OGHENETEJIRI NYERHOVWO
Students of the Presentation National High School Benin City, Edo State have won the star prize of N7million that will be used to execute specific projects in the school in the seventh (2018$ edition of Seplat Etroleum Development Company Pearl Quiz Competition that took place at Unity Hall, Government House, Asaba, Delta State.
The competition which commenced on Monday, October 8, 2018 came to a rousing finale with each of the three student representatives of the star prize winner smiling home with the sum of N100, 000 each and a laptop.
Seplat Petroleum Development Company also rewarded the second place winner, Lawrence Prentice Academy, Delta State with N3m prize money for a project in their school while the three student representatives got the sum of N75, 000.00 each.
Third place school was University Preparatory Secondary School (U.P.S.S.), Benin, they smiled home with N1m cash prize that is also tied to specific project while each student representatives was rewarded with the sum of N50, 000.00.
Speaking at the event, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, Governor of Delta State who was represented by Mr. Chiedu Ebie,Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education expressed appreciation to Seplat for the initiative which he said was in tandem with the state government education goals.
The Operations Director of Seplat, Mr. Effiong Okon, who represented Mr. Austin Avuru, Chief Executive Officer(CEO), Seplat Petroleum Development Company at the event said that it was a constant discussion at Seplat to find out more ways in which the company can further give to its host communities.
According to him, “the Pearls Quiz programme is one of Seplat’s Corporate Social Responsibility(CSR) initiatives which we take very seriously not just because it inspires excellence in secondary school children in public and private schools in our host states of EDO and Delta but also because it addresses the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) number 4.”
He further noted that education was important to Seplat because if you get education right every other thing will fall into place and that is why they spend a lot of time at Seplat strategising to make the Pearls Quiz competition work and hence will keep expanding it.
Earlier, Dr. Chioma Nwachukwu, General Manager, External Affairs and Communications, Seplat Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) highlighted the positive impact of the programme in their host communities.
According to her, “Seplat is committed to running the Pearl quiz annually to promote academic excellence and healthy competition, while motivating and encouraging the spirit of teamwork”.
She added, “the competition has afforded the organisation the opportunity to intervene in the provision of scholarships to 51 students, provision of furniture and stationery to 15 schools across Delta and Edo, host states of the company and 4 winning schools have been awarded brand-new 16-seater Toyota Hiace buses. .
“We have been involved with the implementation of valuable infrastructural projects in 15 schools, as well as numerous consolation prizes doled out over the years, she said adding, the figures keep increasing at the end of each edition of the competition.”
This year, all the teachers who prepared and accompanied the students were presented valuable gifts for their effort. Even Marble Hill School fro Delta State which came fourth, took home prizes while each participating student got N10,000 (Ten thousand naira)
