The Monday Onyeme Foundation has disbursed scholarships worth over N185 million to 853 undergraduate students from Delta North Senatorial District as part of its sustained commitment to youth empowerment and educational development.
The scholarship awards were presented on Sunday at Dennis Osadebay University (DOU), Asaba, Delta State, during the foundation’s annual scholarship award ceremony.
The overall best performing student, Miss Agenu Nneoma Miracle received a scholarship donation of over N2 million.
The beneficiaries, drawn from various higher institutions across the country, emerged through a competitive selection process involving aptitude tests conducted across the three Federal Constituencies in Delta North Senatorial District.
Speaking at the ceremony, the founder of the foundation and Deputy Governor of Delta State, Sir Monday Onyeme, Ph D., said the introduction of aptitude tests was a deliberate policy aimed at encouraging academic excellence and rewarding outstanding performance among students.
According to him, the foundation was established to provide financial assistance and also inspire young people to develop their intellectual capacity, pursue academic excellence and distinguish themselves in their chosen fields.
“When we set up the Monday Onyeme Foundation, the only way to select beneficiaries was to introduce aptitude tests so that we could identify the best.
“It was a deliberate policy because we want to encourage our people to come out brilliant, go the extra mile and do better academically,” he said.
Sir Onyeme, who encouraged the students to remain focused despite the prevailing unemployment challenges in the country, noted that academic excellence, hard work and the acquisition of relevant skills could open doors of opportunities for graduates.
He urged the beneficiaries to distinguish themselves in their respective disciplines, stressing that no course of study was inferior to another, as every academic field was designed to address particular societal needs.
“There is no course you are studying in school that is useless; there is no course of study that is better than the other, all courses are designed to solve particular problem in the society; it depends on what you make of that course,” he stated.
The Deputy Governor challenged the students to strive to become outstanding in their chosen professions, whether in agriculture, technology, social sciences, history, arts or other disciplines.
He explained that the scholarship scheme was designed not only to provide financial support but also to bring out the potentials and possibilities in young people, adding that the foundation was proud of the beneficiaries for distinguishing themselves in the aptitude tests.
In his remarks, the Chairman of the occasion, former member of House of Representatives, Hon. Pascal Adigwe, congratulated the beneficiaries and urged them to pursue their educational careers with faith, hope and determination, particularly in the face of prevailing challenges.
Adigwe commended the Monday Onyeme Foundation for sustaining the scholarship initiative, noting that the programme had continued to keep the hopes and aspirations of students in Delta North alive.
The Deputy Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Delta State, Elder Moses Iduh, in a goodwill message, described education as the bedrock of a solid foundation in life and advised the students not to be discouraged by those who describe education as a scam.
He maintained that education remained an indispensable instrument for personal development and societal advancement, urging the beneficiaries to take their studies seriously and make the most of the opportunity provided by the foundation.
Also speaking, Hon. Charles Emetulu, a member of the Delta State House of Assembly, congratulated the scholarship recipients and appreciated the Monday Onyeme Foundation for its intervention, particularly in helping parents and guardians to reduce the financial demands associated with sponsoring their children’s education.
The Vice-Chancellor of Dennis Osadebay University, Prof. Samuel Aghalino, also commended the Deputy Governor and the foundation for the initiative, describing generosity and giving back to society as values that should be consistently practised.
He observed that individuals who use their blessings to support others would always have a place in history, while appreciating Onyeme for his contributions to the educational development of young people.
Earlier, the Coordinator of the Monday Onyeme Foundation, Mr Leo Ubuane, in his welcome address, disclosed that since its establishment in 2016, the foundation had remained committed to promoting educational development and supporting students across Delta North.
Ubuane said the 853 beneficiaries were selected after successfully passing the aptitude tests organised across the three Federal Constituencies of the senatorial district.
He described the annual scholarship programme as part of the foundation’s sustained intervention in the education sector, aimed at easing the financial burden on parents while providing deserving students with opportunities to pursue their academic ambitions.
The scholarship ceremony attracted students, parents, government functionaries, education stakeholders and other invited guests, who witnessed the presentation of cheques to the successful candidates.
