CHIEF OMUYA AWARDS SCHOLARSHIP, CHALLENGES EBIRA STUDENTS TO EXCEL

By Baba Abdulrazak

The Chairman of J.O Omuya Foundation, Chief (Dr.) J. O. Omuya, has challenged the generality of Ebira students to strive for academic excellence if they must distinguish themselves and be successful in life.

The Chairman gave the charge during the occasion of issuance of cheques of various sums of money to  over twenty students who benefitted from the third edition of the Chief J.O Omuya scholarship scheme, a division of Chief J.O Foundation, today 20th May, 2017 at Afims Hotel, Okene.

In his remarks, Chief (Dr.) J. O. Omuya explained that some of his bitter childhood experiences as a student largely informed his desire to operate the scholarship scheme. In his word, " I toiled so hard to scale through my elementary and secondary schools". "Sometimes, I had to go days without reasonable food and l did all sorts of menial jobs to survive", Chief Omuya submitted.

Appealing to parents to give priority to the education their children, Chief Omuya assured the public that the Foundation will continue to give her best to the advancement of the education of Ebira children,  adding that, as a student, he had also enjoyed some assistance from some spirited individuals most of whom he has been labouring in vain to meet to show his appreciation.

The beneficiaries of the scholarship comprised of students from the Universities, Polytechnics, Colleges of Education and three secondary school students. The beneficiaries of mainly of the fields of Engineering, Medicine, Accountancy, Law,  Environment, among others.
The sum of a hundred thousands naira (N100,000) each went to the university students, seventy thousands naira (N70,000) to Polytechnics and Colleges of Education students, with twenty thousands (N20, 000) to Secondary School students.

The Chairman of the Selection and Monitoring Committee of the scheme, Prince Emman Omadivi who also anchored the day's event, explained that a student's academic performance, parents' economic situation/status and not sentiments formed the two main criteria used in the selection of the beneficiaries from four of the LGAs of Adavi, Ajaokuta, Okene and Okehi in Kogi Central Senatorial District, pointing out that no student applied from Ogori/Magongo LGA.

Dr. Ajanaku of the Department of Psychology at the Federal College of Education  Okene, a member of the scheme warned the students to be more committed to their studies as he maintained that whoever fails to improve on his/her present academic performance will not benefit from subsequent editions of the scheme.

Presenting the cheques to the students, Dr. Halimat Salihu (the BIg Mama,), the General Manager of Tao Radio and a member of the scheme, cautioned the beneficiaries against wayward life styles of drug abuse, prostitution, cultism inter alia.

Ibrahim Adeiza, a medical student at the Amadu Bello University, in an emotion ladened voice, described himself as the luckiest of the beneficiaries. Adeiza said the scholarship came at a very critical moment when all hope seemed gone for him and his brother who is an engineering student in the same institution (A.B.U). Adeiza announced further that the fund did not only come as a huge relief to him alone, but that himself and his brother were able to pay their school fees and even went further to purchase some of his expensive medical textbooks from it. Mr. Ibrahim, the father of Ibrahim Adeiza, who was visibly happy, expressed his profound appreciation to Chief Omuya, describing him as a God sent personality to the Ebira nation. Mr. Ibrahim said he had sold all of his valuables in attempts to meet the needs of his four children in the higher institutions and that the 2nd editions of the scheme enjoyed by his son couldn't have come at a better time.

In conclusion, the beneficiaries and their parents who were full of prayers and appreciations promised never to disappoint their benefactor, Chief (Dr.) J. O. Omuya; the Foundation and the Ebira nation.