President Akufo-Addo (arrowed) and Mrs Akosua Frema Osei-Opare (right), the Chief of Staff; Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum (5th from left), Minister of Education; Dr Eugene Owusu (2nd from right), Special Advisor to the President on SDGs, and Ato Afful (left), MD, GCGL, with the winners of the Junior Graphic Essay Competition at the Jubilee House in Accra. Picture: Douglas Anane-Frimpong

President commends Graphic for essay competition on SDGs

Chris Nunoo Jun - 09 - 2023 , 07:48 3 minutes read

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has commended the Junior Graphic newspaper published by the Graphic Communications Group Limited (GCGL) for instituting a National Essay Competition on the Sustainable Development Goals (SGDs).

He said it was a noteworthy initiative which must be maintained.

President Akufo-Addo, who was speaking after presenting certificates to 10 finalists of the 2022 edition of the competition at the Jubilee House in Accra yesterday, said the finalists had harnessed the power of education to express their thoughts, ignite change and paved the way for a brighter future.

He added that the essays demonstrated the dearth of knowledge, creativity of thought and the passion of the youth in the country.

“The winners of the competition delved into a wide array of topics of significant national and global interest from eradication of poverty and hunger to ensuring quality education, gender equality and combating climate change.”

“Each essay provided a unique perspective, a fresh voice and an opportunity to learn from the minds of our future leaders,” President Akufo-Addo added.

The competition was organised for upper primary and junior high school pupils.

Fifty best essays were picked to compete in the final essay after which 10 students were selected for the awards.

Last year’s edition was sponsored by BiG, Beta Malt, IMPC and McVities and partnered by the SDGs Advisory Unit of the Office of the President.

Winners

Adwoa Nyameyie Fletcher of Pere Planque School in Cape Coast in the Central Region was the Overall Winner, while Amanda Osei Owusu Fosu of the Ebenezer Memorial Educational Centre in Winneba, also in the Central Region, was adjudged the first runner-up.

The second runner-up position went to Esinam Oppong of Unique Child International School at Teshie in the Greater Accra Region.

Commendation

President Akufo-Addo acknowledged the roles played by parents, teachers and mentors of the winners and commended them for nurturing and guiding the pupils to the path of victory.

He also extended the gratitude of the government to the educators for instilling in the pupils the love for learning, writing and reading, as well as critical thinking.

“You must all be proud of yourselves for the determination, passion and hard work you put into being named as the best. A little progress each day adds up to big results and this is just a beginning of your success story.”

“Your dedication and commitment have been pivotal in shaping the minds of these remarkable individuals.’’

“You have taken the first steps towards becoming change makers and leaders in your own way. Remember that education is a lifelong journey. Embrace the thirst for knowledge, never stop questioning and seeking to understand the diverse perspectives of the world,” the President added.

The SDGs Advisor at the Office of the President, Dr Eugene Owusu, said SDGs were about the future the world was yearning for and that children were the centre of the agenda because the future belonged to them.

He said the experience of meeting the President must spark inspiration and ignite the fire within them to continue their pursuit of knowledge and action.