Otu Osisioma Age Grade Oguta, Scholarship Trust Fund Launch Committee Members
Stakeholders, parents and teachers have been urged to show more commitment by asking questions thereby evaluating the activities and conducts of both teachers and pupils.
Speaking virtually at the end of the year program/ Launch of Otu Osisioma Education Scholarship Trust Fund for Oguta, Imo State Indigents, the former Deputy Governor of Imo State and Member, Board of Trustees of the Trust Fund, Rt. Hon. Alphonsus Gerald Irona said there is need for more commitment of the part of stakeholders in the education sector.
According to Hon. Irona, in the past, Oguta sons and daughters were excelling in various walks of life, but today there is a decline in the education sector generally. “Oguta Community have been blessed with notable sons and daughters as a result of their early venture into education, but as of today, the Secondary schools set up by most of our renowned heroes have become shadows of itself. As a result you can hardly find students with 5 Credits after their WAEC exams” he lamented.
“Hence, what Otu Osisioma Age Grade is doing today must be supported and applauded by all” Irona commented.
The decline in the education sector, Irona revealed is not only peculiar to Imo State alone but almost in Igboland.
Irona who spoke on what should be done to improve the education sector in Igboland also recommended that Schools be returned to Churches and operators that built those schools and have shown capacities to run those schools.
“Also, there should be improved budgetary allocation to education sector by all tiers of govt. in Nigeria, Imo State inclusive” Hon.Irona stated.
Speaking on why this scholarship is coming at this time, a member of Board of Trustees and Chairman, Launching Committee, Odera Nnadi said “aside sustaining the educational legacy of our forefathers, as an Age Grade, we felt that within the Oguta Community, there are some indigent students whose parents lack the academic resources. What we are trying to do is to bring our friends together who have the wherewithal to raise funds that can be used to train these children” said Nnadi
On the efforts being put in place to ensure that the fund is spent judiciously Chairman of Otu Osisioma Age Grade, Sir Emmanuel Uzokwe said the planning committee are people of integrity who have excelled in various walks of life.
On the criteria for selecting beneficiaries, a female member of the Age Grade, Mrs. Lolo Idu Okeahialem, said “while I was living in U.S, I was running the Oguta Association Scholarship Fund in U.S having realised the importance of education, and know that in Oguta Community, there are so many children in need of the fund,we decided to launch it here in Nigeria “.
To ensure that the fund get the right people, “We have the intention of going to Oguta Community and pay for students’ WAEC for those who couldn’t afford it and fund their education through Universities” said Lolo Okeahialem.
The Scholarship Trust Fund according to Pastor Chuks Uduka Kingsley aim to effectively restore confidence in the education sector. “We know that to do a proper re-engineering, education is critical. If you change the orientation of young people and position them properly, they will compete favourably with their counterparts globally” he said.
The project Kingsley said is a yearly one and it is not limited to education, ‘there will also be long vacation orientation, attachment to vacation jobs, we’ll also find spaces for them once they graduated at the same time adding values to their lives” he concluded
