Otti awards University scholarship to 81 students, increases allowance to N350,000
Otti awards University scholarship to 81 students, increases allowance to N350,000
Ogbonnaya Ikokwu, Umuahia
Abia State Governor Alex Otti has increased the annual scholarship award for beneficiaries of the Alex Otti Foundation from N250,000 to N350,000, citing economic realities.
Otti announced the increment on Saturday at the scholarship banquet for 81 new beneficiaries of the Foundation held in Umuahia.
The governor said the new amount would also apply to other cohorts of the Foundation who are still in school.
He said the selection process for the scholarship was strictly merit-based with no human intervention, stressing that beneficiaries were chosen irrespective of their political affiliation or background.
He said, “Out of the 81 of you, none of you knows me, except that you know I am the Governor. It is strictly by merit. If you qualify, you are taken. We don’t want to know who your parents support or where you come from.”
Otti disclosed that the Foundation, established in 2009, was restructured in 2019 and modelled after the United Kingdom’s Chevening Scholarship, with the aim of surpassing it.
The governor congratulated six beneficiaries of the Foundation who graduated with First Class honours this year and challenged the new 81 scholars to emulate them.
He said, “Six of you graduated with First Class this year. The challenge for the 81 of you is, if these six can do it, why not you? I want to see 50 First Class graduates in a few years.”
Otti apologised for arriving late to the event, explaining that he had to visit a police station in Aba attacked by gunmen in the early hours of Saturday, where two policemen were killed and four others injured.
He said he visited the injured officers at the hospital and used the opportunity to visit other patients, describing the experience as humbling.
Otti narrated how he met a 70-year-old woman who had been discharged but could not leave the hospital over inability to pay her bills, adding that he paid the bill to enable her leave.
He said the experience was a reminder for people to always show gratitude and humility.
The governor clarified that the Alex Otti Foundation has no political undertone, noting that it existed before his foray into politics and will continue after politics, adding that the Foundation paid to use the government facility for this year’s banquet because it had been commercialised.
He recalled his political journey, saying the 2015 governorship election in the state was stolen, and although he retrieved the mandate at the Court of Appeal, the Supreme Court reversed it.
According to him, the waiting period taught his team valuable lessons on leadership selection, stressing that an organization is only as good as its leadership.
He assured that Abia State would not return to its past, saying his administration is focused on rebuilding the state.
Also speaking the Deputy Speaker of the Abia State House of Assembly, Chief Augustine Okezie, commended Governor Otti for sustaining the scholarship scheme even before assuming office as governor.
Okezie urged the beneficiaries to justify the investment in their education by striving for excellence and making meaningful contributions to society through their chosen professions.
Earlier, the Executive Secretary of the Alex Otti Foundation, Mr Chidi Nnanna, described the 2026 scholarship banquet as exceptional, noting that the 81 beneficiaries were selected from more than 5,000 applicants through a rigorous screening process.
Nnanna revealed that a total of 302 scholars had benefited from the foundation’s scholarship programme, reaffirming its commitment to supporting students with the academic ability and financial need to pursue their education.
Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, Makuochukwu, Emerald Arungwa and Anointing Iroka described the scholarship as a dream come true and thanked Governor Otti for investing in their future through the foundation.
They pledged to justify the confidence reposed in them by the governor and their families, promising to excel in their studies and make meaningful contributions to society.