By Jude Michael
For 223 students from Anambra Central Central Senatorial Zone, Thursday September 5, will remain indelible in their minds. It was the day their dreams of fostering their academic careers was made to come true following their financial empowerment by the Senator representing Anambra Central, Chief Sir Victor Umeh, at Cana House, Awka, in front of their parents, relations, Presidents General and Traditional Rulers.
The beneficiaries, Fides gathered, were nominated by their communities, churches, personalities, groups and organizations to be part of Senator Umeh’s full scholarship. The hall erupted in joy when he said he was not just going to pay their full fees but would add to what they submitted, promising that next year it would be upgraded to enable them to buy books too.
They will be coordinated by Mr JohnMary Ejiofor who will be in charge of the scholarship scheme. He had been with Umeh over the years and as a mark of appreciation for his efforts, was appointed that day by Umeh as his Senior Special Assistant on Scholarship.
‘What I’m offering my constituents is honest representation. This is my constituency project and everyone can see it,’ Umeh explained to the appreciative audience who filled the hall with their parents.
Thanking President Bola Tinubu for introducing the Students Loan Scheme, Umeh told the beneficiaries not to apply for the president’s Students Loan Scheme in order to allow others to benefit. He however told them that his own scholarship was free, unlike that of the Federal Government which was a loan that would be paid back.
Umeh urged the representatives of the various communities to always tell their people how the scholarship came about and who sponsored it and frowned on the action of one of the Presidents General who failed to disclose the details of the scholarship to his community. He told the Traditional Rulers that the reason they were invited was to witness what happened and relay same to their people.
There were thunderous cheers in the hall when Umeh introduced one of the earlier beneficiaries who just graduated a medical doctor, Miss Sylvia Okoye, from Ire Village Umuoji, Idemili North LGA.
Okoye, recalled that her journey in the scheme began in 2018 after she was nominated by her Traditional Ruler. She noted that Umeh never reneged on his promise of sponsoring her even when he was out from Senate. She described Umeh as a living angel, and assured him that his investment in them would not go to waste.
The highlights included when one of the beneficiaries broke down in tears as she thanked Umeh for sponsoring her in her education as a nursing student. She said she was pregnant and was with her husband who was in same nursing school with her. Another was the presentation of the beneficiaries whose accounts were credited by Fidelity Bank whose officials were at the venue.
