New Telegraph

Saving them from illiteracy burden

“I lost my parents while I was small and I have been struggling to go to school all this while. I am the one training myself and it has not been easy. This grant given to me by my Representatives at the National Assembly, has reduced the burden I have in my education.”

The above statement was made by 22-yearold Chukwuebuka Nwankwo, a 300 level student of Ebonyi State University (EBSU) who was among the over 200 indigent undergraduates from the state who received over N50million from the member representing Ezza South/Ikwo federal constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon. Chinedu Ogah, last week for their education during the Lawmakers leadership training/ disbursement of educational grant.

An elated Nwankwo said the educational grant from Ogah would enable him pay his school fees this year, describing the gesture as miracle. The young man explained that ever since he started his university education, he has been struggling to pay his tuition fees and has engaged in some activities to ensure he is not a school dropout.

“This money will help me very well, especially as I have been struggling to pay for my school fees this year and this is a miracle. God just intervened when my aunty called me to come and register in Chinedu Ogah foundation.

We are expected to pay a fee of N90,000 and this N60,000 will go a long way. I pray God will bless him. “Apart from schooling, I play football. I was to travel abroad but due to lack of finance, I could not go. I sponsor myself in school.

I lost my parents while I was small and I have been struggling to go to school all this while. Life has not been easy for me as an orphan. I am 22 years old. I also do forex trading but cannot expand the business due to lack of finance,” he said. Another beneficiary of the grant, Judith Ukamaka, from Item Amagu, Ikwo, Ikwo Local Government Area of the state and a first year student of Library Science and Information Science Technology, in Oko Federal Polytechnic, Anambra State, said the gesture was the first of its kind since she started her tertiary education.

She explained that she pays N30,500 every year as school fees and that the N60,000 given to her by Ogah will take care of her tuition fees for two years and commended the Lawmaker for the grant. “I received a grant of N60,000 from Hon. Chinedu Ogah. This money is enough to pay my school fees.

Very soon now, we will go into second year which is ND2 and I had no money for my school fees until this Lawmaker that God sent to rescue us, the indigent students gave us this grant. So, I am very glad that my school fees is ready now.

We paid N30,500 in year 1 (ND1) and this will take care of my next year’s school fees and some books.” Also Njoku Joy from the same Item Amagu, Ikwo, who is a final year student of Public Administration at Institute of Management and Technology(IMT) Enugu, said: ” I received a 60,000 NAIA draft from the member representing Ezza South/Ikwo federal constituency at the House of Representatives, Abuja.

He gave us grant to support our education. I’m very happy to be a beneficiary of this event and this money I received today will take care of my final year school fees. We pay N50,000 to N53,000 depending on the year.

So, it will take care of my school fees and also take care of other expenses in the school.” Ogah also gave over N4million to four students from the state studying outside the country as their own school fees. In his remarks, Ogah said the educational grants were part of his 2020 constituency projects and advised the beneficiaries to be dedicated to their studies and avoid acts that could jeopardize their future. He noted that as prospective future leaders, the students required fundamental leadership and educational training to enhance their capacity to lead. He said: “In constituency projects, you are allowed to fix money in a project.

“Some can fix in training, supply of fertilizers, while some can fix it in buying clothes for their wives. “But I deemed it necessary to fix mine in your education because all of you are upcoming leaders. “You are those that have the future; you are among those that would stand taller than us in no distant time, if you really chart your future properly. “This is why we have deemed it necessary to map out some money from the budgetary allocation of N50 million to give some education grant to most of you. “We did the part one of this scheme in December, where we gave about 850 secondary school students grants to assist them in their certificate examinations.

“We have received calls from most of those beneficiaries telling us that they did well in their examinations. “Some of you here have planned what to do with the money. Some have planned how to buy Christmas items with it. “Some have planned how to buy gifts for their girlfriends and the same with the girls.

“But I want to tell you that the grant is all about your future,” he said. He charged the students to make judicious use of the largesse and not fritter it away on frivolous lifestyles.

Ogah said that as prospective future leaders, they required fundamental leadership and educational training to enhance their capacity to lead. He advised them to ensure that it helped to add value to their lives, adding that they should plan well for their future.

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