Primetime MD Urges an End to Cyberbullying of NSMQ Contestants

The Managing Director (MD) of Primetime Limited, the organizers of the National Science and Maths Quiz (NSMQ), Nana Akua Ankomah-Asare, has condemned the increasing trend of cyberbullying targeting contestants of the competition. Speaking at the closing ceremony of this year’s NSMQ in Cape Coast, Mrs. Ankomah-Asare expressed concern about the negative impact of online abuse on the participants, urging social media users to show respect to the contestants and celebrate their achievements instead of resorting to personal insults.

She emphasized that while it is acceptable to engage in friendly teasing between schools in the spirit of competition, attacking individual contestants is simply unacceptable. Mrs. Ankomah-Asare pointed out that such behavior could seriously affect the contestants’ mental health and detract from the true spirit of the competition. She also reminded the audience that each contestant had worked hard to reach this point in the competition and urged everyone to focus on their accomplishments rather than resorting to personal attacks.

At the ceremony, Mrs. Ankomah-Asare congratulated the finalist teams from St. Augustine’s College, Mfantsipim School, and Keta SHTS for their outstanding performances. She encouraged them to continue to inspire others with their academic pursuits and to keep striving for excellence.

The 2024 NSMQ featured several surprising moments, with some underdog schools outshining more established competitors. One such example was Swedru SHS, a Category B school, which gained attention by defeating Techiman SHS and Edinaman SHS in the preliminary rounds. They continued to surprise by eliminating the Ashanti Regional champions, Kumasi High School, in the 1/8th stage, before being knocked out in the quarterfinals by the eventual champions, Mfantsipim School. Similarly, Apam SHS shocked many when they defeated the Central Region champions, Adisadel College, in the 1/8th stage, a result few had anticipated.

Perhaps the most inspiring story of the competition came from Biakoye Community SHS, a school without a General Science program. Despite this challenge, the school fielded a team made up of Visual Arts and Home Economics students. Though they were eliminated in the preliminaries, their passion and enthusiasm for the competition were evident, reflecting the true spirit of the NSMQ and showing that determination can overcome obstacles.

After a closely contested final, Mfantsipim School emerged victorious, scoring 47 points, narrowly edging out St. Augustine’s College, which secured 46 points. Keta SHTS finished third with 32 points. Mfantsipim School took home the grand prize of GH¢70,000, sponsored by the Ghana Education Service (GES) and Goil PLC. St. Augustine’s College received GH¢50,000 for finishing as the first runner-up, while Keta SHTS was awarded GH¢35,000 for their third-place finish.

Swedru SHS was recognized as the best-performing less-endowed school and was awarded GH¢7,000, presented by Dr. Kwaku Mensa-Bonsu. Additionally, Swedru SHS’s teachers were honored with the Jacob and Elizabeth Banful Memorial Award, worth GH¢10,000, for their contribution to the school’s performance. Apam SHS also received the Newmont Africa Golden Journey Award for the best-performing less-endowed school, which came with a cash prize of GH¢25,000.

Wesley Girls’ High School was recognized as the best-performing all-girls school and received GH¢25,000, sponsored by Newmont Africa. Furthermore, Academic City College awarded a scholarship to Anita Pokua of Wesley Girls’ for being the best-performing female contestant from an all-girls school. The scholarship package included tuition, accommodation, food, books, a laptop, and a monthly stipend.

The Prof. Henrietta Mensa-Bonsu Award for the most outstanding female contestant was presented to Perpetual Sefakor Gakpetor of Keta SHTS, who was celebrated for her exceptional performance throughout the competition.

The Oguaamanhen, Osabarimba Kwesi Atta II, expressed his pleasure in hosting the NSMQ in Cape Coast this year. He commended the organizers for their efficient coordination of the event and expressed hope that the city would be chosen again to host the competition in the future.