UBA Essay Competitors: College students insult ASUU over strike as a substitute of answering query

For the twelfth version of its annual essay competitors amongst secondary college college students in Nigeria, the United Financial institution for Africa Basis requested contributors to write down on the subject: “ASUU strike has typically value Nigerian college students time. Advise governments on how they’ll attain an settlement with ASUU to enhance tertiary training within the nation.”

However in its report introduced on Monday throughout the grand finale of the competitors on the headquarters of the monetary establishment in Lagos, the four-member panel of judges mentioned a great variety of scripts out of about 5,000 acquired, lamented the strike by the lecturers.

The report was learn on behalf of the panel by a Professor of English Literature on the Usmanu Danfodiyo College, Sokoto (UDUS), Asabe Kabir. Different members embody Emmanuel Omobowale, Ini Uko and Samuel Onuigbo, all professors from varied universities.

In line with Mrs Asabe, the judges had been excited concerning the matter, saying they’d thought its liberality should “have given the scholars impartial reasoning to specific new concepts broadmindedly with unadulterated factors, devoid of a lot plagiarism as have been noticed in earlier years, particularly from those that would quickly be a part of the college system.”

Nevertheless, the panel mentioned it was unlucky that most of the candidates didn’t appear to grasp the subject or what was anticipated from them as a result of: “Some wrote within the letter kind as a substitute of the essay kind; a lot of them used bullets to current their concepts in segments; a lot of them focused on the ASUU strike that was subsisting at the moment, despite the fact that the subject was conceptual and never precise; some had been very passionate concerning the strike and concentrated extra on the historical past of ASUU, the variety of strikes in Nigeria, the roles of successive governments in mitigating ASUU strikes.”

The report added: “Others went forward to vituperate the members of ASUU and condemn them for occasionally interrupting the training of Nigerian youth, amongst many different issues relatively than suggesting viable and sensible methods of addressing the difficulty at hand.”

Mrs Asabe mentioned most of the college students went forward to coin new subjects to swimsuit their understanding of what was anticipated of them. “In consequence, we got here throughout subjects like: “Breaking Free from the cycle of strikes”; “Time is Treasured; Finish Strike”; “ASUU – yesterday, at present, tomorrow”; “Restructuring tertiary training in Nigeria”; “ASUU strike and its affect on the federal government”; “ASUU strikes: the elixir”; “ASUU strikes: On reflection”; “All you’ll want to know concerning the ASUU-FG dispute”; “Proffering magic bullet to ASUU’s incessant strike”; “Strike – A blow to the nation” amongst a number of related subjects.”

Winners emerge

In the meantime, out of the virtually 5,000 entries, Mrs Asabe mentioned 12 had been capable of proceed to the following stage by writing on one other matter: “Nigeria and the Mind Drain: The Interface between a Higher Life and a Lack of Fortunes”.

The report, nevertheless, additional famous that the judges’ hope that the brand new matter would “generate sprightly and possible dialogue was nevertheless dashed once we famous throughout the analysis of the essays that most of the college students didn’t even know or perceive the idea ‘mind drain’”.

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The panel linked the event to what it described as “the slim scope of the scholar’s understanding of social points.”

However on the finish of the analysis, a 15-year-old pupil of the Federal Authorities Ladies Faculty, Ikot-Obio Itong, Akwa-Ibom State, Usongubong Paul, was ranked first, scoring 69 per cent. She was rewarded with a scholarship value N5 million, and acquired a laptop computer, amongst different presents.

Princess Sholabomi, 15, of Worth Spring Faculty, Lagos, was ranked second scoring 65.5 per cent, and was rewarded with N3,000,000 instructional grant and a laptop computer; whereas the third prize of N2,500,000 and a laptop computer was gained by one other 15-year outdated student- Sharon Nwajiaku of Ota Complete Academy, Ogun State.

The opposite 9 finalists, which included just one boy, Daniel Idom, additionally acquired laptops, amongst different comfort prizes.

Winner speaks

Miss Usongobong, who was accompanied to the occasion by a member of the varsity’s multimedia staff, Akanyere Chigozie, mentioned she was excited by the feat, saying she by no means anticipated she may go that far within the competitors.

She mentioned: “I’m so grateful to the UBA Basis for this nice alternative. It has helped me to consider in myself and bolstered my confidence. This scholarship will go a good distance in the direction of helping in my dream to grow to be an ophthalmologist. This chance has modified my life.”

UBA CEO, others converse

The financial institution’s Group Managing Director and Chief Govt Officer, Oliver Alawuba, mentioned the establishment stays vested within the African youth, describing them as the way forward for the continent.

READ ALSO: 14-year-old wins UBA essay competitors, will get N2.5 million

He mentioned: “As a financial institution, we’re concerned with empowering our youth, and to do that, we should educate them, by way of efforts similar to these. The reality is that we’re launching these programmes in all of the 20 international locations the place UBA has presence. Already, a few of these international locations have began. I used to be in Sierra Leone just a few weeks in the past the place the NEC was held, and I used to be actually inspired by the keenness and participation. Since we at UBA know that our future lies with our youngsters, they are going to take Africa to the world the place it must be.”

Additionally talking, the Chairman of the UBA Basis, Kennedy Uzoka, congratulated the finalists, noting that throughout the final 12 years of its introduction, the competitors has provided scholarships to over 60 college students, “and we’ve got been capable of produce docs, engineers, legal professionals by way of this platform.”

The Managing Director of the Basis, Bola Atta, mentioned: “Each pupil who despatched in an entry is a winner. To be assured about your writing expertise and impressive sufficient to enter a contest to additional improve your instructional path is laudable. For people who didn’t come first this yr, I might say don’t be discouraged. Take it as a problem to good your writing expertise and enter for the competitors once more subsequent yr.”

Judges’ suggestions

Based mostly on their findings, the judges of their report mentioned the standard of the essays is a mirrored image of the very fact “that many youths should not conversant with the happenings and realities of their quick atmosphere.

“This actually requires a reawakening from not solely college authorities but in addition mother and father. This era must grapple with the realities on floor if we wish to have any significant mental growth and sound nation constructing. One can solely counsel or proffer options to identified issues and challenges and never the opposite approach round,” the report mentioned.