BY AGNES NWORIE, ABAKALIKI
THE Speaker of the Ebonyi State House of Assembly, Francis Nwifuru, has paid the tuition fees of 70 indigent undergraduates, who are indigenes of the state, for the 2020/2021 academic year.
The gesture, which is aimed at boosting literacy level in Ebonyi State, was made through the Speaker’s foundation, Onwa Oferekpe Foundation.
Nwifuru had resolved to help in the formation of a brilliant society of reputable youths in Ebonyi State and by extension, Nigeria, through his consistent scholarship scheme, since 2015.
He has continued to pay school fees for various students across different universities in the country over the years, THE POINT learnt.
According Nwifuru, this is one of his modest ways of planning a brighter tomorrow for Ebonyi students, while God does the rest since the gesture is meant for the indigent students.
He said, “This is meant for the less privileged, indigent ones and those that God wants us to help. I didn’t screen them myself; the committee, led by my Personal Assistant, Nwodom Okechukwu, and the foundation Chairman did. So, I do not know some of them, neither do I know where they come from.
“Let me use this opportunity to thank the board members of the foundation. What is interesting is that each and everyone of them gets their fees, some N120,000, some N130,000, N124,000, N100,000, and about two of them in the College of Education got N50,000 each.
“I am very much happy doing this each time because I am propelled by what I passed through during my days in school, and I know students encounter lots of temptations to pay their fees, especially the ‘not-well-to-do’ ones. They enter the University praying for God’s assistance, and I believe God has heard their plea.”
The Speaker added that his scholarship scheme was not meant for students from his constituency (Izzi West) alone, but also for students across various local government areas in the state, as witnessed.
He called on other stakeholders to remember that it was their responsibilities to take care of the people who voted for them.
Responding on behalf of other beneficiaries, a 500 Level student of Medicine and Surgery of Ebonyi State University, Oriji Jerome; and another Nwogbaga Lucy in 100 Level, Political Science Department, EBSU, thanked the Speaker and urged other beneficiaries to go and share the good news to the world.
