OPINION: By. Ferdinand Ekeoma
A special award banquet was yesterday held for the beneficiaries of the 2019/2020 Alex Otti foundation scholarship.
This year’s award which went to 32 Undergraduates, selected from 13 different universities across the country, shall run throughout the duration of the studies of the beneficiaries, as long as they maintain the set academic standard which was one of the major yardsticks for their selection.
The Alex Otti Foundation Scholarship was reorganized and repackaged in 2017 to benefit more indigent but bright students who would need to go through a rigorous but transparent process of assessment to qualify for it.
To ensure that this was achieved, entry for the 2019/2020 was well publicized on the radio, school notice boards, and on social media.
The winners who could not hide their joy took turns to explain how they were taken care of, and treated like queens and kings, including being provided with breakfast, launch and transport money during the selection processes, and explained that they were surprised to emerge as beneficiaries, since they didn’t know anyone in the scholarship foundation.
Speaking, the Executive Director of the Alex Otti Foundation, Mr. Chinedu Ekeke explained that the values of the Alex Otti foundation rest on three pillars of Fairness,Opportunity and Community.
He made it clear that the selection processes were rigorous and very transparent which gave room for the emergence of deserving winners from amongst the hundreds of participants, and insisted that scholarship is for those who can muster the intellect to face academic challenges and succeed.
In his speech, the founder of the Alex Otti Foundation, Dr. Alex Otti OFR explained that, the Foundation is seeking to create a new crop of leaders, to offer help to those in need of it, as well as intervening in skills and Agriculture etc.
Dr. Otti explained that the core essence of the scholarship is to help very bright students from the 17 LGAs of the state to succeed, and further made it clear that, beyond scholarship,there are other spheres of life where the Alex Otti foundation is poised to uplifting humanity by rendering assistance to indigent people.
According to the financial expert” Our standards are pretty high, so the scholarship is not available for lazy people, not available for people who would not do well, and not available for people who would be truants in school”
He further explained that the Selected Scholars are best of the best and that the foundation would be monitoring tbeir performances, and that once they do well, they would be supported to succeed on graduation, and restated that beneficiaries would enjoy the scholarship till graduation as long as as they continue to do well.
Present at the occasion were friends and associates of Dr. Alex Otti, which included Dr. Otti’s former running mate,Dr. Mrs. Uche Eme Uche, Engr. Chibuike Achigbu, Navy Commander McDonald Ubah, Mr. Mike Akpara, parents and relations of the awardees, the Catholic Bishop of Umuhia, Most Rev. Luscious Ugorji, ably represented by four Priests, led by Rev. Father David Aguneri, Bishop Okpoko, also represented by a four man team of respected priests, Rev. Father Anokwuru, traditional rulers, which included His Royal Highness, Eze Iheanyichukwu Nwokenna and His Royal Highness, Eze Nelson Nmerengwa, some candidates of APGA and APC in the 2019 election, supporters of Dr. Otti etc
The 2020/2021 edition of the Scholarship shall kick off later in the year, and shall receive the necessary Publicity to enable interested participants be aware.
To qualify for the scholarship, one must be an Undergraduate in any tertiary institution in the country, must meet a specific CGP set out in the scholarship guidelines.The person must be either an Abian, or a non Abian, but resident in Abia.
Participation in the scholarship is 100% free of charge.
In solidarity to the Alex Otti foundation, Access Bank was on ground to support yesterday’s occasion by providing the launch taken at the banquet.
