Winners of the maiden edition of the Governor Monday Okpebholo and Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (rtd.) Mini-Marathon Against Drug Abuse have been awarded one-year full academic scholarships by the Edo State Government.
More than 100 students from four secondary schools participated in the race, tagged “Running Against Drug Abuse,” which was organised over the weekend by the Edo State Command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in collaboration with the Edo State Drug Control Committee (ESDCC).
The participating schools included Edokpolo Grammar School, Ogbe Secondary School, Oba Akenzua Secondary School and Oba Ewuare Grammar School.
Students of Edokpolo Grammar School dominated the competition, with Ojie Victor, Osamende Bright and Chambaivi Miracle finishing in first, second and third positions, respectively.
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Declaring the marathon open, the Deputy Governor, Denis Idahosa, who was represented by the Deputy Chief of Staff, Pius Alile, said Governor Okpebholo had approved full one-year academic scholarships for the first-, second- and third-place winners.
The scholarships, he said, were intended to support the students’ education while encouraging them to serve as advocates in the fight against drug abuse.
Speaking at the event, the state NDLEA Commander, Mitchell Ofuyeju, said the initiative was designed to engage secondary school students in the campaign against drug abuse through sports.
He added that the winners would be decorated as War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) Student Ambassadors and expected to promote the anti-drug campaign in their schools and communities.
