Kosofe Constituency 1 Lawmaker doles out N.5m on winners of maiden Okla Inter School Debate Competition

• as Master Christopher Precious emerges one day lawmaker

Lagos State House of Assembly member representing Kosofe 1, Hon. Sanni Ganiyu Okanlawon has doled out half a million naira cash prize to winners of the maiden edition of Okla Inter School Debate Competition to spur students’ competence in speech act and confidence and composure to assert themselves in future,,

Okanlawon who is Chairman House Committee on Education, declared that the winner will enjoy the privilege to be Kosofe 1 lawmaker for a whole day; he also gave a varying cash prize gift to the first, second and third position winners, ranging from 250,000, 150,000 and 100,000 naira respectively.

The lawmaker stressed that the event is borne out of his love for educational growth. “The idea is to develop our students to boost their creative ability; education does not have to stop within the four walls of the school, even outside the school you learn a lot of things, no matter how old you are you must continue to learn.

“I have a feeling that we must continue to groom and nurture our younger ones and government cannot do it alone.

“Education is in the front burner to this government, little wonder the education ministry shared the second position in the budget ladder in Lagos state that is to show to you that government is taking Education very seriously.

“There are lots of improvements, gone are the days we say we don’t have enough teachers in the schools, we have teachers and are deploying them into the schools. As they retire we employ new ones, we have benches, desks, infrastructure abounds. Now we have a conducive learning environment.

“Government cannot do it all that is why we are supporting, by carrying out some intervention programmes many done in time past, this particular one is to improve the communication skills of our students, building self confidence in them preparing them for this 21st century model of learning that is why we have this debate competition amongst our students.

“All geared towards providing qualitative education. I urge the students to continue being serious with their studies and jettison all forms of vices and criminalities in order for them to be great in life.” Said Okanlawon .

Master Christopher Precious, a student of Ogudu senior Grammar School who emerged a day lawmaker at the maiden edition of a debate competition organized by the lawmaker amongst Public Secondary School students within Kosofe Constituency 1 was overjoyed.

Christopher whose school was seeded in group C for the debate bout with the topic: ’Government Should Spend More Money on Security than Education’, came out top with concise delivery of points to argue their stance, good comportment which convincingly won the hearts of the audience and judges, he garnered 72 percent based on the compliance level with afore stated parameters.

The Tutor General TGPS Education District II, Mrs. Anike Adekanye who also made separate gift presentations to the schools for making her proud, having marshaled their points on the topic of debate so well, basked in the euphoria of so many wins in her kitty within the district.

In commemoration of the recent birthday celebration of the Head of Service Mr. Hakeem Murhi –Okunola, a number of life jackets were presented for the use of students in the riverine area of Kosofe 1.

Mrs.Abiola Seriki Ayeni the Director General Quality Assurance Lagos State, while commenting on the laudable feats of the lawmaker in his constituency and across the state, she note that he has always being putting state officials in the education sector on their toes ever since he assumed the chairmanship of the education committee in the house and doing his best for the children.

The other six schools who took part in the debate competition are: Anthony Village Senior High School which came second with 51 percent, Mende Senior High School 48 percent, followed by Ifako Comprehensive School, Muslim Senior College, Immaculate Comprehensive Senior High School and Ojota Senior Secondary School.

 Also present to grace the epoch making event were: Hon. Alade Aigoro, Alhaji Kehinde Bello, Mrs. Adeleye lead a delegation of All Nigeria Confederation Principals of Secondary Schools ANCOPSS, representative of the Education Secretary Mrs . Otunaike and host of others.

The elated winner Master Christopher Precious said, “I return all glory to God for making me the winner of this debate competition, I didn’t see it coming. Thanks for the organizers of this kind of programme it equip students to know their weak points and strength, this has brought me out as a light, this would have died in me.

“I advise the government to do more of this kind of programme because not all the student will be good in debate, some might find their voice in quiz, so doing more of this activities will bring out the eagles in the students, because some people will die with the eagle in them not knowing they have it.

“Today I know what I am carrying owing to this programme so say a big thank you to the organizers. I feel so excited having emerged a day lawmaker, I never expected it.