No fewer than 100 outstanding students in public secondary schools in Okposi community would get textbooks and other writing materials, donated by the Okposi Education Initiative (OEI).
Okposi is a community in Ohaozara Local Government Area of Ebonyi state. Mainly an agrarian and trading community.
The people of Okposi are scattered across the major markets in Nigeria doing pretty businesses; there is no major market in Nigeria you will not see an Okposi man or woman selling foodstuffs.
A statement by Dr Nnanna Agwu, the Chairman of OEI, on Wednesday, said three most brilliant students in each class across all the public secondary schools in okposi, would be rewarded with textbooks in English, Maths and Integrated Science subjects.
Agwu added that the outstanding students totaling about 100 across the public schools in Okposi would also get writing materials such as exercise books, biro, rulers, mathematical set, among others.
He further said that someone had also pledged to pay the JAMB fees for the overall best student in each school.
The chairman noted that the annual program, tagged: ”Reward for Academic excellence (RACE 2019)”, had been in existence for the past eight (8) years, which was a joint collaboration with his friends.
He said that the program would commence on Wednesday November 20 and end on November 21 at Okposi community in Ohaozara Local Government Area of Ebonyi state.
He explained that the goal of the initiative, was to encourage the brilliant students to continue their education to finish secondary education at the minimum to enable them handle their businesses well or even further their education.
”In the midst of these, we realized that education was key to economic and personal emancipation which led our people to embrace education early.
”Most of the students couldnt finish their secondary education because their parents couldnt afford the fees or couldnt buy the necessary texts for them.
”Also the brilliant young girls where being married off from SS1 -SS2. Infact, it seemed like the business men targeted the brilliant ones to marry. And due to financial constrains, the parents married them off.
”When we started this initiative most of us were fresh from university bursting with ideas but no funds. We were mostly driven by the zeal to give back to the community in a meaningful way that will really touch the lives of our people.
”Many a time we struggled financially to meet up but somehow we always pulled through.
“Many thought ours was a politically aimed vision but they failed. Many politicians have approached us to use this initiative as a means to score political points this we have resisted to ensure the core principle of the initiative is sustained,” Agwu said.
He reiterated that the goal was to encourage academic excellence.
According to him, all through the years, the recurring decimal remains the poor state of infrastructure of the public schools in Okposi; Science students have no laboratories to practice, some schools have no chairs and tables, teachers have no staff room, leaking classrooms etc.
He added that in some areas, schooling was seasonal as the pupils had to go to farms to help sustain their families.
”This is why our goal is to reward those who have exhibited brilliance in their academics, in so doing encourage others to step up.
”Seeing the impact of our program on the young ones, we have stepped it up with a mentorship program to encourage and monitor the progress of these students as they go into the university.
”Arising from this year’s event, we will be preparing a policy document that will be presented to government of Ebonyi State to help reform the education sector like the infrastructural developmental strides being done by this Government,” he said.
He, however, noted that the program had been most rewarding to many of them, saying, ”from the days of idealistist jobless young men, we now have CEOs , executive directors, experts in their chosen fields. All of us have excelled.
”What better way to live than to live for your people”.
