ANA: Gwagwalada, Garki, Abaji win poetry contest
Government Secondary School, Gwagwalada, Abuja has emerged the overall winner of the maiden edition of Timothy Okon Poetry Price for schools in the Federal Capital Territory. At the competition organised by the Association of Nigerian Authors, (ANA) Abuja chapter, Onyinye Daniel of GSS Gwagwalada received the N50, 000 star price. Akpakpan Edidiong of GSS Garki […]
Some of the participants at the poetry contest, with ANA Abuja president Halima Usman (3rd left)
Government Secondary School, Gwagwalada, Abuja has emerged the overall winner of the maiden edition of Timothy Okon Poetry Price for schools in the Federal Capital Territory.
At the competition organised by the Association of Nigerian Authors, (ANA) Abuja chapter, Onyinye Daniel of GSS Gwagwalada received the N50, 000 star price. Akpakpan Edidiong of GSS Garki came second with a price money of N30, 000 Naira and other study materials while Attah Priscilla of GSS Abaji took the third position with a N20, 000 star price.
According to the chairman ANA Abuja, Mrs. Halima Usman, the event was organised to bring to the fore the importance of education, especially among the younger ones.
While commending the efforts of the teachers in building society through the impartation of knowledge. Usman said, “Teachers are not only parents. They are people who have sacrificed their lives to ensure that you and I are educated. Not all of us are in the education profession. Some are in the civil service and other sectors.
“Some of you will become ministers, governors and ambassadors. Some aim to become lawyers, doctors, journalists but without teachers, you cannot achieve it. That is why we need teachers to help us become something in the future.”
She said the platform will help encourage education among children especially those from the less privileged background.
She added that efforts are being taken to subsequently expand the programme beyond Abuja to other states of the federation.
According to her, the chapter will use Timothy Okon Poetry Price and other initiatives to reach out to schools especially those in the rural areas through poetry, prose and essay writing, distribution of books and other study materials, invitation of celebrity authors to inspire rural students.
The sponsor of the poetry price, Dr.. Timothy Okon who was represented by the Senior Technical Assistant to the Minister of Petroleum, Joe Nwakwe expressed the commitment of Dr. Okon to encourage education through programmes such as this and others especially among the less privileged.
A total of 10 FCT schools participated in the maiden edition of the annual event.