Presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 general election, Mr Peter Obi, on Friday, July 4, visited Anambra school that won the Nigeria-UK debate competition, St. John Vianney Science Collage, Ukwulu.
Students of St. John Vienney Science College, Ukwulu, Dunukofia local government area of Anambra state, on Thursday, June 19, emerged the overall winner of the inaugural edition of Nigeria-UK debate competition.
The Anambra school beat their counterparts from both Nigeria and the United Kingdom to clinch the coveted prize in which top-ranking schools from both countries participated. The competition was organized by Bring it On Africa, in collaboration with DEBATE MATE, UK, one of the world’s foremost debating institutions.
This competition was initiated to launch a powerful intellectual exchange between Nigeria and the United Kingdom.
The high-powered competition involved four schools specially chosen and invited to represent Nigeria and four schools specially chosen and invited to represent the United Kingdom. St. John Vianney Science College, happened to be among the invited schools.
In the first round, SJVSC won Maghull High School Team, London; and in the second round, the Anambra school also won the Central Foundation Girls School, London.
Two schools from Nigeria emerged for the finals namely, St. Augustine College, Jos; who are the reigning champions of the national debate competition held in November, 2024, and St. John Vianney Science College, Ukwulu, Anambra state.
However, students of SJVSC gave in a fiery fight, and snatched the golden laurel from St. Augustine’s Jos to emerge overall champions.
With this, SJVSC students will be travelling to the United Kingdom in December this year to represent Nigeria in the grand finale of the competition.
Meanwhile, Peter Obi, known for his love and huge investment in education, during his visit to the school on Friday, July 4, also made a donation of ten million naira (N10m) to support the school in their preparation ahead of the next line of competition slated for December, 2025.
Presenting the cheque,
Obi said that inadequate investment in education has kept Nigeria underdeveloped. He categorically stated that quality education is a propeller for sustainable development.
According to the former Anambra governor, there is no greater investment than the one in human capital and education sectors. He argued that the more the government invests in education, the faster the nation grows.
“If oil makes a country rich, Venezuela would have been the richest country in the world because, they have ten times more oil than Nigeria and most countries of the world. But we could see that it is not about oil, it is about knowledge,” he stated.
He commended the SJVSC students: Chinenyenwa Jennifer, Emeoli Benjamin, Obiokafor Catherine and Onwuegbusi Valentine, for conquering the world in the International Science Debate Competition.
He encouraged the students to be focused and study hard as education will make them great and outstanding in life.
Mr Obi said Nigeria could not do much in building rails, power and other sectors because, it has not invested in that which is important and critical to development.
He thanked the director of the school, Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Obimma (Fr. Ebube Muonso), for doing what government is supposed to be doing in the education sector.
The proprietor of St. John Vienney Science College, Ukwulu, Fr. Obimma, thanked Obi for his kind gesture describing him as a great pillar of education Nigeria.
“We thank God for people like His Excellency, Peter Obi, who have been supporting with his philanthropic spirit. We leverage on their philanthropic gestures. I don’t have much; but I believe in buying humanity. I am very happy that the vision is a reality. We are already doing well. We are success-oriented, “ he said.
The students also thanked Obi for his love for education, which they said, is impossible to underestimate.
They noted that the encouragement from Peter Obi would go a long way to encourage them to face the next competition which is slated for December this year.
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