Senator representing Abia Central Senatorial District, Senator Austin Akobundu, has presented educational grants to 214 beneficiaries drawn from across the senatorial district as part of his commitment to supporting education and human capital development.
The presentation, held in Umuahia on Saturday, saw 114 undergraduate students from various tertiary institutions across Nigeria receive educational grants, while 100 students of the National Teachers Institute (NTI), Ikwuano, also benefited from the intervention.
Addressing the beneficiaries, Senator Akobundu urged them to justify the confidence reposed in them by remaining committed to their studies and maintaining exemplary character.
He advised the students to shun examination malpractice, cultism, drug abuse, prostitution, truancy and other social vices, while encouraging them to respect their lecturers and constituted authorities, attend lectures diligently and strive for academic excellence.
The lawmaker said the initiative was in fulfilment of his campaign promise to focus on programmes that would have measurable impact on the lives of the people, stressing that education remains the surest path to prosperity and sustainable development.
Senator Akobundu highlighted some of his previous interventions, including vocational training for women and youths in tailoring, agriculture, pastry making and cosmetics production, as well as digital skills acquisition programmes in artificial intelligence, robotics, web development, cybersecurity, software development, data science and digital marketing.
He also recalled sponsoring 113 indigenes of Abia Central on full three-year scholarships at the National Teachers Institute to train as professional teachers, noting that the beneficiaries are now in their final year of study.
According to him, the educational grant programme was introduced to assist brilliant but indigent students whose academic aspirations are threatened by financial hardship.
He assured the people that the initiative had been institutionalised and would continue to expand to accommodate more deserving students in the future.
Earlier, Chairman of the Planning Committee, Stanley Nwabuisi, said the beneficiaries emerged through a transparent online application and screening process that identified qualified and genuinely indigent students from Abia Central.
He explained that the NTI scholarship beneficiaries also received funding covering the final two semesters of their three-year NCE programme.
In a goodwill message, the Vice-Chancellor of Amadeus University, Professor Henry Eke, who represented the institution’s proprietor, Dr. Godwin Nwabunka, commended Senator Akobundu for investing in education and human capital development.
Professor Eke described the initiative as a bold step toward expanding educational opportunities and urged the beneficiaries to utilise the grants wisely to advance their academic pursuits.
Also speaking, Ikwuano stakeholder, Dan Onwutuebe, encouraged the beneficiaries to become worthy ambassadors of Abia Central by upholding the values of excellence, integrity and service wherever they find themselves.
The Legislative Coordinator for Senator Akobundu in Ikwuano, Elder Henry Nwaoha, described investment in education as a hallmark of quality representation, urging the students to make good use of the opportunity and support purposeful leadership.
Speaking on behalf of the chairmen of the six local government areas of the ADC in Abia Central, Comrade Osundu Ajuzie encouraged the youths to obtain their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) and participate actively in the democratic process.
The Centre Manager of the National Teachers Institute, Ikwuano, Mrs. Victoria Ebila, thanked Senator Akobundu for consistently paying the school fees of the NTI scholarship beneficiaries over the past two years.
She appealed for continued educational support and called for assistance in making voter registration more accessible to eligible students.
Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, Okechukwu Manasseh Destiny, a Law student of Abia State University, expressed appreciation to Senator Akobundu for the financial support, describing the intervention as timely and impactful. He pledged that the beneficiaries would remain committed to their studies and make the senator and Abia Central proud.
