DELTA SPELLING BEE CONTEST: OASIS IN THE DESERT OF ADVERSITY.
For fourteen year old Christabel Odegua Ogbeide, the first Hannatu Ochei Delta Spelling Bee contest has perhaps, reinforced her belief that there is a truism in the assertion that “in the desert of adversity there is an oasis of salvation”, or how else could it be explained that, as a complete orphan without any envisaged financial assistance, there is after all, a ray of hope towards the actualisation of her burning desire to attain educational excellence, by bagging a full scholarship courtesy, the Victor Ochei Foundation.
According to Mrs Hannatu Ochei, the importance of communication cannot be overemphasised, as being literate begins with communication, and communication entails the transaction of ideas, using words and symbols as the fundamental platform, hence the need for the Delta Spelling Bee Contest, which is designed to inculcate the basic imperatives of effective communication, ultimately impacting on improved spelling skills, development of poise, inflate student vocabulary, pronunciation and accurate word usage.
She posited further that, it was born out of the need to position students for greater challenges, especially improving their grasp and usage of English Language which is Nigeria’s lingua franca.
WIFE OF THE DTHA SPEAKER, MRS HANNATU VICTOR OCHEI WITH A CROSS-SECTION OF THE FINALISTS AT THE DELTA SPELLING BEE IN ASABA RECENTLY
It is therefore symbolic that, Christabel who had earlier resigned to a bleak educational future, now finds a rekindled hope, arising from a resolute mien by not only emerging from a motley five hundred and thirty participating students at the preliminaries, one hundred contestants at the regional level and fifteen finalists, to being the second runner-up at the maiden Delta Spelling Bee contest.
Christabel’s attainment becomes emblematic in the sense that, her emergence as the second runner up has given fillip to Hannatu Victor Ochei’s passion to support the Delta child in pursuit of Academic excellence, as harbinger of economic emancipation.
Undoubtedly, her success story justifies the essence of the project which, according to the sponsor, Hannatu Ochei in addition to the afore stated objectives is, ostensibly, to afford children in Delta State, the opportunity of developing and applying a systemic approach in enhancing the children’s mental development, which in turn beget self-confidence, the spirit of sportsmanship and ultimately, the ability to perform optimally under pressure.
When Christabel entered the spelling contest, little did she envisage that, beyond the sponsor’s position, she was keeping a date with destiny, a watershed in her long sought ambition of using education as the springboard for economic emancipation, which hitherto had remained a mirage, having lost both parents, amidst five other siblings.
Shortly before the commencement of the finals, Mrs Hannatu Ochei’s narrative of young Christabel’s relative indigence, occasioned by being orphaned, elicited sympathetic sigh from the audience, a situation that paved way for the manifestation of the Ochei couple’s benevolent and altruistic disposition towards life.
When Rt Hon Ochei mounted the podium for a brief remark, expectations of a de’javu rippled through the crowd, for most often the Ocheis have been associated with philanthropy.
The import of this feat is not alien to those conversant with the Ocheis’ altruistic generosity to humanity, a recurring deed resonating beyond the locality, founded on the expediency of bequeathing education as an enduring legacy to future generations.
According to Rt.Hon Ochei,“ my late father use to tell me that the only durable legacy beaqueathable to an offspring is education, because it (education) instils high tensile confidence in an individual”.
Subsequently, this has shaped and sustained the Ocheis’ addiction to philanthropy through education.
Little wonder then tha,t Mrs Hannatu Ochei conceptualised the Delta Spelling Bee Contest, which has now surpassed its primary objective of encouraging students to improve on their knowledge and application of the rules guiding the use of English Language, to providing a launch pad for competitiveness as the only veritable avenue to educational excellence and by extension, a solid foundation for economic liberation.
In summation, Christabel Ogbeide, the Udu L.G.A. Delta State born Basic 9 student of Kudos Model Secondary School, Warri, is the paragon of the intrinsic ideals encapsulated in the Delta State Spelling Bee Contest, prominent amongst which is providing the future generation, a platform on which a solid foundation for societal advancement will be laid through sound education.
Exhibiting a pristine disposition, Christabel posits,” words are not enough to express my gratitude, first to the sponsor of the Contest, Mrs Hannatu Ochei for the thought, more so as she opted for this project. Of course, the promoter of the Victor Ochei Foundation, who never knew me before but chose to help a poor orphan like me. I promise to do more in ensuring that I do not fail the Ocheis. May God grant them their heart desire”.
It is instructive to observe that, the uniqueness of the Delta Spelling Bee Contest, as conceptualised and executed altruistically by Hannatu Ochei, is worthy of replication by good spirited Deltans and indeed Nigerians, for it will multiply the oases of salvation in the deserts of adversity, which in the final analysis will rehydrate the society to the benefit of humanity.
Written By Nkem Osu