NURSING STUDENT WINS PETER UNIVERSITY MAIDEN READING CONTEST
By Chuka Nnabuife
Favour Chinecherem Ezeoke, a student of Nursing Science at Peter University, has emerged as the winner of the maiden edition of the university’s Reading Challenge.
Ezeoke, who hails from Achina in Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra State, beat Onyinye Okafor, also a Nursing Science student, to win the contest. She received a cash prize of ₦20,000, while Okafor received a consolation prize of ₦5,000 from the school.
The contest, established by the university to promote a robust reading culture, required participants to read books outside their main course of study. Ezeoke read five novels within the month of July to emerge as the winner.
The novels, were ‘It’s Up to You’ by Ernest Holmes; ‘Night’ by Ellie Wiesel; ‘Mr Blue’ by Myles Connolly; ‘Lost Hope’ by Cosmas Nworu and ‘The Mask’ by Jim Carrey.
While Ms. Okafor read the two novels titled, ‘Deadly Swap’ and ‘My Husband’s Mistress’ within the same period to get the second position.
The Director of Students Affairs, Rev. Fr. John Mark Okafor, explained that the contest was designed to inspire reading culture amongst students. The Vice Chancellor, Rev. Fr. Prof. Chukwuemenam Emmanuel Umezinwa, had during the occasion of the school’s last matriculation of the school emphasised the university’s commitment to producing graduates with a well-rounded education.
The cash prizes were sponsored by a former secretary to the Catholic Bishop of Ekwulobia Diocese who is now on study leave in Belgium, Rev. Fr. Callistus Chibuike Umeokoli (first prize) and the Director of Students Affairs (runner up). The winners were congratulated by the Vice Chancellor, Registrar, and Bursar during a presentation ceremony.
This is not Ezeoke’s first achievement, as she had previously received a fully funded academic scholarship from a philanthropist’s endowment through the efforts of the Vice Chancellor.
Next edition of the reading challenge will hold in October.
