Chimaobi Sam Atu Foundation Empowers 237 Students with SSCE Scholarships

Chimaobi Sam Atu Foundation, on Tuesday, awarded Senior Secondary Certificate Examination scholarships to 237 students from 28 public schools in Enugu North and South Federal Constituency.

According to reports, the 237 SS3 students were selected purely on merit from the scholarship exam conducted in November 2024 by the Education Board Committee of the Foundation, led by Dr. Chidiebere Ezinwa, the Head, Department of Mass Communication, ESUT.

Presenting the awards to the students in an event held at PPSMB Hall, Independence Layout, Enugu, the President of the Foundation and Member representing Enugu North and South Federal Constituency, Hon. Chimaobi Sam Atu, said the scholarship was designed to promote a healthy academic culture among students and also to reduce the burden on the shoulders of some parents.

He stated that the promotion of academic excellence at the grassroots level is part of his commitment and something he is very passionate about. He added that more educational interventions would come to his constituents through his office.

The lawmaker also promised to award another round of scholarships next week to indigent students with special cases who participated in the scholarship but didn’t get it on merit.

According to him, “Today, I am glad that my vision of promoting education and good academic culture at the grassroots level is manifesting. It has always been my wish to put smiles on the faces of those in need of education by giving them a helping hand to achieve their goals for a better society. What we are doing today is to tell those who want to study that, with strong will and seriousness, they can reach their targeted goals. This scholarship exercise is targeted at students who are exceptional in their academics as it provides them the opportunity of furthering their education.”

“I understand that we have some indigent students with special cases who couldn’t meet the merit standard, and the Foundation will soon organize another one that will accommodate them within the next few weeks.”

In his address, the Chairman of the Education Board, Dr. Chidiebere Ezinwa, said the scholarship was a wake-up call for many parents, school management, and students.

He stated that his committee was very meticulous in organizing the examination and marking to ensure that only those with academic excellence were selected based on merit. He posited that, though the performances were poor, he believed the testimony of the beneficiaries would spur others to improve their reading culture and overall academic performance.

Dr. Ezinwa also thanked the lawmaker for choosing to do things differently by giving everybody an opportunity to participate and show what they can do. He added that the apolitical nature of the exercise will continue to be a reference point for other political leaders.

He called on political leaders in the state, the South East, and Nigeria at large to see the need to invest in education, as it is the surest way to achieve economic emancipation. He also called on all the beneficiaries to capitalize on the opportunity presented by the lawmaker to improve their academic lives, as that will guarantee a better future for them, their families, and society.

Highlights of the occasion included a special recognition of the overall best student in the exercise, Master Okonkwo Ebube, from Uwani Boys Secondary School, who had the highest marks among all the students that participated in the examination, scoring 95%; while Command Day Secondary School had the highest Number of Students who scored A1 during the examination.