Ezeh, SS 2 Student Emerges New Igbo Spelling Champion with N150k Prize Money

By Chukwunwike Okeke

Master Somtochukwu Ezeh, a Senior Secondary 2 student of Mater Christi Secondary School, Awada, Obosi, over the weekend emerged champion at the 3rd edition of the Igbo language spelling competition tagged “Oka Nsupe Igbo”.

The foremost Igbo language spelling competition held at the conference Hall of Onitsha Business School, No 19A Regina Nwankwu Avenue, GRA, Onitsha, Anambra State, had 86 contestants from different secondary schools across the Igbo speaking states in Nigeria.

However, the final round of the competition which had Judges drawn from the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka (UNIZIK), the Imo State University (IMSU), Owerri and the Nwafor Orizu College of Education, Nsugbe (NOSEN), had 44 contestants from nine schools but three students of Mater Christi Secondary School popped the rest eight schools for the top prizes.

After a tensed showdown, Master Somtochukwu Ezeh, triumphed and took home the ultimate prize money, ₦150,000.

Master Kosisochukwu Ojukwu, SS3 scholar and Miss Chisom Okonkwo, JSS 3 scholar finished second and third respectively and were rewarded with the cash prizes of ₦100,000 and ₦50,000 respectively.

In his remark, the chief organizer of the competition, Dr. Oluzegun Oluebube Sogbesan stated that they came up with the competition as a way of preserving the Igbo language and to prevent it from going into extinction.