Gateway Excel College Otukpa emerges winner of Benue South Inter-School Debate Competition

By Emmy Joe

Students of Gateway Excel College, Ogeneago, Otukpa, Ogbadibo LGA, have emerged winners of the just-concluded Benue South Inter-school debate.

The competition was organised by Genius Youths Initiative in collaboration with Otukpo Writers Club at St. Monica Girls Secondary School, Otukpo.

The debate, which was held at various federal constituencies in Benue South, at the preliminary stage, had its quarter final and final on 18th February 2022 at St. Monica Girls Secondary School Otukpo where students of Gateway Excel College came first in the competition and were awarded a prize of a school bus which was donated by Hon. Dr. San Ode, former Ministr of Niger Delta Affairs.

Reacting, the school principal, Mr. Emoyi Ojo Anthony and other staff members, commended the efforts of the great “heroes’ and “heroines” Agada Amen Francis (SSS3), Ojile ENE Winner (SSS2), Ocheme Favour (SSS2), Adama Godswill (SSS3) Ayegba Matthew (SSS3) and Agada Isaac (SSS3), who participated in the debate competition.

They also lauded the management of the school led by Mr. Omaka Micah Rex and the assistant coordinator Philip Joseph Tolulope.

In an interview with newsmen, the assistant coordinator, Mr. Philip Joseph Tolulope, expressed satisfaction on the tremendous success of his students.

He said, “When the results were announced, I was so happy. I also felt satisfied winning the grand prize after so much work, because the competition was really tough.”

Reacting to the outstanding performance of the students of Gateway Excel college, Mr Itodo Samuel Anthony, a former staff and also the son of the founder/proprietor of the school said, “From the inception of the school, excellence has been the watchword.

“The vision of the founder and proprietor, Mr. Anthony U. Itodo was to provide Otukpa residents quality education, even against the backdrop of the disadvantage of a rural setting.

“The school has always had a dedicated set of qualified and passionate teachers who come to work interested in the all-round development of their students.

he further stated that, “This is also a school with zero tolerance for examination malpractice, thus students and teachers work hard to ensure good academic outcomes”.

Stressing further, Mr. Itodo Samuel Anthony added that, “This is not the first time the school is winning a debate, but this is the first time we are involved in a debate competition outside Otukpa.

This debate competition covered the entirety of Zone C and we emerged first position, thus the excitement.”

He further stated that “the school has had other major local and national victories but in other spheres. In 2017 and 2018, we were first prize winners in the national Beyond School Community Challenge organized by the Mandela Washington Fellowship Alumni Association of Nigeria. This competition asked students to develop business ideas to solve social problems and our school pitched their ideas and won the first two editions of this competition – 2017 in Lagos, and 2018 in Abuja. Locally, the school also won the first prize of the New Frontiers Annual Quiz Competition in 2019 and 2020. This competition involved schools from Ogbadibo LGA (for 2019) and schools from Ogbadibo and Ugbokolo of Okpokwu LGA (for 2020)”.

“Our school is indeed a fine school. We have excelled in local, national, and international competitions and our graduates are doing exploits in their respective institutions of higher learning.  Besides academic development, most of them pick really fine values from school and are initiating programs and creating solutions to problems they find. I am so proud of my students, the teachers, and the school. And more than anything else, I am so happy for my dad who has practically been obsessed with the idea of winning the first prize of this competition.”