Governor Alex Otti during the Convocation
Best graduating students to receive N150m business grants, as Otti reveals plans to transform state-run schools
From Boniface Okoro, Umuahia
Abia State Governor, Dr. Alexr Otti, has announced N150 million business grants to best graduating students of Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu Polytechnic, Aba, which graduated 6,621 students.
Of the figure, 3,138 graduands obtained National Diploma, while 3,483 graduated with Higher National Diploma.
Governor Otti announced the grant during the combined 19th – 21st convocation ceremony of the Polytechnic, formerly known as Abia State Polytechnic, Aba, last Friday, December 6, 2024, assuring that his administration would transform all state-owned institutions to be capable of training students who would become job creators on graduation.
The Governor said that he would give N1 million business grant to each of the 150 best graduating students participating in the convocation, 50 persons from each of the three sets of graduands.
But he said that the prospective beneficiaries would access the grant on the condition that they should do a business proposal and submit same to government via the email address: oggh@abiastate.gov.ng on or before December 31, 2024.
As part of the plans to transform state-owned institutions, the Governor revealed that the state government has paid N5 billion counterpart funding to the Universal Basic Education Board (UBEB) to enable the state to access accumulated UBEC funds, adding that he would also allocate 20 percent of the 2025 budget outlay to the education sector, just like that of 2024.
“Our general outlay for the education sector has lead to the retrofitting of primary and secondary schools across the State,” he said, adding: “It (budgetary allocation) has also led to capacity development, training and retraining programmes for more than 2,000 primary and secondary school teachers”
“Our commitment to education has brought about extensive financial support for all the State-owned institutions, regular and prompt payment of salaries and allowances to the teaching and non-teaching staff and offsetting of the outstanding salary arrears owed staff working in our institutions and other measures designed to wipe off long term injuries suffered by thousands of people working in the state’s education sector,” Governor Otti added.
While decrying that the worst injury that happened to the State – the neglect of education and politicization of academics, the Governor said that he was committed to giving the needed support to public education institutions in the State, disclosing that earlier this year, he had paid a 4-year accumulated counterpart funds to Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) which has written to affirm that it would release funds to support education sector in the state.
“I am happy to announce that earlier this year, we paid about four years accumulated counterpart funding of N5 billion to the Universal Basic Education Commission and UBEC has written to assure us that very shortly, the total funds which in my estimation will be over N10billion, will be released to us,” he said.
He assured management of the Polytechnic that school would be given a face-lift as the internal campus road network of the institution would be reconstructed to improve the aesthetics of the environment. He said that government has already started paying the arrears of salaries of staff of the institution owed them by the past administration, adding that he has instructed the Secretary to the State Government and the Accountant-General of the state to ensure that the arrears of salaries of the affected staff, including those who are no longer in the payroll but were being owed by the past administration were paid.
The Governor explained that his decision to immortalize Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu by renaming the institution after him, was to inspire future generation of students to pursue excellence, stating that Dr. Onu did not just established the polytechnic but was an epitome of excellence and dignity.
Governor Otti who congratulated the graduands, thanked the management and Governing Council of the Polytechnic for restoring the institution.
Earlier, the Chairman, Governing Council of the Polytechnic, Mr. Stanley Egege, had assured the gathering that the Council would continue to make efforts towards making the school a technological/entrepreneurial institution with the intention of producing tested skilled graduates.
In his address, the Polytechnic Rector, Dr. Christopher Okoro, said various achievements of his administration within few months of his appointment include re- engineering the School and introduction of new programmes, including Artificial Intelligence, and noted that 16 new programmes would soon be accredited.
Governor Alex Otti had earlier performed the foundation laying ceremony of the perimeter fencing of the Osisioma Campus of the institution, commissioned the renovated Rector’s Lodge, the school’s newly reconstructed main entrance gate and the newly renovated Administrative building, among others.
The Governor was accompanied to the event by the Member representing Isialangwa North and South Federal Constituency, Hon. Ginger Onwusibe, members of the State House of Assembly and Commissioners, among other dignitaries.
Ends/
