By Anietie Akpan
The Coordinator, Office of the First Lady, Akwa Ibom State, Lady Helen Eno Obareki, has expressed strong disapproval towards schools that engage in the illicit practice of inflating students’ grades, thereby encouraging academic dishonesty and corruption within the state’s education system.
Lady Obareki in a release from her Media Unit, expressed her displeasure on Thursday, September 11, while speaking at the grand finale of HENSEK/Atlantic FM Spelling Bee, for school children at Flairmore Event Centre in Uyo.
Represented by the member representing Uruan State Constituency in the State House of Assembly, Hon. Itoro Etim, the Coordinator said that grade inflation does not only undermine the integrity of academic assessments but also compromises the validity of students’ achievements.
While thanking the organisers for putting the event together, she noted that education is a sure path to greatness, encouraging school children to take their studies seriously.
“In the course of working with young people, I have found out that even schools have started failing. I was told that schools are now adding marks to students. In the course of doing this event, I hope we can also turn our attention to schools and encourage them to give the students the marks they deserve.
“Education and learning is at the centre of making it in the world and there is no better way of giving back to society than bringing children together to learn for a chance of becoming better in the future,” she remarked.
In her opening remarks, the Director General of Radio Nigeria – Atlantic 104.5 FM in Uyo, Comrade Ubong Obot, stated that the 2025 HENSEK/Atlantic FM Spelling Bee Competition is to test the spelling and cognitive skills of children, as well as promote literacy and vocabulary development of children in primary and secondary schools, noting that the programme has sparked greater awareness and motivation for learning among students in the state.
The Managing Director of HENSEK Integrated Services and sponsor of the event, Engr Uwem Okoko, stated that the spelling Bee competition over the years, has created a platform to discover talent among children in public primary and secondary schools, offering the participants the chance to excel, as the overall best candidate is enrolled in the HENSEK Scholarship Scheme.
He applauded the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Pastor Umo Eno, for his commitment to the advancement of the educational sector in the state, while expressing gratitude over the government’s constant support, which has enabled HENSEK Integrated Services to contribute to society by providing scholarships to over 200 school children.
The HENSEK/Atlantic Spelling Bee Competition featured five categories: Nursery, Lower Primary, Upper Primary, Junior Secondary and Senior Secondary and winners in each category received cash prizes of N200,000 for first place, N150,000 for second place, N100,000 for third place and N50,000 for fourth place.
The overall best candidate was awarded a scholarship to a school of choice while all the participants in the competition went home with school bags as provided by the wife of HENSEK Integrated Services, Mrs Nyakno Okoko.
The delegation from the Office of the First Lady included the wife of the Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Inemesit Uwah; the former Chairman of the Itu Local Government Council, Hon. Elsie Esara and the former Transition Chairman of the Mkpat Enin Local Government Council, Hon. Mercy Bassey.
