By Chuks Eke
His Grace, Most Rev. Valerian Maduka Okeke, the Metropolitan Catholic Archbishop of Onitsha Ecclesiastical Province has said he established Archbishop Valerian Okeke Science Competition, AVOSCO among junior and senior secondary school students in the Archdiocese to give them the opportunity to develop and expand their talents.
He opined that once the students develop their talents and imbibe learning culture at their youthful age, the sky would be their limit in terms of attaining greatness in life, thus becoming useful to themselves and to the society.
Archbishop Okeke who spoke yesterday at the Basilica of the Most Holy Trinity, Onitsha, Anambra state shortly after a march past by the students marking the last stage of the competition, said as an educationist himself, he loves to see students develop their talents in science, arts and technology.
He noted that why he specifically instituted a science-oriented competition of this nature was because everything good about life revolves around science, adding, “the computers we use to browse, the radio we use to listen to news, the electricity, the vehicles, the aeroplanes, the telephones and others used for necessities of life are products of science”.
He however commended the students who took the first, second and third positions at the end of the competition and urged others to work harder to brace up for future competitions.
He also commended parents, teachers, principals and managers of various schools in the Archdiocese for their efforts in ensuring that the students’ talents are developed at this early stage.
In their various speeches, the Archdiocesan Education Secretary, Rev. Fr. Paschal Onwugbenu who organized the competition and the Proprietor of Divine Rays British School, Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Obimma (a.k.a. Fr. Ebube Muonso) whose school, Divine Rays British School, Obosi won the first position in the senior secondary schools category, described the Archbishop Okeke as an encyclopedia who loves children.
Highlight of the event featured the distribution of cash and prizes to winners and runners up of junior and senior secondary schools categories.
In the senior category, Ofomata Ifeanyichukwu Ernest, from Fr. Ebube Muonso’s Divine Rays British School scored 78 percent to assume first position, while Obiano Dennis Okwuchukwu from St. Joseph’s Seminary School, Awka-Etiti and Okpala Henrietta Chidera from St. Kizito Girls secondary school, Umudioka scored 72 percent and 65 percent each to emerge second and third positions respectively.
In the junior category, Ugochukwu Desmond Chimdindu of the Christ the King College, CKC, Onitsha scored first position with 90 percent, while Ezeoke Chioma Lucy of the Queen of the Rosary College, QRC, Onitsha and Mmoka Francis Chukwubuikem of the All Hallows Seminary School, Onitsha scored 88 percent and 87 percent each to assume second and third positions respective
