Aside
from emerging the overall best candidate in the June/July 2012 National
Examinations Council Senior School Certificate Examination, Sandra
Anazor also obtained eight As and a B in the West African Senior School
Secondary Certificate Examinations, MOTUNRAYO ABODERIN writes.
Sandra
Anazor, 18, an indigene of Umuawulu in Awka South Local Government Area
of Anambra State, is the fourth child in a family of nine.
Anazor,
a born mathematician according to her teachers and family, could be
called a genius. Emerging the overall best NECO SSCE candidate in the
country, Anazor also made eight As and one B2 in the May/June 2012 West
African Senior Secondary Certificate Examination.
Speaking
with our correspondent, Anazor, after receiving her award at a ceremony
in Lagos, last Tuesday, said that she loved looking unique and wearing
good clothes. But that nothing could take the place of her books, not
even a relationship.
Anazor’s
success in these exams, no doubt, depicts her level of intelligence. In
a response to how she managed to top these competitions, Anazor said,
“I read hard. I love reading. But one other thing that helped me was the
ban I placed upon myself that I would not get into any intimate
relationship with the opposite sex until I’m 20.”
However,
Anazor said there were times she felt distracted and wanted to have fun
like other girls. “I had to fight distraction. Being a young girl, I
had young guys coming to ask me out on a date. But I always refused
because I didn’t want to waste my time with these guys. More than half
of these childish relationships don’t end up in marriage. I usually tell
my friends not to get into relationships because these boys only want
sex.
“In
my opinion, relationships with the opposite sex are distractions. I
didn’t want anything to affect my studies. Even when my friends were
getting involved in relationships, I stayed true to my principle.
“If
I have the opportunity to speak to young girls, I will tell them to
turn a blind eye to relationship. This is not the time. These guys just
want to catch their fun. They want sex. The chance of them getting
married to those girls is slim,” she said.
Being a lover of hard work, Anazor said she spent nights reading up to the extent that she now finds it hard sleeping at night.
“I
studied hard for the NECO exam. I was determined to excel. I didn’t
have the intention of being the overall best though. I’m so glad my
efforts paid off and those sleepless nights were not in vain,” Anazor
said.
Born
to Azubike, a lawyer, and Mary Anazor, Sandra had her primary
education at Bethroot Model School and her secondary education at
Federal Government Girls College, both in Onitsha.
According
to her father, Anazor, has always been a brilliant girl. Right from her
primary school days, her father said that she had always emerged first
in all her examinations.
Prior to the NECO SSCE, Anazor said that she had participated in several national competitions and had always emerged tops.
She
said she had participated in the All Nigeria Conference of Principals
of Secondary Schools National Quiz Competition and came first.
She
said, “I participated in the ANCOPSS quiz three times and came first
thrice. After which I had to represent my state, Anambra, and came
second.”
The
ANCOPSS quiz is just one among national competitions she had
participated. Mentioning a few, Anazor said, “I also represented my
state in the 2011 NAFDAC Consumer Safety Club Secondary Schools’
Competition and took first position.
“There
was also a Globe competition for Federal Government schools. This
competition is organised by the Federal Government mainly for its
schools. I participated in this competition when I was in S.S.2 and
S.S.3. I came first and second respectively.
“Last
year, I also participated in the Cowbell National Secondary Schools
Mathematics Competition. Representing my state, I came first at the end
of the competition,” she said.
Anazor
had also participated in the 2011 Nigerian National Petroleum
Corporation and Mobil Producing edition of the annual Science
Teacher’s Association of Nigeria National Science Quiz competition.“I
came third in this competition. But when I went ahead to represent my
state, I came second.”
As
the popular saying goes every tough man has a weak spot. Anazor has a
phobia for flights. Anazor said she was a bit scared when she had to fly
down to Lagos from Onitsha, as it was her first time of boarding a
plane.
She
said, “I had heard so many stories of the feeling one had when a plane
is about to take off, and I was a bit scared. Even when we were aboard, I
was still frightened. But I enjoyed the experience. It was as if I was
in a luxurious bus that was moving very fast.”
Shedding light on some of her other weaknesses, Anazor said she cared a lot about what people thought of her.
She
said, “My friends think I have a tough heart and that I don’t listen to
rumours, but I do. I act tough because I don’t want people to take
advantage of me.”
Her
father, who appeared to be very proud of his daughter’s achievement,
said his daughter had the softest heart he had ever come across.
Mr.
Anazor said, “My daughter is such a kind-hearted girl. I’m so proud of
her. I thank God for guiding me in making the right school choice. Till
today, I can proudly say that public schools are much better than
private schools.
“Private
schools charge so much but a large percentage of them don’t have a
strong foundation. My daughter is a living testimony,” he said.
Speaking
on the education sector, Anazor, who has got admission to study
Medicine at the University of Ibadan, called on the Federal Government
to put an end to strikes.
She
said, “As the saying goes, when two elephants fight, it’s the grass
that suffers. Strikes affect pupils more. I urge the Federal Government
to pay lecturers their dues on time and solve the problems in the
education sector.
“Nigeria’s
education sector will only get better when everyone takes
responsibility for their actions. It’s time we all stop passing blames,”
she said.
Anazor said she hoped to affect lives in future with her medical profession.
Punch Nigeria
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