A 16-year-old student of St John’s the Apostle High School, Odakpu, Onitsha, Miss Chioma Nziwu, emerged the winner of the second edition of the Igbo Spelling Bee competition, also known as ‘Oka Nsupe Igbo’, in Anambra State. Nziwu, a Senior Secondary School (SSS 2) student was adjudged the best student in the three areas of the Igbo language in which the candidates were tested in the finals decided in Onitsha on Friday.
Kosiso Ojukwu and Chiagozie Ekemere, both of Mater Christi Group of Schools, Awada, finished second and third places in the very educating and keenly contested competition.
The winners won prizes of N150,000, N100,000 and N50,000 respectively as rewards.
The Igbo Spelling Bee ‘Oka Nsupe Igbo’ competition is a programme of the Onitsha Business School, Onitsha, the organisers of Onitsha City Marathon.
Mr. Chinemelum Nsobundu, Programme Manager of the competition, said about 15 secondary schools from across Anambra State entered for the competition while only three made it to the final stage. Nsobundu said the judges were Igbo scholars from the university and seasoned teachers of the language.
Also speaking, Mr. Chinedu Aniagboso, the Director of the Programme, said Oka Nsupe Igbo was a response to the fear that some indigenous languages, including Igbo, would go extinct if conscious efforts were not made to preserve them. Aniagboso said the competition had increased the interest of teachers and students in Igbo language since the first edition was held in May last year. He expressed satisfaction with the quality of the competition as shown in the proficient manner the students answered the questions.
Prof. Olusegun Sogbesan, the Director General of Onitsha Business School, called on traditional institutions, schools and businesses to key into the programme and support it for greater outcomes. Sogbesan said beyond spelling and writing Igbo, stakeholders should reincarnate lost words and develop new ones to enable people to communicate fluently in the language without injecting foreign words. He commended students and teachers of the schools that took part and called on others to endeavour to participate in subsequent editions.
Miss Oluebube Ogbonna, a 14-year-old student of Divine Rays British School, Obosi, in Idemili North LGA, was the winner of the first edition of the competition.
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