By Emmanuel Acha
(Agbogugu) Enugu – The Deputy Minority Leader of the 9th House of Representatives, Chief Toby Okechukwu has given a grant of about N10million for the Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) registration of 590 students in his constituency.
Okechukwu is representing Aninri/Awgu/Oji River Federal Constituency.
The lawmaker, who handed over the cheques through Toby Okechukwu Foundation to the students drawn from 59 schools on Monday in Agbogugu, Awgu Local Government of Enugu, pledged to continually promote education in the area.
He said that he was moved to support the students through the 2019/2020 Educational Grants “because the only way to overcome our challenges is through education.
“The reason we are supporting you is not that you cannot pay for your SSCE but because God has given you the opportunity to benefit from this,” he said.
The deputy minority leader explained that the beneficiaries emerged through a competitive draw process, adding that he had wished all SS 3 students benefitted from the gesture.
Okechukwu, who also attracted the construction of seven classrooms block in St. Vincent Secondary School, Agbogugu, said that he would do his best to support science education in the area.
Earlier, the Chairman, Post Primary School Management Board, (PPSMB) in the state, Mr Nestor Ezema, said that Okechukwu through his philanthropic gestures had been a shining light to his people.
Ezema appealed to secondary school teachers in the area to prepare the students adequately in order to perform well in the exams.
“There shall not be even one case of exam malpractice in this area so that the students will appreciate what Okechukwu has done for them,” Ezema said.
Earlier, the President General, Federation of Agbogugu Autonomous Community, Mr Simon Ude described the event which featured the handover of 13 classroom blocks to St. Vincent Secondary School as `historic’.
“This is because today makes it the 13th time Okechukwu will gather us in this school in Agbogugu. You have inaugurated four boreholes in our community.
“The State Emergency Management Agency through your intervention gave us relief materials after an unfortunate wind disaster.
“You raised a matter of urgent public important on the floor of the Green Chambers on Agbogugu Wind Disaster after which the National Emergency Management Agency stormed our community with relief materials,” he said.
Ude said that before the intervention of the lawmaker, the school was in deplorable condition and the structures were in shambles.
“Many students left the school due to its unfortunate state and the students’ population declined as low as less than 100 students,” he said.
Ude however, said that since the first intervention of the lawmaker in the school, the population had grown to more than 600 students.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the highlights of the occasion was the inauguration of a newly constructed seven classrooms block and six renovated classrooms block attracted by Okechukwu to the school.
The projects were inaugurated by Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi.
(NAN)
