Against the backdrop of labelling education as a scam among secondary school students in Delta State, the Olu of Warri Kingdom, HRM Ogiame Atuwatse III, has called on children and youths to perish such thoughts.
The revered monarch admonished secondary school students in Warri and environs to take their education seriously in order to secure for themselves a brighter future.
Ogiame Atuwatse III gave the admonition while delivering his remarks at the inaugural edition of a one-day seminar tagged: “The Future of the Warri Child,” an event organised by CORA Care Foundation held at the Brown Hill Centre, Ogunu, Warri.
Represented by Chief Wilson Edun Olley, the Aboludero of Warri Kingdom, the Olu emphasised that nothing is comparable to education.
“Don’t let anyone tell you education is a scam. Education is never a scam,” he reiterated while sharing his personal story of how education enabled him to become an engineer and the first to build a duplex in his village.
As part of the event, HRM Ogiame Atuwatse III announced the launch of the Atuwatse III Annual Inter-Collegiate Quiz/Debate Competition set to commence in January 2025.
The winner of the competition, according to him, will receive a prize of N10 million.
The monarch also pledged to sponsor the WAEC enrollment fees of 100 students from various schools in Warri.
Prince Edema Collins Oritsetimeyin, Olu’s Sole Representative and Liaison to NNPCL, also announced the payment of WAEC enrollment fees for 25 students.
“This initiative is about empowering the youth for a sustainable future,” Prince Oritsetimeyin stated.
He expressed the desire to revive intellectual activities like quizzes and debates in Warri, recalling their role in producing successful public figures such as the comedian, Gordons.
Prince Oritsetimeyin, however, lamented the decline of extracurricular activities, such as Jet Club, attributing the gap to the rise of vices such as drug abuse and unprotected sex and teenage pregnancy among the youth.
“We want to fill that vacuum with the quiz and debate competitions,” he insisted.
He also highlighted the need to retrain teachers to have passion for their jobs, noting that their influence is crucial to shaping the future of students.
Prince Oritsetimeyin praised the Olu of Warri for turning “The Future of the Warri Child” initiative, which he had envisioned for 22 years, into a reality.
Other speakers at the event, including Eyemobe Mattu, Special Assistant to the Director-General of Security Matters and Coordinator of Operation Delta Hawk, urged students to avoid crime and embrace vocational skills.
Segun Manuel, MD/CEO of SMOGVILLE Solutions, also called on the government to provide modern vocational trainings to help students navigate present-day challenges.
The initiative, designed to encourage secondary students, is a reflection of the commitment of the Warri Kingdom to invest in the education and future of its youths to ensure that they grow to become not just successful but responsible adults.
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