THE TENSION WAS palpable as scholars battled to win the star prizes at the Spelling Master Season 3 that took place last Saturday in Oshogbo, the Osun State capital.
This was even as Sheroes, the awards company unveiled five outstanding individuals as the 2023 Role Models.
The events that took place at the SUBEB Hall, Abere had schools from the three Senatorial districts of the state. At the event, the Sheroes Awards unveiled five important personalities as Role Models for 2023.
According to Mr. Olanrewaju Akinfenwa, CEO of Life Intelligent Quotient Pathfinder Limited, the Role Model Award was to present the young ones with morally sound individuals who had achieved greatness in their chosen career, who could be looked up to, as against the sordid news of Yahoo boys maiming and killing for rituals.
The young ones, he added, should have heroes and heroines to look up to.
Declaring the event open, the Executive Secretary of Osun State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) Alhaji Adekunle Yahya Bakare, enjoined the students/pupils to cultivate reading culture because it was often said that “knowledge is power.”
“Please endeavour to make reading a daily habit, reading should be done not only for academic purposes, but to widen our scope of knowledge. In so doing, you will be investing greatly in your future.
“I commend the tireless efforts of the organiser, the teachers who have tutored these children and all other stakeholders. Thanks for your commitment. May God Crown your efforts with success”, he said.
In a speech read on his behalf by the Director of Schools, Mr. Joseph Abiola, Bakare stated: “This type of competition helps learners enhance their vocabularies with correct pronunciation and critical thinking skills. I therefore want to advise the participating contestant to enhance the true spirit of sportsmanship as each school has sent its best spellers to participate and three (3) students and three (3) pupils will be honoured as the Spelling Master winners. It is worthy to note that each participant in this Competition is a Champion in their individual capacity because they have all demonstrated their skills as great spellers in their various schools”.
Prof. Kehinde Olusegun, DFCS, president and chairman of Council, Certified Institute of Cooperatives and Social Enterprise, CICOSEMA moderated the event.
The Role Models for 2023 are Mrs. Adebisi Ganiyat Olatunde, founder and CEO of Abebi Foods; Dr. Akinkunmi Alabi, general manager of Fresh FM; Engr. Adisa Uthman Adekunle, founder and CEO of Armstrong Paints; Arc Ogedengbe Ayodeji Olusola, founder and CEO of Artdeco and Femi Adefila, PhD, founder and CEO of Rave FM and Western Spring TV.
“This programme must be supported, sponsored by men and women of goodwill and even by the government”, Dr. Alabi said while receiving the 2023 Role Model Award at the event, promising that he would be playing host to the winners at his radio station.
CEO of Abebi, Mrs. Olatunde, who was represented by her daughter, Miss Hibatullah OreOluwa, enjoined the students to take life seriously and let the experiences of the competition propel them to step up their games.
Comrade Remi Ayanlade, the Chief Examiner/Chief Judge was supported by Mr. Omoniyi Owoeye of SUBEB and Mr. Tunde Ayanlade, CEO of AbramNireti Development Initiative as Examiners and Judges.
At the Primary Category, Miss Opeyemi Famosa of Samfort Hephzibah, Osogbo came first and went home with a phone and sets of books; Miss Ameenat Sulaiman of Al-Hidayah Academy, Ifon Osun came second and went home with a mobile printer and Master Habeeb Tepamose also of Al-Hidayah Academy, Ifon Osun came third and went home with educational toy and set of books.
The Secondary School Category had Master Mohammed Enero Isiaka of Flourishing Schools, Ofatedo, come first and go away with an Asus laptop and a set of books, while Abdur-rahman Atolagbe of Al-Hidayah Academy, Ede, was second and went home with an Android Tablets.
The third position went to Nafiu Abdurrosheed of Al-Azeez Prudential Academy, Ifon Osun, who went home with an Android phone and a set of books.
The fourth position went to Adekunmi Abolade Abdul-Malik of Crystalline Montessori of Osogbo who went home with sets of books.
All the participants went home with a Certificate of Participation, Spelling Master big notes each and books.
Dr Yinka Anjous, FCS delivered a lecture on the Techniques of Spelling.
