation of certificates and trophies to the champions and schooling officers, in addition to an illustration of the British Parliamentary debating format by the scholars.
The names of the debaters are Simon Nduoma, aged 18; Chikodi Nmesooma, aged 15; Akamnonu, aged 16; and Ifeanyichukwu Cherechukwu, aged 16.
(NAN)
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