Obiano offers scholarship, cash prize to world Technovation winning girls

For winning Gold in this year’s edition of the World Technovation Challenge held recently in the Silicon Valley, San Francisco, USA, the Governor of Anambra State, Chief Willie Obiano has offered scholarships to the young girls from Regina Pacis Model Secondary School Onitsha, Anambra State.

The Golden Girls were also given a cash prize of N1m each and decorated with the Crest of Anambra State and issued a Certificate of Merit in recognition of the honour they had brought Anambra State, to Nigeria and to Africa.

Speaking at a colourful reception organised in their honour at the Governor’s Lodge in Amawbia, Governor Obiano informed the parents of the girls that the Government of Anambra State had taken over the responsibility of their education up to the Bachelor’s Degree level.

Observing that the formal reception of the girls had fittingly coincided with the marking of the 27th anniversary of the creation of Anambra State, the Governor declared that it was a double celebration for Ndi Anambra all over the world.

“Today, we celebrate our beloved state. And we celebrate our Golden Girls. Ndi Anambra, it is a double celebration for us all. We celebrate Adaeze Onuigbo, Vivian Okoye, Promise Nnalue, Nwabuaku Ossai, Jessica Osita and Miracle Igboka. And above all we celebrate Mrs Uchenna Onwuamaegbu-Ugwu who moulded them into world-beaters. We celebrate you all,” Governor Obiano declared.

Describing them as “a group of amazing girls who recently dazzled the world with their talent,” Obiano observed that, “they have therefore turned this special day into Gold. They did it with their outstanding brilliance, their quest for knowledge and their search for a happier world. And I am immensely proud of them.”

Situating the actual significance of the feat achieved by the Golden Girls, Governor Obiano declared; “Ndi Anambra, our precious daughters have broken old stereotypes that have often shown black people as excelling mostly in football, athletics, music and the arts at the global state. Our girls have announced to the world that given the right environment and motivation, we can also contribute to science and innovation. In doing this, they have shown that Anambra is not a state with a Single Story. Indeed our stories are many and varied. Our stories are colourful!”

Explaining that Anambra had stepped into a great moment in history, Governor Obiano further opined that “this moment is made special by the energy and zeal of our people and the outstanding talent that has started to find expression under my watch. My administration has resolved to reward hard-work and exceptional talent in order to encourage productivity and excellence. And we shall start with our Golden Girls today.”

He assured the girls that the State would continue to support them to ensure that they all bloom into different professions of their choice.

Also speaking, the mentor and coach of the girls, Uche Onwuamaegbu-Ugwu declared that she was not content with winning just once.

“Winning for me is a vocation; when we repeat this feat next year and two years from now, that is winning for me. We cannot win just once. But we need a lot of support to keep winning. I love the celebration that has gone on across the world but in my head, I am thinking, how do we duplicate this? How do we reach other girls? We can be champions forever. We cannot be champion today and it stops here.”

In his own words, the Senator representing Anambra Central Constituency, Senator Victor Umeh observed that the victory recorded by the girls at the 2018 World Technovation Challenge had put a seal on the claims that Governor Obiano’s campaign team made on education during the last gubernatorial election in the state.

“When news broke out on the day the girls won, it coincided with the day the governor gave out the sum of N350m again to mission schools. So, it is fair to say that the girls won because of the efforts of the governor of Anambra State.”