Gov Buni Pledges To Sustain Excellence IN SCHOOLS

Yobe State governor, Mai Mala Buni, has restated his administration’s commitment to building future champions, inspiring excellence and promoting education.

He described education as the foundation for the progress and development of any society.

The governor stated this when he declared open the third edition of the Yobe Spelling Bee Competition at Government Girls Unity College, Damaturu.

Buni, who was represented by his deputy, Alhaji Idi Barde Gubana, said the event had become a cherished tradition, bringing together 48 public schools and 25 private schools in a display of academic excellence and unity.

Governor Buni noted that since the inception of his administration, the education sector has remained a top priority, with substantial budgetary allocations resulting in significant infrastructure development.

The governor expressed satisfaction with the successes recorded by Yobe State students, who emerged as winners in various categories of the Teen Eagle Competition held in the United Kingdom, describing it as evidence that the state’s investment in education is yielding fruitful results.

Buni emphasised that the competition serves a greater purpose than merely testing spelling abilities, pointing out that it was a deliberate investment in literacy, linguistic excellence, confidence-building, critical thinking and memory skills.

He expressed appreciation to the Yobe State secretary to the state government (SSG), Dr Mohammed Goje, for his foresight in organising the first edition of the competition, which has produced brilliant winners in their academic pursuits.

Earlier, the commissioner of Basic and Secondary Education, Dr Abba Idris Adam, described the Spelling Bee as more than a mere contest of letters, calling it a celebration of knowledge, discipline, confidence and the transformative power of education.

He emphasised that the annual event serves as a reminder that investing in children’s education is equivalent to investing in the future of Yobe state and Nigeria.

According to him, the event has continued to motivate pupils and students to cultivate a habit of wide reading and academic excellence.

In his remarks, the chairman of the local organising committee, Dr Abubakar K Zaid, said the spelling Bee competition was organised to nurture and change the narrative of the Yobe State Educational system.

The Spelling Bee Competition, which the Yobe State Government organised with support from donor partners, brought together 144 participants from public and private schools across the state and aimed to continue motivating students to cultivate a habit of reading widely and to pursue academic excellence.

The theme for this year’s event: Building champions through knowledge, inspiring excellence for a brighter Yobe State. Seventy-two public, private, and special schools, with 144 participants across the 17 local government areas of the state.

At the end of the competition, the overall winner will receive N1 million, a bicycle, a laptop, a tablet and books, while the winning teacher will receive a motorcycle and N500,000.

While the second-place student will receive N500,000, a bicycle, a laptop and books, the second-place teacher will receive a deep freezer and N250,000.