Winners Emerge In Spelling Bee Quiz

The Audience was held spell-bound as students from public schools in Lagos State spelt different tongue-twisting words at the grand finale of the 2011 Spelling Bee Competition.

The exciting event which had students of public secondary schools in the state competing for the ultimate prize, which is the “mandate” to act as the “One Day Governor” of the state took place at the Adeyemi Bero Auditorium, The Secretariat, Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos, southw West, Nigeria.

At the end of the event, Akpakpan Iniodu Jones of Baptist Senior High School, Obanikoro, spelt the winning words, “Jekyll and Hyde”, to emerge the 11th winner of the competition while Kayode Ikumelo of Iganmu Senior Grammar School and Okorie John of Army Children Senior High School, Ikeja got the second and third positions respectively.

They got cash prizes of N250,000, N150,000 and N100,000 respectively with trophes.

In the primary school category, 10-year-old Emeka Anyanwu of Baruwa Primary School, Ijeshatedo, spelt the word: “Cyber Space”, to emerge the winner for the 2011 competition while Yetunde Sobowale who was the last girl standing from Baptist Primary School, Somolu and Victor Olaoye of Amikanle Primary School, Agbado, Oke-Odo clinched the second and third positions respectively. They were rewarded with cash prizes of N150,000, N100,000 and N50,000 respectively and trophies .

Speaking at the event, Deputy Governor, Princess Sarah Adebisi Sosan, noted that the competition had continued to ignite quick thinking and create the spirit of healthy rivalry in the students.

She added that such competitions had helped to build the students’ self-confidence while speaking in public as demonstrated by the participants during the competition.

Chief Molade Okoya Thomas, Chairman Board of Trustees of New Era Foundation in his remark, urged the winners to be up and doing as they journey through their academic pursuit. He saluted their courage and brilliant display.

It is worthy to note that past winners of the competition which was initiated by the New Era Foundation in 2001 are doing well in their academic pursuits and various professions.