The Rivers State representative on the Governing Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Tony Okocha has identified education as a potent weapon in the fight against unemployment and criminality in the society.

This he explained, was the reason behind his sponsorship of an annual quiz and essay competition among secondary schools and undergraduates in Rivers State.

Speaking at the grand finale of the inaugural edition of the “Tony Okocha Quiz and Essay Competition”, he said the event was his own little way of reaching out to the society and to support education in the state.

He described education as a very potent tool to fight criminality in the society and develop the minds of future generations of leaders.

“The quiz and essay competition also affords us the opportunity to show ourselves as no trouble makers but people who can give to the society” said Okocha, who is also the chairman of the caretaker committee of the Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

He commended the facilitator and organiser of the competition, whose theme was “Local Government Autonomy; Bedrock for Rural Development”, for coming up with what he described as a life-changing event.

The Rivers APC boss added, “Our business is to bring people, let us test their mental capacity and see how we can help them develop, going forward.

“At the end of this event, maybe, looking at what we can do, we can decide that for these persons, apart from the awards, we can give you scholarships that will start immediately.”

He also commended the management of the schools and all those who participated in the competition.

He however assured that the event will be made an annual event, promising that subsequent years will be organized in a bigger way to accommodate more schools, and as well come with more benefits.

Okocha also used the opportunity to clarify that he and his supporters are not fighting the State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara.

He said his criticisms against the Governor Fubara administration were not based on any atom of hatred against the Governor, but rather to help him to get things done rightly.

He said, “We are talking because they say, a closed mouth is a closed destiny. If something is not good, that thing is not good, and when we say so, some people construed us to be enemies of the state, we are not enemies of the state. I do not, we don’t hate the governor.

“We are Governor Fubara’s best friends. The man who tells you when you are wrong, and looks at your face and tells you to let us do it this way instead of this way, see what the implications of this would be and then juxtapose it with the implication on the other side, that is your friend.

“That person who hails you when you are wrong is not your friend. He just wants to get some money into his or her pocket. Because the person tells you that the bad you are doing is good, and at the end of the day he leads you to a bottomless pit.”

Earlier in his address, Facilitator of the event and President of Progressive Youths and Students Network (PYSN), Comrade Endwell Otonna thanked Chief Tony Okocha for singlehandedly sponsoring the programme.

He noted that 20 schools across the state participated in the competition which started Thursday, June 27 to Wednesday, July 3, 2024.

He advised other political leaders and stakeholders in the state to emulate the gesture of Chief Tony Okocha and sponsor programmes that will build the youths and promote education in the state.

Overall winners (first position) of the competition got a two hundred thousand naira prize and a laptop, while the second and third runners-up where presented with a One hundred and fifty thousand naira reward with a handset.

In the essay category, Praise Okirie came first with 98 points, while Nwosu Chicuara and Nwafor Chikwuka won the second and third positions with 95 and 90 points respectively.

On the quiz category, Blessed Children Academy came first, while Praise El Premier School and Emilo Piazza Memorial College won the second and third positions.