Eziomume Solomon, Nnewi
There was jubilation among teachers and students of secondary schools in Anambra East, Anambra West, Oyi and Ayamelum local government areas, popularly called Omambala, on February 13, 2020, when a non-governmental organization, Amakom Foundation, awarded scholarship to over 200 students.
This came as over 800 schoolchildren selected form primary and secondary schools from four communities in Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State, benefited from the distribution of school materials by traders at the popular Building Materials International Market, Ogidi.
The event at the Anambra East council headquarters, Otuocha, attracted 39 public schools, parents and educationists.
The Amakom Foundation was founded singularly to improve the standard of living of people of the four council areas, through quality education. Daily Sun gathered that the scholarships were awarded to students with the overall first position from classes one to six of the 39 benefitting schools.
Member-in-Charge of Otuocha zone in the State Post Primary Schools Service Commission, Chief Joe Enemuo, commended the foundation for the benevolence and encouraged the pupils and students to remain focused in their educational pursuits, and to strive for excellence.
In their various remarks, the immediate past National Publicity Secretary of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Emejulu Okpalaukwu; the Transition Committee Chairman of Anambra East Local Government Area, represented by Mr Dominic Eri; Zonal Directors of Education, Otuocha and Ogidi zones, represented by Mrs Ngozi Okafor and Mrs Cecilia Okaa respectively, urged the beneficiaries to be more committed to their studies to justify the scholarship.
Founder of the NGO, Mr Emeka Asike, represented by Sir Franklyn Asike, said that he started the programme to raise the standard of education in the Omambala region, which he said, was backward educationally; adding that within one year, the foundation had provided scholarships to about 700 students, through tuition assistance programme, with the target to accommodate a minimum of 1,000 students per term.
Some of the beneficiaries, including Oluebube Okonkwo and Emmanuel Nweke, were full of gratitude to the NGO, and promised to take their studies seriously. The event climaxed with presentation of cash to the beneficiaries.
At the Ogidi event, students and teachers of the selected schools within Ogbunike, Nkpor, Abatete and Ogidi, thronged the building materials international market.
President of the market, Chief Jude Nwankwo, who addressed them, explained that the school bags were donated by Chinese friends of the market to the traders, but that the market decided to give them to school children to help boost their morale in learning. Nwankwo urged the pupils and students to make judicious use of the bags in order to improve in their studies.
He thanked the Chinese donors for the gesture and explained that the bags were cleared free of charge by the Nigeria Customs Service.
A teacher from Akpakaogwe Primary School, Ogidi, Mrs. Onyinye Nwadokwe, and her counterpart from Wisdom Heritage, Iyienu-Ogidi, Mr. Princewill Amobi, who spoke on behalf of the benefitting schools, thanked the traders for their benevolence.
Also speaking, two pupils from Akpakaogwe Primary School II, Chidinma Okoye and Onyedika Onyema, prayed for God’s blessings on the traders in all their endeavours.
Earlier, Evangelist Emma Anago, during the prayer session, urged the traders to be steadfast in prayers and draw closer to God for them to receive blessings.