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Abia Governor announces ₦350,000 for 81 new scholars, ₦500,000 for six first-class graduates
Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, has increased financial support for beneficiaries of the Alex Otti Foundation scholarship programme, announcing ₦350,000 for each of 81 newly inducted scholars and ₦500,000 for each of six graduates who earned first-class honours.
The governor made the announcement on Saturday at the foundation’s scholarship banquet held at the Michael Okpara Auditorium, Umuahia, where he also revisited the disputed 2015 governorship election, insisting that his mandate was stolen.
Otti explained that the scholarship programme was strictly merit-based, stressing that beneficiaries were selected according to their academic qualifications rather than political affiliations, family backgrounds or places of origin.
“If you qualify, you are taken. It doesn’t matter your political affiliation. We don’t want to know who your parents support. We don’t want to know where you come from,” he said.
The governor disclosed that the foundation previously restricted the number of beneficiaries to 50 but expanded the programme this year to accommodate all applicants who met the required cut-off mark, bringing the total number of new scholars to 81.
He said the foundation, established in 2009, adopted a more structured and merit-driven selection process in 2019, modelled after the United Kingdom’s Chevening Scholarship programme.
Congratulating the six first-class graduates, Otti challenged other beneficiaries to emulate their academic achievements, expressing the hope that the number of first-class graduates would increase significantly in subsequent years.
“I don’t want to see six in another few years. I want to see 50,” he said.
Otti attributed the increase in scholarship grants to prevailing economic realities, including inflation and exchange-rate challenges. He directed the foundation’s Executive Secretary to ensure that the beneficiaries received their grants through electronic transfers.
The governor also reflected on his political experience following the 2015 governorship election in Abia State, maintaining that the outcome did not reflect the mandate he believed the electorate had given him.
“What happened in 2015 was that the election was stolen,” he declared.
He recalled that the Court of Appeal ruled in his favour on December 31, 2015, before the Supreme Court overturned the decision in February 2016, restoring the tribunal’s ruling in favour of the then governor, Okezie Ikpeazu.
According to Otti, the experience taught him valuable lessons about patience, leadership and the importance of choosing the right people to work with. He added that the period helped him understand the character of those around him and prepared him for the responsibilities of leadership.
The governor maintained that setbacks could provide opportunities for learning, growth and rebuilding, expressing confidence that Abia State would not return to what he described as its former condition.
“Whether anybody likes it or not, this place can never go back to Egypt,” he said.
Explaining his late arrival at the banquet, Otti disclosed that he had visited Aba following reports of an attack on a police station in the early hours of Saturday.
He said two police officers were killed in the attack, while four others sustained serious injuries and were taken to a hospital in Aba.
The governor said he visited the injured officers and other patients at the hospital, where he encountered individuals struggling to settle their medical bills.
He recounted the case of an elderly woman who had recovered and been discharged but could not leave the hospital because she was unable to pay her bill. Otti said he settled the bill to enable her to return home.
He also spoke about relatives who had remained at the hospital to care for sick family members, including a trader who had closed his shop at Ariaria International Market to attend to his mother.
The experience, he said, reinforced the importance of gratitude, compassion and concern for the welfare of others.
Otti urged the scholars to remain humble, appreciate the opportunities available to them and remember those who lacked access to similar educational support.
He congratulated the beneficiaries and encouraged them to make effective use of their education, noting that their achievements should mark the beginning of greater responsibilities and meaningful contributions to society.
Earlier, the foundation’s Executive Secretary, Chidiebere Nnanna, disclosed that the scholarship programme had supported more than 302 scholars since 2019, with 81 beneficiaries having graduated.
Nnanna commended the foundation’s founder for investing in education and urged the newly inducted scholars to use the opportunity wisely and extend similar support to others in the future.
He also acknowledged the contributions of parents, guardians and partners to the success of the programme.
The event was attended by the Deputy Governor of Abia State, Engr. Ikechukwu Emetu; members of the National and State Houses of Assembly; Labour Party chieftains; members of the Abia State Executive Council; as well as family members, friends and well-wishers of the scholars and graduates.
