By Wole Adedeji, Ilorin
As part of the Kwara State Government’s efforts to help budding stars to grow among its school pupils a ‘Tax Quiz Competition’ has been organised for Secondary School students by the State Internal Revenue Service (KW-IRS) in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Human Development.
The contest was aimed at encouraging and hunt for gifted children in the areas of finances featured 231 schools cutting across the three Kwara North, South and Central Senatorial Districts with semifinals held at selected schools in the Districts.
The tax body had for about five years been organising the competition for the Secondary School pupils thereby developing their potentials in taxation and create future awareness among them, the importance of taxes in a growing society and economy and it is thrown open to both private and public schools.
Meanwhile, the preliminary stages of the otherwise known as the ‘2023 Tax Club Quiz competition (TCQC) had been completed which was a semifinal of the contest to pick the qualified contesting schools for the finals.
Schools that emerged at this level which held simultaneously at Ilesha Baruba and Lafiagi for Kwara North, Okeya- Ipo for Kwara South and Ilorin for Kwara Central.
Each District produced six and eighteen schools respectively to get qualified for the Semi Finals.
Such schools in Kwara North included Government Secondary School, Lafiagi with 82% score, Baptist Model High School, Kaiama, 78%, Government Senior Secondary School, Tunga Aboki, Kaiama, 72%, Unique College, Kaiama, 68%, Royalseed High School, Jebba, 64%, and Lafiagi Secondary School, Lafiagi which scored 62%.
In the Kwara South Senatorial District Government Secondary School, Omu Aran, qualuIfied with 80%, Adeola College, Offa ;78%, Iyeru Okin African Church Secondary School, Offa, 68%, Oro Muslim High School, Oro, 66%, UMCA Secondary School, Share, 66% and Apostolic Faith Secondary School, Egosi-Ile with 66%.
From the Kwara Central, Stepping Stone College, Agbabiaka Ilorin, a private school scored 82%, Ilorin South Local Government Senior Secondary School, Oke-Adini,74%, and Eucharistic Heart of Jesus Model College, Asa Dam, Ilorin which scored 74%.
Others were Muslim Model Secondary School, Idi-Ori, Ilorin 72%, Government Day Senior Secondary School, Gaa-Akanbi, 66% and Roemichs International School, Offa Garage, Ilorin, 60%.
A statement by the Corporate Affairs Officer of KW-IRS, Miss Titilayomi Ogunwale said finals of the competition would hold in November where the overall best school is expected to win a whopping sum of N2.5 million while other category of prizes would be given to the first and second runner-up schools as well as consolation prizes to others on the ladder.