By; MKPUMA ENYINNA, Abakaliki
A popular medical doctor in Ebonyi State, Dr. Gideon Osi has described education as solution to the worsening insecurity, poverty and underdevelopment in the country.
Osi, who is the Chief Executive Officer of Gideon and Joy Life and Leadership Foundation, stated this in his Amaeze country home, Ishiagu, Ivo Local Government Area of the state, during this year’s scholarship award ceremony to 105 students of secondary schools, undergraduates and Catholic Priests by the foundation.
He said that education to every community, every society and every country is like what oxygen is to the human body.
A total of N100 million was spent on the beneficiaries as their school fees by the foundation, which also provided their school kits and educational materials.
Parents of the beneficiaries, their relatives and friends were present at the event.
Dr. Osi said he was a product of scholarship, according to him, he would have not have been a graduate, if not the scholarship that was awarded by a prominent son of the area.
“I am a product of scholarship and I have been giving scholarships to students and undergraduates. I feel one of the ways to contribute best to the society is educational empowerment.
“Education to every community, every society, every country is like what oxygen is to the human body. When you educate the people, you are helping to reduce poverty, you are helping to reduce insecurity. This scholarship is our own way of giving to the society.
“They passed and we took them to the national exams and they also passed. So, they are all on merit.
“It is in the interest of all to invest in others. If we want safety, if we want genuine peace, we must invest in people.
“Whatever anybody is doing, always take a path that will actually pay you, not just a path that you can actually throw away. Take that path that you know means so much to you and invest in other people’s children and not just your own children, because a time will come in future when your children are just not enough for you and you will need others to be there when your children are not there for you.
“It is useless being wealthy if you can’t make impact in your community. We believe that this scholarship is the journey God has designed for us.
“We believe that children of the poor, indigent and vulnerable also deserve quality education. We are here to invest in their future because investment in them is investment in our collective future.
“The beneficiaries of this scholarship are all on merit. Exams were set; they wrote the first exam and they passed and we took them to the national exams and they also passed. So, they are all on merit.
“We have a total of 105 beneficiaries that are awarded this scholarship today for this year. In the secondary school category, we have those at federal government colleges and those at other secondary schools of high standard in the state
“We have a university category that will add to the existing numbers in the universities. This year alone, we will be graduating about 17 from the previous ongoing scholarships. We do this every year.
“But we decided to host this event in order to encourage others and also appreciate these children for making us proud in the past exams.
“So, we have a total of 62 in the secondary category and 38 in the university. I can assure you, in 20 years time, we will be proud of these children”, he stated.
Some of the beneficiaries of the scholarship including Uche Chibuike and Okoro Prudence, described it as hope of the hopeless.
Chibuike said he would have been a school drop out if not for the scholarship, adding that paying his tuition fees and other fees in the university was very difficult.
On her part, Okoro Prudence who is a first class graduate of Library and Information Science from UNIZIK said “this scholarship is giving hope to the hopeless because I was among the first people that started enjoying the scholarship, I was among the fist beneficiaries. Now, I am a graduate.
“!I was in second year and I wanted to drop out due to lack of money, but this scholarship rescued me. If not it, I would have been a drop out by now, but God used this scholarship to make me a graduate today and to the glory of God, I graduated with first class through this scholarship”.
Governor Francis Nwifuru who was represented by Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Professor Grace Umezuruike during the event, commended Osi for remembering his background and empowering the indigent ones.
He urged the beneficiaries not to take the scholarship for granted, but make Osi proud to encourage him to continue improving the lives of the people.
