GSS Gwagwalada student wins $630 US embassy debate competition

A Senior Secondary School (SSS) student of Government Secondary School (GSS), Gwagwalada, Master Confidence Eru, has emerged winner of the United States Embassy-sponsored debate for students of schools in Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Eru, alongside another student, Master Olarewaju Lattifah, were adjudged the two best and subsequently earned a three-week trip to the US where they were trained on different topics from entrepreneurship to leadership. Aside this, Eru received a grant of $630 (about N226, 800).

Obviously, the sheer academic brilliance of the duo spoke for them during the competition, hence the reward.

Narrating how Eru was selected, during the commissioning of the e-library and other projects in the school, principal of GSS, Gwagwalada, Malam Mohammed Sani, said it all started when the anchor of the Pan African Youth Leadership programme (PAYSLP), which is for Federal Government schools, Mr. Tolu Cole, was on his way to one of the Federal Government Colleges, but had to stop because he was amazed by the serene environment of GSS, Gwagwalada.

According to Sani, the anchor’s surprise came against the backdrop of information that the school has a large population, yet no student was seen loitering around or outside the gate. Out of curiosity, the principal added, Cole came into the school to inquire if there are students in the classrooms, to which he received a positive response and was asked to wait for break time, which he did.

At break time, Cole was reportedly surprised at the sight of the teeming population of students and how efficient the teachers were in controlling them while also creating a conducive learning environment.

According to the principal, it was at this point that Cole decided to feature the school in a debate organised for students. Master Eru subsequently emerged top.

Sharing his experience, an excited Eru said upon their return, he received a grant of $630 based on his proposal to execute a project at a location of his choice.

According to him, he chose his school for the establishment of the e-library as he had observed with concern that the reading culture among the youth had lost its value, a development, he believed, was caused by their addiction to social media.

Speaking on the topic ‘My Culture, My Identity’, on the occasion, Acting Director, FCT Secondary Education Board (SEB), Hajiya Maryam Hassan, said the totality of the way of life of a people lies in their culture, stressing that where people adopt other cultures, it leads to disappearance of identity. Commissioning the e-Library and other projects by the school, Hassan said the benefits of the e-library cannot be overemphasised as it will enable students have unhindered access to new and updated textbooks on various subject areas, serve as reference materials for teachers, ease usability and affordability as well as have interactive learning sessions.

She commended the school’s management for laying a solid foundation of both education and moral values for the students to build on as good ambassadors of the school, family and society at large in the future and praised Master Eru for choosing the right path to greater success.

Other projects also commissioned in the school include PTA-drilled borehole in the boys’ and girls’ hostels and library chairs donated by old students of the set of 1998.