17-Year-Old Jemimah Marcus, Winner Of Spelling Bee Competition Becomes Lagos' One-Day Governor

17-year-old Jemimah Marcus, a student of Angus Memorial Secondary School in Somolu, Lagos East, on Monday presided over the State Executive Council meeting as the Lagos One-Day Governor after emerging winner of the 2020 edition of the Spelling Bee Competition.

Spelling Bee competition is a contest between public schools across Lagos and is one of the legacy programmes in the State’s education sector pioneered in 2001 by the then First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu through her New Era Foundation.

Ms. Marcus while presiding over the Council meeting commended the Sanwo-Olu administration for initiating “laudable” programmes through its THEMES agenda to turn around governance and service delivery.

Describing Sanwo-Olu as a “transformational leader”, the one-day Governor said the State had recorded giant strides in education, health, housing, infrastructure renewal, transportation, youth and women development in the last two years of the administration.

“Mr. Governor, I commend your team for excellent leadership, as well as proactiveness in critical sectors. In education, the State Government has embarked on revamping schools and delivering new ones to improve access. This effort has been complemented with massive innovative programmes, such as EKO EXCEL, Lagos Learns Together, Read Loud, EKO Digital School, and job initiative.

“These laudable programmes have impacted on students, teachers and the out-of-school learners, as the initiatives have improved teaching and learning with excellent outcome. With the deployment of technology, I can say teaching techniques across Lagos schools are no longer what they used to be. The success of these programmes is evident in the performance of students in their academic.”, She said.

Ms. Marcus, however, solicited for more funding for her school, and schools where students learn under harsh circumstances, while also asking the Governor to support her parents in order to help her realise her future dreams.

The one-day Governor harped on the need to commit more investment in digital literacy across public schools in the State, urging Sanwo-Olu to ensure the metropolitan fibre being laid across Lagos drops in public schools as promised.

Ms. Marcus, an indigene of Edo State, described the one-day governorship as a “dream come true”, praised Senator Tinubu for the legacy programmes.

Responding, Sanwo-Olu said the one-day governorship programme was one of the ways employed by the State to raise future leaders, noting that the initiative had afforded winners the opportunity not only to improve in their learning, but also expose them rudiments of public administration.

“I am delighted to say that the competition has been achieving its desired vision and objectives. The organisers will be following up on your future endeavour to ensure you acquire the right leadership skills and become responsible citizens. 

“Your success at the competition is an encouragement for us to do a lot more, especially in education. We will ensure that your teachers are given the right encouragement so that they can continue to impart quality knowledge across our various schools.”, the Governor said.

Source: Lagos State Government