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By Stephen Adeleye.
The Kogi State chapter of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), on Monday said it has flagged off the 2017 edition of the prestigious ANA/Yusuf Ali Literary Competition, with this year’s focus being on Secondary Schools.
Dr. Kennedy Obohwemu, the State’s Chairman of ANA, told newsmen in Lokoja, that the competition was an attempt to address the rot in the country’s educational sector, saying: “One thing that guarantees freedom and independence is responsibility.
“Responsibility remains the watch word of noble organizations. It is in accordance with these basic principles that ANA-Kogi and the Rotary Club of Lokoja Metro, decided to jointly organise this epoch-making event.
“We have received official permission from the Ministry of Education to carry out this historic event. The initiative will no doubt serve as a veritable tool for community development, which is what both organizations are known for.”
Kennedy added that the multi-disciplinary competition will be held in different stages, with the Grand Finale billed to coincide with the 10th Year Anniversary Celebration of the Rotary Club of Lokoja Metro in September.
He said the history-making competition, geared towards encouraging healthy academic rivalry among youngsters, iss opened to all public and private Secondary Schools spread across all 21 Local Government Areas of Kogi.
“The competition shall cover five (5) categories: Essay Writing, Poetry Contest, Quiz Competition, Debate, Spelling Bee, where schools will be made to lock horns against each other as the competition progresses from stage to stage.
“It is a laudable project and a massive step in the right direction. We are happy partnering with Rotary International and we are positive that lots of new partners would key into the project. Our students deserve it, and even more.
“The Final shall take place on Saturday, September 16th, 2017 in Lokoja. This will be followed by a spectacular Awards Ceremony (red-carpet event) the following Saturday, September 23rd, 2017 in Lokoja,” Kennedy said.
Kennedy, therefore, solicited for the cooperation and support of all the players in the industry (organizers, schools, students, government officials and relevant authorities) , saying that the laudable project would require the backing of all and sundry.
The following prizes and awards have been budgeted for winning students and schools:
1st Prize: N250, 000, 2nd: N150, 000 and 3rd: N100, 000, all worth of scholarships for the five (5) students representing the winning school (lump sum shall cover tuition and exam fees, WAEC, NECO and JAMB)
Others prizes and awards are Desktop and Laptop computers, Award Plaques, Certificates of Merit, Customised T-Shirts & Notebooks, Deep Freezer and Generator, while consolation prizes include Pressing Iron, Blender, Sandwich Toaster, Smart Phones, Schoolbags, Wall Clocks, among others.
ANA is a widely known literary organization committed to the promotion of Nigerian and African literatures. It was founded on 27th June, 1981 during a conference convened by late Professor Chinua Achebe.
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