Governor Alex Otti, Tuesday made real his promise as he empowered 150 outstanding graduates of Ogbonnaya Onu Polytechnic Aba (formerly Abia Poly), with a grant of N1 million each to establish any business of their choice.
The governor who made the promise during the last graduation ceremony of the institution, said the gesture was to encourage academic excellence.
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Disbursing the fund to the beneficiaries at the institution’s auditorium, the Rector, Dr Christopher Kalu Okoro, commended the governor for the gesture which he said was the first of its kind in the country.
He said:”This is the first time in the history of our country that a state government will be giving out such amount of money, not for political reasons, but to empower young generation”.
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“The essence of this fund is to make students entrepreneurs”, he said, explaining that the largesse is for three sets of HND (Higher National Diploma) graduates spanning from 2021/2022 to 2023/2024 sets.
He noted that each of the beneficiaries submitted a business proposal which was vetted by a panel before the successful ones finally emerged.
“For you to qualify for this grant, first, you must have graduated from this polytechnic between 2022 and 2024. Another condition is that you must have graduated with at least a CGPA of 3.00 which is upper credit. Then, you must have applied for the grant.
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“For you to now collect it, you must have done your clearance and you must have collected your certificate because you don’t expect us to give you grants when you don’t have our certificates.”
He tasked the beneficiaries to invest the funds wisely based on their business plans, and not on frivolities.
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“This money is not for Brazilian hair, it’s not for bone straight, it’s not for Bet Naija. It is expected that this money will grow and make you a bigger person so that tomorrow, you can give back to society. It’s not a loan, it’s a grant for you to start up business and become better in life.”
In a remark, the President, Students Union Government, SUG, Comrade Michael Maduka, described the gesture as unprecedented, saying it will spur students to strive towards excellence.
“We are delighted that the Governor has today, fulfilled his promise, and it will motivate us to be more serious with our studies to enable us qualify in future.”
One of the beneficiaries, Joseph Egwuatu, a graduate of Accounting who said he was currently running a poultry accessory business, expressed delight over the gesture, saying it will help him expand his business.
Another beneficiary, Cyril Emmanuel, a graduate of Business Administration and Management, said he would use the fund to expand his shoe material business.
Emmanuel who is aiming at creating job opportunities for additional 10 youths in the nearest future, vowed to justify the gesture.
Similarly, Harmony Nduka, a graduate of Mass Communication but currently engaged in printing business, said she would invest the fund in procuring more equipment.
She expressed her gratitude to the Governor, and the institution, promising to reciprocate the gesture through hardwork.
Addressing a pre-convocation press conference earlier, the Rector said that the institution had recorded some landmark achievements through the support of the Governor since he came on board.
He said that he had, among other things, vigorously pursued academic expansion resulting into the introduction of 17 new programmes in 2025 alone, which had all been fully accredited.
The Rector identified Artificial Intelligence, Cyber Security and Machatronics, as some of the new courses, adding that 14 existing programmes including Mass Communication which had been without accreditation for about 15 years, had been fully accredited.
He also said that he had abolished issuance of statement of results, and simplified the process of collecting certificates, boasting that students now collect their certificates as they are graduating.
The Rector said he had issued over 30,000 certificates in less than two years.
Dr Okoro also said he had abolished the sale of both text books and handouts to avoid exploitation of students, arguing that lecturers were not employed to sell books but to impart knowledge.
He further said that acquisition of skill had been made compulsory for all students in addition to their course of study, to make them self-reliant.
The Rector announced that all doors being used in all public schools in Abia State were being fabricated by the Welding and Fabrication Department of the institution.
Similarly, the Department, produces buckets for the Abia State Environmental Protection Agency, ASEPA, a development, he said had improved the institution’s internally generated revenue.
He disclosed that students’ enrollment in the Department had also spiked due to the financial attraction as students and staff involved in the metal fabrication get paid.
Commending Gov. Otti for his massive financial supports to the institution, the Rector identified other achievements under his watch to include 250-capacity lecture theatre, asphalting of internal roads, improved staff welfare, clearance of salary arrears, among others.
He announced that both academic and administrative activities would commence at the Osisioma Permanent site of the institution by January 2026, following a massive infrastructural development at the site courtesy of Gov. Otti.
The Rector who said the Governor had approved the construction of 5000-capacity hotels for male and female students respectively at the permanent site, explaining that movement to the permanent site would be in phrases.
*Editor’s note: This story, authored by Steve Oko, was first published in Vanguard newspaper.
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