UBA Launches Fourth Edition of National Essay Competition

From (l-r), Madam Bola Atta, CEO, UBA Foundation, Fred Asante, a beneficiary of the scholarship, UBA Ghana MD/CEO, Mrs Abiola Bawuah, Dorcas Nuku Darko, a beneficiary of the scholarship, and Mr Augustus Owusu-Agyemfra of the GES
From (l-r), Madam Bola Atta, CEO, UBA Foundation, Fred Asante, a beneficiary of the scholarship, UBA Ghana MD/CEO, Mrs Abiola Bawuah, Dorcas Nuku Darko, a beneficiary of the scholarship, and Mr Augustus Owusu-Agyemfra of the GES

Accra, October 5, 2017//-The 2017 edition of the  United Bank for Africa (UBA) National Essay Competition has been launched in Accra, with a call on Senior High School (SHS) students in Ghana to take part in the annual competition.

The year’s edition being the fourth seeks to provide a platform to develop the intellectual and writing abilities of SHS students in Ghana and other parts of Africa.

The Chief Executive Officer of UBA Foundation, Madam Bola Atta who recently presented 2000 copies of literature books to the Accra High Senior School in Accra as part of its Read Africa initiative, said the foundation would continue to invest in the youth of the country and the continent of Africa as a whole.

This is why the UBA Foundation has so far spent  $100, 000 on the nine beneficiaries of the essay competitions in the country, she said.

Madam Atta emphasised: “One of our key focus areas is Education as it leads to empowerment especially for the youth who are the future leaders on the continent”.

Madam Atta assured that the UBA Foundation was committed to uplifting the lives of the societies within which they operated by creating dynamic educational platforms for future generations on the continent.

She also encouraged the students to read voraciously to enable them build their vocabularies and  broaden their horizons.

The Chief Executive Officer of UBA Ghana, Abiola Bawuah said there was no better way than to support the youth of Ghana. UBA believes in the need to support the youth and we believe education is the way to go.

She was pleased with the bank’s contribution to education in the country so far. “For three consecutive years, we have organised and sponsored nine students at the tertiary level, and this year we are hoping to make it 12″.

We are committed to this and will keep supporting students who strive to achieve academic excellence in cognitive writing among other academic disciplines” Mrs Bawuah stressed.

She noted that, “the number of essay entries received last year was an improvement over the previous years and we are encouraged by this.  The UBA Foundation National Essay Competition is amongst the top academic competitions in the country at the moment”.

“We have guardians and students who call in to ask when the competition is starting. It tells from the outside how keen the competition is getting and also reminds us of how we cannot fail the people”.

The Deputy Director of the Secondary Division of the Ghana Education Service, Mr. Augustus Owusu-Agyemfra praised UBA for their contribution to education and pledged their support to sensitise all Senior High Schools on the UBA Foundation Essay Competition.

“I have heard of the competition and I have learnt of its contribution. We will use our connection with all the schools to ensure this year’s competition is well promoted”, he said.

Sharing her experience, a beneficiary of the 2014 competition, Ms Dorcas Nuku Darko (now a student of the University of Ghana) encouraged students to get involved in the competition. As the second runner-up, she received an educational grant of 7,000 cedis, a laptop computer and opportunities to meet some prominent people in society.

She said: “UBA has been very instrumental in my education. For me it was like a test to myself. Little did I know I would emerge among the top three. My parents didn’t have to stress to raise my school fees because UBA had it covered”.

“I am grateful to the organization and especially the UBA Foundation. I would like to encourage everyone who qualifies to participate in the competition. UBA are really true to their words”

Master Frederick Asante, also a previous winner, recounted his moments. “To me it was very challenging. I learnt a lot through participating in the UBA Foundation Essay Competition. It broadened my horizon and tested my cognitive skills. I would like to thank the Foundation for their support and like to entreat high school students take it serious this time”

The competition first began in 2014 and each year, students from Ghana’s senior high schools are challenged to write an essay on a given topic. The topic for this year’s edition is “Galamsey or illegal mining has been a menace to the Ghanaian society causing ill effects. As a student, what ways or methods do you suggest can curb this societal problem?”

The competition  is opened to all SHS students in Ghana; who are expected to send in a handwritten essay of no more than 750 words to UBA’s head office in Ridge, Accra or any of UBA’s business offices in the country by Friday, November 11, 2016. Entries should include their complete contact information and photocopies of their original birth certificates.

The winners will take home the cedi equivalent of $5,000 for the overall winner; $3,500 for the first runner-up and $2,000 for the second runner-up.

African Eye Report

 

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