By Praise Chinecherem
Four students of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State have expressed appreciation to a philanthropist, Ozo Jeff Nweke for offering them scholarships to the tune of N4.5million.
The beneficiaries, Ngama Chidera (English language and Literary studies); Okonkwo John (Statistics); Alieze Samson (Education Management and Policy) and David Emmanuel (Philosophy) received N1million and N1.5 million respectively.
Speaking on behalf of his colleagues, Ngama Hope for English language and Literary studies thanked the benefactor for finding them worthy for the scholarship, describing him as life saver and destiny helper.
She prayed God to replenish his purse and give him more courage to continue helping the downtrodden.
“This is just the only hope I have for my academic pursuit and fulfilling my aspirations. I can only say thank you to our life saver, destiny helper, an angel in disguise.
“You know, I started paying my school fees from primary 3 through hair braiding because a lot of things happened which made me leave my house and stayed with people as a house help just to go to school.
“This is a major breakthrough for me, it’s a major push because I never knew that I am going to further my education”, she narrated in tears.
Earlier, the benefactor Chief Executive Officer of Blue Shield Security Company Ltd, Ozo Jeff Nweke the scholarships, meant for first quarter of the year was to enable them procure necessary things for their education.
He charged them to shun cultism and other evil groups that truncate human ambition, stressing they could reach the zenith of their ambition if they took their studies seriously.
According to him, those who made it in life was not by mere sudden flight but through hard work, stressing that while their counterparts were busy sleeping, they toiled all the night.
He said, “All those characteristics that paved way for you to secure this scholarship should not depart from you.
“I implore you all to add more to them so they will reflect in you to be better human beings as you all have the traits of being future President and Governors.
“You have the potentials of great achievers but if you do not work hard to maximize those potentials in you, they will all perish in you.
“I further urge you to be prayerful as you watch your life style and peer influences.”
Also speaking, Director of Ozo Jeff Education Scholarship Scheme, Ikechukwu Chinweze said that the programme had run for two years, adding that the benefactor had done more in previous years by shouldering the academic responsibility of several other newly admitted students.
“The programme is strictly a sponsorship on education to tertiary institutions. Ozo Jeff has spent not less than N100million since its commencement.
“The scholarship offer transverses throughout the country with beneficiaries drawn from different states.
“To qualify for the offer, the school authority of the beneficiary must be contacted to enquire about his or her socio-moral conduct and the person’s academic conduct must be screened before forwarding any successful names to the foundation.”
