Education Boost: Ebonyi First Lady Flags Off Nwebonyi’s N100m Scholarship for 930 Indigent Ebonyi North Students
By Romanus Uzor
The Wife of the Ebonyi State Governor, Mrs Uzoamaka Nwifuru, has flagged off the disbursement of the N100 million annual scholarship fund instituted by the Deputy Chief Whip of the Senate and Senator representing Ebonyi North Senatorial District, Senator Peter Onyekachi Nwebonyi, to 930 indigent undergraduate and postgraduate students drawn from the five local government areas of Ebonyi North Senatorial Zone.
The flag-off ceremony, held on Tuesday in Abakaliki, underscored Senator Nwebonyi’s sustained commitment to promoting access to higher education and easing the financial burden on students from less privileged families.
Welcoming guests to the event, the Coordinator of Senator Nwebonyi’s Scholarship Foundation, Barr Nnaemeka Nwambam, disclosed that the initiative was launched over a decade ago during Senator Nwebonyi’s tenure as Chairman of the then-ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ebonyi State.
According to him, the programme began with just over 20 beneficiaries but has grown steadily into one of the largest privately funded scholarship schemes in the state, supporting more than 1,000 students annually.
He commended the Senator for personally sustaining the programme over the years despite its huge financial implications and urged the beneficiaries to justify the confidence reposed in them through academic excellence, discipline and exemplary character.
Represented by the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs Felicia Nwankpuma, the the First Lady described the scholarship initiative as a visionary investment in the future of Ebonyi children.
She noted that the programme aligns with Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru’s administration’s commitment to educational advancement and human capital development, urging the beneficiaries to remain focused on their studies and become worthy ambassadors of the state.
Speaking at the ceremony, Senator Nwebonyi reaffirmed his conviction that education remains the most effective tool for individual empowerment and national development.
He applauded President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for expanding educational opportunities through the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) and for embarking on major infrastructure projects across the South-East, including the 436-kilometre Ebonyi–Benue–Abuja Super Highway, the Enugu–Onitsha Dual Carriageway, and the Enugu–Port Harcourt Expressway.
The lawmaker also commended Governor Nwifuru for sponsoring over 1,000 Ebonyi graduates on overseas scholarships in some of the world’s leading universities, describing the initiative as a bold investment in the state’s future.
He urged the scholarship recipients to remain committed to their studies, stressing that the opportunity placed upon them the responsibility of excelling academically and contributing meaningfully to society.
In separate goodwill messages, the Chairman of the occasion and Principal Secretary to the Governor, Chief Mathias Adum; the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Prof. Emmanuel Echiegu; the Special Assistant to the Governor on Student Mobilisation, Barr. Princess Angel Odono; and Prof. Daniel Nwibo, lauded Senator Nwebonyi’s consistent investment in education.
They described the scholarship scheme as a strategic intervention that would reduce financial barriers to higher education while producing a new generation of educated and productive citizens.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the Coordinators Forum, Hon. Chidi Ogbonna; the Chairmen of Abakaliki, Izzi, and Ohaukwu Local Government Areas, Hon. Ebere Nwogba, Hon. Steve Nwakpa, and Hon. Odono Ikechukwu, respectively; the member representing Izzi West State Constituency, Hon. Godwin Abiri; the APC Zonal Chairman for Ebonyi North, Hon. John Nwankata; HRH Eze Sunday N. Oketa (Onu Oha III) of Nkaleke Achara Community; the Commissioner for Lands and Survey, Hon. Matthew Nwobashi; and the member representing Ebonyi State Constituency, Hon. Aloysius Nwodo, alongside other political leaders, traditional rulers and stakeholders, commended Senator Nwebonyi’s legislative performance and people-oriented programmes.
They maintained that beyond effective representation at the National Assembly, the Senator has distinguished himself through impactful interventions in education, healthcare, infrastructure, youth empowerment and other constituency development projects.
Responding on behalf of the beneficiaries, Mr. Christian Nwibo of Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu-Alike (AE-FUNAI), Mr. Nwebonyi Moses, a postgraduate student, and Miss Nwigwe Ogechi Godstime of Ebonyi State University expressed profound appreciation to Senator Nwebonyi for the scholarship support.
They described the initiative as a lifeline for many students who faced the risk of abandoning their education due to financial hardship and pledged to make the most of the opportunity by excelling academically and contributing positively to the development of society.
EDITOR
Sam Udekwe is a journalist working in the News and Current Affairs department, Enugu State Broadcasting Service (ESBS) Enugu. He is well trained in all genres of journalistic venture.
Mr Sam read Mass Communication, graduating all with Distinction in National Diploma, Higher National Diploma and Postgraduate Diploma at IMT, Enugu and Madonna University, Okija, Anambra state, as well as M.Sc Mass Communication at National Open University of Nigeria.
He is the immediate past NUJ Chairman, Enugu state.
samowailo@gmail.com
