Benue State Govt. Grants Scholarship To Winners Of Indonesia-Nigeria Debate Competition

The Benue State government has granted scholarship to students of the state, who were part of the Nigerian representative that defeated the Indonesian team to emerge victorious at the Indonesia-Nigeria Bilateral Debate competition, held in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Governor Hyacinth Alia, who announced this on Monday, May 13, 2024, when he received the victorious students at the Benue State Government House, Makurdi, expressed happiness that his administration has set an exemplary path of excellence for the students to follow.
The representatives of the country from Benue State that participated in the competition, organized for basic education learners under the auspices of the President, School Debate Nigeria (PSDN), included, Sonia Aduba, Ogenyi Favour, Samuel Ochara and Ruth Suurshater.

Alia, who could not hide his excitement, said that his government will not lament about paucity of funds, especially as regard issues of education and development, stressing that all Benue kids will be given equal opportunity under his administration to travel internationally, in order to make the state and country proud.
Alia, congratulated the students, the Chairman, State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Dr. Grace Adagba, the Commissioner for Education and Knowledge Management, Rev. Dr. Frederick Kyaan, the parents of the students and their coaches for their support for the feat recorded by the students.

He promised that his administration will continue to prioritize education, youth empowerment, job creation and security, in order to create a brighter future for the children and the state as a whole.
The governor also said that the government will henceforth; take up the tuition fees of the four students up to their first degrees at the university.

Alia announced the donation of cash reward of N4 million each to the four students that participated at the competition while their coaches received N3 million cash reward for their support to the students just as 10 laptop computers were given to their schools by the governor.
Earlier in her address, the Chairman, State Universal Basic Education Board, Dr. Grace Adagba, appreciated the governor for supporting the Benue team to go and represent the Country in Indonesia, adding that the representatives were selected from Public schools that included SUBEB-UBEC Smart School, Adaka, Arabic Junior School, Makurdi and LGEA School, Owners Occupier.
She urged parents and stakeholders to encourage the participation of children in the public schools in the State.
Speaking in turn, the Commissioner for Education and Knowledge Management, Rev. Dr. Frederick Kyaan, said it was a thing of joy as the students went out of the country and made the state proud.
He appreciated the governor for making it possible for the student to go and fly the colours of the state overseas while also commending the students for performing excellently at the debate, adding that the representatives which cut across Tiv, Idoma and Igede, showed unity of purpose.
A statement by Sir Tersoo Kula, Chief Press Secretary to the Benue State Governor, said that the State team was led to Indonesia by the Executive Chairman, State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Dr. Grace Adagba, with their coaches and other officials of the Board.
The team had arrived Jakarta, the capital city of Indonesia on the night of Sunday May 5, 2024 while the competition lasted from Monday, May 6 to Saturday, May 11, 2024.
The aim of the competition was to help students express their points of view on selected topics, as well as listen to the views of others and think critically.
Benue had emerged second at the National level of the competition which was held in Abuja in November 2023, with Kwara State coming top, while Taraba came third.
The three top teams represented Nigeria at the debate in Indonesia and they debated on the topic; “This House Believes that it is in President Putin of Russia’s interest to pull out his troops from Ukraine”.