…Says no Abia Central student should quit school over poverty
…Explains PDP exit, defection to ADC
By Steve Oko
UMUAHIA — A 400-level Medicine and Surgery student of Abia State University (ABSU), Uturu, Godswill Ezennwa, has described as “uncommon” the education grant programme of Senator Austin Akobundu after receiving an instant ₦200,000 bank alert.
Ezennwa was among over 200 students from Abia Central Senatorial District who benefited from the senator’s education support initiative. The programme also included full three-year scholarships for 113 students of the National Teachers’ Institute (NTI).
Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, Ezennwa said he initially doubted the authenticity of the programme until the money reflected in his account.
“I thought this was just a scam, but I’m very, very proud to see now that it’s real. I have just received an alert of ₦200,000. I now know it’s for real, and I will always appreciate this uncommon gesture,” he said.
He pledged to encourage other eligible students across tertiary institutions to apply whenever similar opportunities become available.
Speaking during the presentation ceremony in Umuahia, Senator Akobundu said no student from Abia Central should abandon higher education because of financial hardship.
“No child in Abia Central should drop out of school because of poverty. Not while I am your senator,” he said.
The senator explained that the education grants complement his ongoing scholarship programme for 113 NTI students, who are now in their final year of training as professional teachers.
Akobundu said his office had also empowered hundreds of women and youths through vocational training in tailoring, farming, paint and cosmetics production, equipped 400 secondary school students with training in robotics, embedded systems and artificial intelligence, and trained another 360 youths in digital skills.
He described education as the most sustainable form of empowerment.
“Education is the bedrock of every human endeavour. It builds capacity and empowers people to become employers of labour. That is why I intentionally focused on human capital development,” he said.
According to him, beneficiaries of earlier empowerment programmes have gone on to establish businesses and create jobs for others.
Responding to questions from journalists, Akobundu explained his decision to leave the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
“I stayed to the very last. Our party ran into a storm. I had to make a choice, and I chose the ADC,” he said.
He expressed confidence that the ADC would continue to grow in Abia State despite competition from larger political parties and dismissed claims that the South-East was being marginalised within the party.
Each beneficiary received an instant ₦200,000 bank alert during the event, while the National Teachers’ Institute received a cheque for ₦7,217,200 to cover the tuition of its 113 students.
Stakeholders at the event commended the initiative, describing it as a sustainable approach to empowerment.
Vice-Chancellor of Amadeus University, Prof. Henry Eke, said investing in education was more impactful than distributing consumables, describing it as the most enduring form of empowerment.
Manager of the NTI Oboro Study Centre, Mrs. C. Ebola, said the sponsorship of 113 trainee teachers had transformed many families and described the intervention as life-changing.
Chairman of the selection committee, Stanley Nwabuisi, said beneficiaries emerged through a transparent online selection process, adding that the programme had been institutionalised as a continuous initiative.
Former Chairman of Ikwuano Local Government Area, Henry Nwoha, said the education grants were a continuation of Akobundu’s empowerment programmes, which he said had benefited more than 1,000 constituents.
Also speaking, the Assistant National Youth Leader of the ADC, Paul Nwagbara, commended the senator’s inclusive leadership style, noting that his empowerment programmes cut across political affiliations and had impacted thousands of lives through education and skills acquisition.
