Governor Obaseki Lauds Consistency of Seplat PEARLS Quiz Competition

…as Don Bosco Science Academy, Ekpoma Emerges Winner of 2019 Edition.

By Lucky Isibor

Edo state governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki has commended the management of Seplat Petroleum Development Company Plc for its consistency in the organisation of the Seplat PEARLS Quiz competition noting that it is one out of the several community initiatives the oil production company is involved in.

He said he was pleased that the quiz competition has run for an uninterrupted 8- year stretch.

Governor Obaseki stated this in his opening remarks at the 2019 edition of the Seplat PEARLS Quiz competition held Friday, October 25, 2019 at Imaguero College, Benin City.

According to the governor who was represented by the state Commissioner for Education, Hon. Jimoh Igiegbae, “I will like to thank the management and staff of Seplat Petroleum Development, for their consistency in organising the Seplat PEARLS Quiz Competition for an uninterrupted 8- year stretch.

“Your consistency and commitment becomes even more evident when one considers the fact that this competition is merely one out of several community initiatives you are involved in. I know you have one dedicated to health care, and another dedicated to promote exceptional and responsible leaders. I really commend your efforts,” he said.

The governor pointed out that his administration is making the right investments in education in the realization that the state will only have future if the children have future, noting, “As you must well know, these children are a core priority for us in Edo state. We are making the right investments in them because we believe our state will have a future only when they have a future. This is why we launched Edo-BEST initiative”.

While welcoming the participants, invited secondary schools in Edo and Delta states and other invited guests to the occasion, the CEO of Seplat Petroleum Development Company Plc, Mr. Austin Avuru, pointed out that the quiz competition was initiated by the company to improve the academic standards in Edo and Delta states, rekindle the spirit of academic excellence and healthy competition by rewarding the scholarship in the young ones.

The CEO who was represented by the company’s General Manager, Western Assets, Mr. Chima Njoku, said, “the main objective is to improve the academic standards in both states which are our host states. The programme also aims to rekindle the spirit of academic excellence and healthy competition in the youth by motivating, encouraging and rewarding the scholarship spirit in their young minds, while also inculcating the benefits of team work”.

While enumerating the processes that qualify the schools and students to take part in the quiz competition, Mr. Avuru said, “Seplat PEARLS Quiz is implemented in two stages, the test stage (where all public and private secondary schools take a qualifing test) and the competition stage where the qualified schools go head- to- head and losers are eliminated until a Champion emerges for the year”.

He disclosed that Seplat has built a language laboratory, embarked on construction in three schools in areas of roofing a building, decking a block for new class rooms, flooring an entire school premises with interlocking tiles to stave off erosion, upgrade computer laboratories in five different schools and provided brand new buses for four schools who won the quiz competition previously.

Also speaking, the governor of Delta state, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa lauded Seplat’s passion for education in Edo and Delta states.

Governor Okowa who was represented by the Delta State Commissioner for Oil and Gas, Prince Emmanuel Amgbaduba, urged students in both states to make good use of the opportunity availed them by Seplat PEARLS Quiz competition by redoubling their efforts in their studies.

At the end of the keenly contested quiz, Don Bosco Science Academy, Ekpoma scored 74 points to emerge winners after defeating Peniel Academy, Agbor with 58 points, while the third position went to Deeper Life High School, Delta Campus, Opete, Udu after defeating Brano Secondary School, Benin City.

The champion of the quiz competition, Don Bosco Academy, Ekpoma went home with a prize of seven million naira while their students got one hundred and fifty thousand naira each. Peniel Academy, Agbor, the first runner up got three million naira while their students got seventy five thousand naira each just as Deeper Life High School, the second runner up got one million naira while their students went home with fifty thousand naira each.

The schools were also presented with laptop computers and note books for the students.

High point of the occasion was the presentation of prizes to the participating schools and the students who participated in the quiz competition.