THE undergraduate scholarship scheme set up seven years ago for Abia North students by Senator Uche Chukwumerije recently ended the first phase in which not less than 257 benefitted and the 139 2011/2012 beneficiaries received cheques ranging from N15,000 t0 N45,000 depending on their courses of study.
The scheme, which is part of the senator's economic empowerment, capacity-building, manpower development and moral re-orientation and social mobilization packages for Abia North constituents, would enter its second phase that would benefit about 50 others early this year.
In addition to the scholarship scheme, the senator says he is setting into motion a micro-credit scheme that would provide financial assistance to a class of business men and women in the senatorial district.
Speaking at the scholarship cheques disbursement ceremony at his Ngodo Isuochi country home, the third term senator, said that his focus included imbibing in the youths lasting values of integrity, belief in themselves, being visionary among others, which he said, were dispositions that would help change the country.
He disclosed that there would soon be in Abia North two technical- oriented institutions: one for vocational/skills acquisition and the other, a technical university, both of which are to inculcate technical vocations that would propel the people into becoming self-employed and speed up the economic transformation of the area and by extension, Abia State, with the ultimate target of developing Abia North to become the hub of industrial development of in the state.
He told the undergraduates that their greatest asset should be their sustained faith in God, while urging them to face all challenges with determination and perseverance.
To one of the graduates of the scholarship scheme, who got first class degree from the University of Nigeria Nsukka in Astrology/Physics and is serving his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme, the senator beckoned on him to come forward for sponsorship to a doctorate degree and urged other beneficiaries to strive to make similar grades.
He, however, said the scholarship would be for brilliant students whose parents could not or hardly afford to train them in the university.
The Chairman of the Scholarship Scheme Board, Chief Simon Okeke said that before 2005, the Senator unofficially funded and assisted many students financially but in 2005, the Senator formally inaugurated the scheme with eight beneficiaries comprising seven from his Umunneochi Local Council and one , an indigene of Ogoja in Cross River State.
According to him, the scheme was later extended to all the local councils of Abia North, adding that from that 2005 to 2012, a total of 237 had benefited.
Two beneficiaries, Miss Catherine Eke, a sixth -year medical student of University of Port Harcourt and Ikechukwu Ibeaja, a fifth -year medical students of Abia State University, Uturu, who got N45,000 cheques each from the senator, thanked him for his kindness and generosity on behalf of other beneficiaries. (34)
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