Posted by By Olubusuyi Adenipekun on
As part of its efforts toward encouraging the nation's undergraduate students in imbibing the virtues of academic excellence.....
As part of its efforts toward encouraging the nation's undergraduate students in imbibing the virtues of academic excellence, First Bank of Nigeria Plc has offered automatic employment to the students who emerged the first best three essay writers in the 2005 Annual Undergraduate Essay Competition held last week, at Agip Recital Hall, Muson Centre, Onikan, Lagos.
Mr. Jacobs Ajekigbe, the Managing Director and Chief Executive of First Bank made this disclosure while delivering his speech at the awards ceremony which formally concluded the 2005 First Bank Undergraduate and Senior Secondary School Quiz Competitions.
The three best essayists are Mr. Chijioke Enyioma Ahuchogu of the Federal University of Technology, Minna, who came first; Mr. Akinwale Paul Omoteji of the University of Ado-Ekiti who came second and Mr. Raboth Eyitayo of the University of Jos who came third in the highly competitive examination.
According to Ajekigbe the three students 'are hereby offered automatic employment by First Bank upon satisfactory completion of their studies, subject of course to their meeting the basic employment criteria with respect to class of degree and age of candidates," adding that Mr. Ndubueze Nwosu of the Bank's Foreign Operations Department and Mr. John Aboh, Executive Director in charge of Banking Operations and Information Technology were employed through the same process.
Thousands of entries were received from university students across the country who wrote on the topic titled: 'Banking Sector Consolidation in Nigeria and the Strategies for Generating Superior Return." The topic was chosen, according to the bank's boss, in order to involve the youths in the discourse emanating from the government's reform agenda of which the on-going consolidation in the banking sector is an integral part.
Ajekigbe further says: 'Undoubtedly, the soundness of the banking system is vital to the stability of the nation's economy. Thus, the banking sector consolidation blueprint is part of the roadmap for the nation's economic revival. Plainly, the topic is designed to enable our students appraise this critical economic issue. The discourse, no doubt, should recognise the role and relevance of the banking system, as well as the challenges posed by the new capital requirement, including the innovations for meeting the expectations of stakeholders, and how the banking system can support the goals of the reform programme."
The entries of the first best three students were adjudged to have done enough justice to this topic and they got handsome rewards for their efforts.
While Mr. Chuchogu who came first smiled home with N150,000, Messrs Omoteji and Eyitayo, the first and second runner-ups got N100,000 and N70,000 respectively. Also, the 4th of 10th essay winners received N40,000 each.
In like manner, the Senior Secondary School Quiz competition, in which many schools had participated at various stages was as stimulating as the Undergraduate Essay Competition. In fact, the scope of the competition was broadened to include attractive prizes for teachers, including their schools.
Master Nnakwue Franklyn of Orgbani Estate Secondary School, Benin City, Edo State emerged the national champion and he got a cash prize of N70,000. His teacher received N50,000 cash while the school collected N250,000 worth of gifts.
Master Okonkwo Onochie of Federal Government College, Enugu and Miss Awojobi Abisola of Christ Ambassadors International College, Ibadan, Oyo State, came 2nd and 3rd, winning cash prizes of N50,000 and N30,000 for themselves respectively. Their teachers received N40,000 and N30,000 each, while their schools collected gift valued N180,000 and N100,000 respectively. Consolation prizes of N20,000 each went to the 4th, 5th and 6th position winners and their teachers and there was a gift to their schools in the same amount.
The invitation of a guest speaker at the awards ceremony was also a novel development. Thus, Professor Peter Okebukola, the outgoing Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC) became the first guest speaker. He spoke on a topic chosen by him titled: 'Forward to 2009 - Hatching the Eggs of Quality University Graduates", a topic that stresses the need to sustain the on-going reforms in the university system so that Nigerians can begin to harvest the dream graduates from 2009 that will be of high quality.
While the Undergraduate Essay Competition, which is open to all undergraduates of Nigerian universities and polytechnics has been on in the last 30 years, the Senior Secondary School Quiz Competition debuted in 2003. However, First Bank Plc bankrolls other education - support initiatives, one of them being the university endowment programme. To date, 15 universities have benefitted from the programme and the combined endowment now stands at over N346 million.
Stressing the key thrust of the annual essay and quiz competitions, Ajekigbe said they are to stimulate intellectual research on topical issues of national relevance among undergraduates while the quiz competition reinforces the quest for multi-dimensional knowledge among secondary school students, adding that both competitions afford youths the opportunity to have a say on national issues and encourage their involvement in the quest for a better society through intellectual discourse rather than through anti-social activities.