Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State has promised to encourage competitiveness in youths in the State.
He said encouraging competition is natural and helps to sharpen the skills of the youths who will become our tomorrow’s leaders.
The governor spoke on Tuesday at the Sam Mbakwe Executive Chambers, Government House, Owerri where he rewarded Miss Goodness Opara who won the Imo State year 2020 Shared Prosperity Secondary School Essay Competition.
Governor Uzodimma who offered Miss Goodness Opara of Anara Community Secondary School in Isiala Mbano Local Government Area of Imo State a government Scholarship and N500,000.00 (Five Hundred Thousand Naira) cash, also announced a reward of N250,000.00 (Two Hundred & Fifty Thousand Naira) each to the first and second runners-up in the competition.
The Governor told the winners and their parents, the organizers and coordinators of the competition that he authorized the competition to “deepen the competitive nature of man in our youths and to sharpen the skills as well as expose them to open intellectual competitions”.
He said that another objective is to engender the spirit of sportsmanship that follows such competitions, and to let our young ones appreciate the beauty of democracy. Governor Uzodimma said the choice of Democracy Day for the competition makes it conform to global standards, “and as leaders of tomorrow, the challenges of leadership and its attendant competitiveness must start today”.
The Governor expressed satisfaction with the outcome of the competition and commended the efforts of the winners, organizers and coordinators and promised to make the competition a yearly activity. “Going further we will continue to encourage our children to participate in greater competition”.
Speaking earlier on the competition, the Hon. Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Declan Emelumba informed that the competition was a directive of the Governor as one of the programmes lined up for 2020 Democracy Day celebration and aimed at allowing Imo Children participate in the Democracy Day as well as have a feel of the political horizons in Imo State.
Corroborating Emelumba on the import of the exercise, Coordionator of the competition and Principal, Senior Secondary Section of Federal Government College, Owerri, Rev. Jamike Eke said the competition met all required standards and that the winner and the runners – up are capable of representing the State in any of such competitions all over the world.
He thanked the Governor for giving Imo children such life-long opportunity to showcase their talent and the Coordinators and the school principals in the State the privilege to serve.