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•WAEC splashes cash on best overall students at WASSCE awards
By Gabriel Dike
The outstanding performances of some students in the May/June West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) were recently acknowledged and rewarded with cash, certificates, trophies and plaques. The recognition came at the 62nd annual meeting of the Nigeria National Committee (NNC) of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) at the National Teachers’ Institute (NTI), Kaduna, Kaduna State.
Three best overall students were identified and specially recognised. They were Orevaoghene Whiskey, Christian Okafor and Jessica Alinnor. Trophies were presented to the best male and female students; the best school and national award to students with special needs and WAEC endowment fund book prize to three best schools in Kaduna State.
The national distinction award for the best overall student went to 18-year-old Whiskey, formerly of Topfaith International Secondary School Mkpatak, Akwa Ibom State, with 9As and a T-score of 628.3248.
In the school exam, she scored Marketing A1, Civil Education A1, English Language A1, General Mathematics A1, Further Mathematics A1, Biology A1, Chemistry A1, Physics A1 and Economics A1.
In the 2023 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), she scored 340. She got English 72, Physics 90, Biology 83 and Chemistry 95.
Laurels, awards and prizes she won included first position in Akwa Ibom NTIC-NMC 14th Annual National Mathematics competition in 2017, and winner of 2017 Mathematics Association of Nigeria (MAN) competition for primary schools. She got the national cradle to career scholarship by NNPC/SNEPCO in 2017, first position in SDGs for girls Mathematics Olympiad in 2019, winner of ICPC annual national essay competition in 2020, first position in Mathematics in the 2023 regional Olympiad and first female winner of Interswitch SPARK national science competition. Whiskey is studying Medicine and Surgery at the University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
Seventeen-year-old Okafor, formerly, Saint Paul’s Academy, Jos, Plateau State, won the second prize with 8As and a T-score of 605.4081. He is also studying Medicine and Surgery at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State.
He obtained Marketing A1, Economics A1, Civil Education A1, English Language A1, General Mathematics A1, Biology A1, Chemistry A1 and Physics A1.
He won first position in NNPC science quiz competition in 2022, second position and Silver and bronze medals in Chemistry at the Nigerian Chemistry Olympiad in 2022 and 2023 and emerged best overall graduating student in 2023 set.
The third position went to Alinnor, formerly, Loyola Jesuit College, Wuse, Abuja, with 8As and a T-score of 601.9246. She made Economics A1, General Mathematics A1, Biology A1, Chemistry A1, Physics A1, English Language A1, Catering Craft Practice A1 and Agricultural Science.
His academic feats included distinction award in the Big Science Australian Olympiad in 2021 and semi finalist in 2023 Climate Science competition in 2023. He got scholarship from five American universities. He was best overall graduating student in 2023, best in Chemistry and Biology in SS3, best in Agricultural Science and Catering Craft Practice in SS1 and SS2, scored 345 in 2023 UTME and made 1,500 out of 1,600 points in SAT.
Head of National Office (HNO), WAEC, Dr. Amos Dangut, said: “WAEC is the foremost examination body in Africa with over a million candidates writing its exams annually.” He commended the three best overall students, their schools and teachers for the performances.
Chairman, Nigeria National Committee (NNC), Hajia Binta Abdulkadir, said three students would be honoured while three schools in Kaduna State would be presented with WAEC endowment fund book prize for producing the best aggregate results in the school exam.
Kaduna State Deputy Governor, Dr. Hadiza Sabuwa Balarabe, described WAEC as the cornerstone of exam bodies in Africa. She lauded the council for honouring three secondary schools in the state for their students’ performances in the exam.
Whiskey reveals success secret
Whiskey from Isoko South Local Government, Delta State, told Daily Sun that she was inspired by a former student of the school, Mbre Inyang, who placed second in 2022 WASSCE with 9As and was honoured in Lafia, Nasarawa State:
“Seeing Mbre’s achievements, I said it was possible to obtain the same result. His achievement was an inspiration. I feel blessed and happy to make my family, school, teachers and friends proud with the result.
“When I wrote the exam, I was hopeful I would make a good result. I wanted to get 9As in the school exam. I set a target and I worked hard for it. I put in the effort equivalent to the goals I had set for myself.
“During the preparation for the exam, no subject scared me. After the exam, I was sceptical about my Physics because it was tougher than I expected. I am a bookworm but I also had time for social activities.”
Whiskey, who gave some of her nicknames as Cyborg, google assistant and forever Oreva, disclosed that during her graduation ceremony, she won about 40 awards and had numerous awards.
Mum speaks on daughter’s feat
Sharing the success story of her daughter, Mrs. Edoka Whiskey, said the family has been attending numerous award ceremonies because of her academic prowess.
She said she started noticing her daughter’s outstanding performance from her primary school days and it continued to secondary school with a series of awards. Whiskey’s school was presented with the Omo N’Oba Erediauwa coronation trophy for producing the best female candidate.
The council also presented awards to the best overall male and female candidates in public secondary schools.
Seventeen-year-old Edidiong Favour Essien, Command Science Secondary School, Efa-Etinan, Akwa Ibom, bagged the male award with 7As and 1B. Omotola Awofeso, 18, Air Force Secondary School, Ikeja, Lagos, took the female prize with 8As.
The ceremony also attracted President, All Nigeria Consideration of Principals of Secondary School (ANCOPSS), Alhaji Muhammad Ibn Musa, representative of Emir of Zazzau, former HNO, Mr. Godwin Uzoigwe, Director General, Kaduna Quality Assurance, Prof. Usman Zaira and other stakeholders.
