Edo and Rivers States have emerged the winners of the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) South-South zonal essay writing, quiz and debate competitions.

The two states were adjudged the best out of the six states that participated in the competitions, in science and technology, organised for secondary schools,  held in Port Harcourt, recently.

However, Edo came first with 147 points, Rivers took second position with 144 points while Akwa Ibom state had 143 points to come third to beat the other three states from the South-South zone.

Speaking to The Tide at the end of the event, the Director of Science and Technical Education, Rivers State Ministry of  Education, Mr Nedinukah Elechi, expressed optimism that Edo and Rivers States would represent the South-South zone well at the national level.

Mr Elechi said that the need for such competition cannot be over-emphasized since it would help to improve the students vocabulary as well as understanding their peers. He commended PTDF for encouraging and inspiring the students to action and called on other organisations to give scholarship to students’ in the zone.

According to him; “As far as I know, there is a great impact being played by the Rivers State Government to ensure that science and technology development is in place and rightful position, especially in the building of model primary and secondary schools which have met international standards.

Mr Elechi, who is also the Chairman of Science Teachers’ Association of Nigeria (STAN), Rivers State Branch, pointed out that there are over 700 secondary schools in the state stressing that to “catch them young” involves a lot of fund since you must go to the rural areas.

“It is not just organising it at the urban level, we also go to the villages because some hidden talents may be found there, local government, senatorial, state and then zonal levels,” he said.

Also speaking to newsmen, resources person, consultant, National Mathematical Centre, Abuja, Prof Benjamin Oyelami, said the programme is to build future leaders for Nigeria.

Prof Oyelami  explained that some of the debate topics are things that are needed to develop the nation and maintained that the young ones need to be educated for them to understand Nigerian problems.

“They need to know how to solve them, because when they become leaders, they would be such that are well informed, about the problems faced by the nation even as leaders in the National Assembly, thus the topic of the debate; “Nigerian Local Content Act, if implemented will have a positive impact not only on petroleum industry but on other aspects of Nigerian economy.”

Professor of  Science and Mathematics, advised the National Assembly to expedite action to see that the law is put in place.

In his words: “Of course, we have to start from somewhere, technology as we recall cannot be transferred easily, so you have to provide a room wherein you bring in competent hands to train your people in areas where you are not competent.

Earlier in a remark, the Executive Secretary, PTDF, Dr Muttaqha Rabe Darma, stated that the programme is used to advance knowledge in the sciences at the secondary school level by arousing the interest and consciousness of young Nigerians at the nascent stage of education.

He said the veil of technicality that tends to discourage students at the secondary school level of education from choosing subjects that would lead to a career in the petroleum industry would be removed.

Eunice Choko Kayode