Earlyface

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.

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.

 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.