Group photo of the students of Ogbe Secondary School, the overall winner of the competition together with PUPRE VC, Engr Akpofure Rim-Rukeh and other staff at the programme on Tuesday
By Ejiro Nesisa
The outgoing Vice Chancellor Federal University of Petroleum Resources, Effurun, Uvwie Local Government Area, Engr.Prof. Akpofure Rim-Rukeh has admonished students at all levels especially at secondary, to always engage in academic competition as it helps to boost their educational foundations.
Prof. Akpofure Rim-Rukeh gave this charge at special science quiz competition organized by the institution in honour of rounding off his single five years tenure at the institution which took place at 50O Capacity Auditorium on Tuesday.According to him, the society is full of distractions for the children especially at this social media era adding that, since the children are still young, they may not have been influenced negatively and so, can be prepared for higher education.
The erudite scholar said, the University deemed it necessary to organize the quiz competition because of its relevance to students’ foundations as he was also involved in his secondary school days at Okotie-Eboh Grammar School in 1970s. While congratulating the students to have been selected from among their peers to be involved in this competition, he said, they are privileged as it goes to show they are the future students of the institution and therefore charged them to put in their best.
His words:” Let me congratulate all the participants. That you are separated and seated on this chair, it shows you are future students of this University. You are already in science and this is science based University- you are all welcome when the time is ripe.”
While wishing the students good performance, Engr Prof Akpofure Rim-Rukeh assured them that the questions were simple and that, they should not panic. The competition saw the participating schools drawn from Uvwie and Okpe Local Government Areas which were seven schools and they included: Ogbe Secondary School, Oha Secondary School, Ugbolokposo Secondary School, Ogbomro Secondary School, Osubi Secondary School, Orerokpe Secondary School, among others.
The programme which saw questions drawn from Biology, Physics, Chemistry and General Environment was moderated by panelists made up of principal officers of the school who are: Prof.Ikuobese Emovon, Mrs Maria Odiakaose, and Dr Mrs Ogwuche Christiana Ene. At the end of the day, Ogbe Secondary School emerged the overall winner with cash prize of N100,000, Orerokpe Secondary School came 2nd with cash of prize of N75,000 while the 3rd position went to Osubi Secondary School and jubilated home with N50,000. And in addition to institution’s prizes, the wife of the Vice Chancellor magnanimously gave the overall winner the sum of N100, 000, making a total of N200,000, the second position had additional N70,000 making a total of N145,000 while the third had additional N50,000 which made a total of N100,000. The winners were presented the cheque by the Vice Chancellor Engr. Prof. Akpofure Rim-Rukeh who was supported by wife and other staff of the institution.
Group photo of PUPRE VC, Engr. Akpofure Rim-Rukeh , some staff and the various categories of winners at the programme on Tuesday
In his remarks after the results and prizes were presented to the winning students, the Vice Chancellor praised the efforts of the students for putting on brilliant such performances and urged them to keep the flag flying. According to him, this is the beginning as the sky is their limit. His words:”The students have demonstrated academic excellence today at this level, so, we encourage them to keep on reading their books. You can see the seriousness in them, they have not been taken over by the society. We promised, we are ready to absorb them for undergraduate programmes when the time is ripe”.
Prof. Akpofure Rim-Rukeh used the medium to appeal to the Press to do underground work by fishing out students excelling academically so that, they can be celebrated by the society. His words:” l think, the Press need to identify those who are excelling- those yet to be carried away or drifted away from the academic work by the influence of social media. l think, we need to bring them so that, the public will celebrate them”.
The Vice Chancellor expressed gratitude to the management,staff and students of the institution for their support for the success of series of programmes being held to mark his glorious exit of the institution. The highlight of the programme was the treatment of the children to good music to celebrate their victory and the presentation of certificates amidst jubilation.