World Postal Day: Nigeria Enters Global Letter Writing Competition
By Victor Ofure Osehobo, Benin City
As the World marks the International Postal Day, a letter written by Master Usiekong Kubiat Sam of the Federal Science and Technical College, Junior School, Uyo in Akwa-Ibom state, has secured Nigeria’s entry into this year’s edition of the global Letter Writing Competition.
Organized every October 10, since 1969, by the Universal Postal Union, UPU, based in Bern, Switzerland , the letter writing competition is designed to promote through awareness and action, letter writing and postal services in line with United Nations objectives.
Master Usiekong Kubiat Sam wrote the winning letter in the Nigerian edition of the competition while Master Lahenna Emmanuel of Kings and Queens Academy, Ibadan, Oyo State won the second position.
The letters which were assessed by the West African Examinations Council also saw that written by Enogheghase Ryon Osaretin, a student of the University Preparatory School, Benin City clinching the third position.
Both Usiekong Kubiat Sam and Enogheghase Ryon Osaretin, come from the South-South Zone of the Nigeria Postal Service, NIPOST, comprising Rivers, Bayelsa, Delta, Cross Rivers, Akwa-Ibom with headquarters in Benin City
According to an official in the Zonal headquarters, “the winner of this year’s competition has not only made the zone proud, he has made the UPU, the Federal government, the Postmater-general, his school and parents very proud”.
Meanwhile a retired Assistant Postmaster-general, Mr Justin Imoudu has urged parents and teachers to promote the reading of books so that school children can better communicate through letter writing.
He said while Post Offices are diversifying because of the coming of new media, people prefer to communicate through short message service, SMS and other message applications on their devices, with children as losers.
He said, “Letter writing is an expression of a person’s thoughts as an essay and is more meaningful and enduring than the SMS which is short and expires in hours. But letters dating back to the 12th century are intact. If people don’t write history will be lost”.
