The federal lawmaker representing Abia Central Senatorial District at the National Assembly, Senator Theodore Orji, has said that the sustenance and expansion of his annual scholarship programme was aimed at building capacity of youths to prepare them as future leaders.Orji stated this Thursday at the 6th edition of the annual scholarship scheme which took place at the International Conference Centre, Umuahia, during which 241 students from Abia Central studying in various universities across the country were given scholarships worth N24.1 million.
Over 600 students have so far benefitted from the scheme which has been running over the past six years with the number of beneficiaries increasing annually.
The former Abia governor said that it was not enough to keeping mouthing that youths are leaders of tomorrow without giving them quality education to prepare them for the future leadership role.
“We have to encourage those growing up by giving them good education,” he said, adding, ‘I want them to be responsible people in the society” by graduating in various professional fields, including medicine, engineering, law, among others.
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“This is a legacy I want to leave behind,” he said.
The two term Senator, who was accompanied by his wife, Mrs. Mercy Odochi Orji, recalled that the scholarship scheme took off with 60 students in 2015 and has progressively accommodated more beneficiaries.
He urged the beneficiaries “to make us proud by coming out in flying colours” thereby carving out enviable identity as products of Ochendo scholarship scheme. Orji also thanked his wife and children for rallying round him through their individual supports to ensure that annual scholarship scheme sees light of the day
In his remarks the state Governor Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu commended his predecessor for the “great sacrifices” he has been making to give Abia youths bright future by sustaining his scholarship programme.
The Governor, who was represented by his Deputy, Sir Ude Oko Chukwu, noted that the most striking aspect of the scholarship scheme is that no political motive is attached to it. This is because Senator Orji has already stated unequivocally that he would not be contesting for any elective position after completing his second term in the Red Chamber in 2023.
He urged the students to reciprocate the gesture of their Senator by being serious with their studies by shunning anti-social behaviours like drug abusive, “so that you don’t destroy yourself and destroy the society.”
Earlier in his address the chairman of the occasion, Professor Uche Ikonne, described the former Abia governor as a lover of people which is the reason he has been engaged in doing things that give happiness to the people.
He said that Senator Orji has “already planted a culture of giving in his family and it is generational”, adding that the former governor has recognised education as the biggest legacy one can give hence his involvement in scholarships.
Ikonne, who is the immediate past Vice-Chancellor of the Abia State University Uturu (ABSU), urged the recipients of the scholarship to recognise the fact that Senator Orji “is building your future” and maximise the opportunity.
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