Africa
THE Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, has implored parents to ensure that their native language is spoken to their wards so they would be well groomed in it because “our language is our identity”.
Ooni stated this on Thursday in Ile-Ife, at the maiden edition of Spelling Bee Competition held under the auspices of Hope Alive Initiatives (HAI), one of the numerous organs established by the royal father.
He said the competition was organised to “arouse the consciousness of our wards and help them in critical reasoning with the appropriate spellings”.
Ooni, who is the permanent Chairman, Osun State Council of Traditional Rulers, lauded the organisers for “coming up with a lofty project at this critical time to assist our wards”.
“Though, English Language is our lingua-franca and means of communication in government and private engagements, we should hold our language in high esteem.” he said.
Speaking on the project, Amb. Yeye Fashola of Hope Alive Initiatives, said she was highly impressed with all the programmes churned out from the traditional ruler’s palace “which he’s the sole sponsor”.
She agreed with Ooni that parents should endeavour to speak their native language to their wards, saying “our language is gradually going into extinction”.
She, therefore, said she would want a Yoruba version of Spelling Bee to be organised to promote the language.
Mr. Chidi Amos, the programme Coordinator, said he was grateful to God for giving Ooni of Ife the foresight to organise the programme.
Thirteen students from different secondary schools in Ife-land qualified up to the semi-final while six students eventually slugged it out at the final where three winners eventually emerged.
The six finalists include: Nasiru Esther and Elugbaju Blessing from Faith Standard Cephalo Model College, Ifedapo Quarters, Ife, and Olasupo Oluwatoyin from Ebenezer Baptist High School, Eleyele, Ife.
Others are Idowu Favour and Akinpelu Testimony from St. Timothy Model Academy, Modakeke, and Olayemi Enoch from St. David’s Grammar School, Eleyele, Ife.
Nasiru Esther came first, Akinpelu Testimony came second while Olasupo Oluwatoyin was third.
Aside laptop computers that were given to the winners, the traditional ruler also gave the winner of the first position a cash prize of N100,000, second position N75,000 and third position N50,000.
Hope Alive Initiatives similarly gave the first position a sum of N100,000, second position N50,000 and the third position N30,000.
The Ooni also gave the six English Language Teachers that accompanied the finalists N30,000 each.
The remaining seven students that made it to the semi-final were also given consolation prizes.(NAN)
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Tags: Amb. Yeye Fashola Hope Alive Initiatives Mr. Chidi Amos Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi Ooni of Ife Timothy Model Academy
