Winner Emerges in Seplat’s Competition

Sylvester Idowu in Warri

Students of the Presentation National High School Benin City, Edo State, recently won the star prize of N7 million in seventh edition of Seplat Pearl Quiz Competition held in
Asaba, Delta State. The competition which commenced on Monday, October 8, 2018, ended last Friday, with each of the three student representatives of the star prize winner rewarded with the sum of N100,000 and a laptop. Seplat also rewarded the second place winner, Lawrence Prentice
Academy, Delta State with N3 million prize money for a project in their school, while the three student representatives got the sum of N75,000.00 each.

Also, winners of the third place prize, University Preparatory Secondary School (U.P.S.S.), Benin got N1 million cash prize, while each student representative was rewarded with the sum of N50,000.00. Speaking at the event, Governor of Delta State, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa who was represented by Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Mr. Chiedu Ebie, thanked Seplat for the initiative which he said was in
tandem with the state government education goals. The Operations Director of Seplat, Mr. Effiong Okon, who represented
Seplat CEO, Mr. Austin Avuru, said the oil company is constant seeking ways to further give back to its host communities.

“The Pearls Quiz programme is one of Seplat’s CSR initiatives, which we take very seriously not just because it inspires excellence in secondary school children in public and private schools in our host states but also because it addresses the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) number 4”, he added.

He told his audience present that education was important to Seplat because, “if you get education right every other thing will fall into place.”
He added that was why the company spent a lot of time strategising to make the Pearls Quiz competition work, saying it would keep expanding the initiative. Earlier, the General Manager, External Affairs and Communications, Seplat Petroleum Development, Dr. Chioma Nwachukwu, highlighted the positive impact of the programme in their host communities.
According to her, Seplat remains committed to running the Pearl quiz annually to promote academic excellence and healthy competition, while motivating and encouraging the spirit of teamwork.

“The competition has afforded the organisation the opportunity to intervene in the provision of scholarships to 51 students, provision
of furniture and stationery to 15 schools across Delta and Edo, host states of the company and 4 winning schools have been awarded
brand-new 16-seater Toyota Hiace buses, she said. “We have been involved with the implementation of valuable
infrastructural projects in 15 schools, as well as numerous consolation prizes doled out over the years, she said adding, the
figures keep increasing at the end of each edition of the competition.”