By Raymond Ozoji

Copyright independent

AWKA – About 200 indigent persons in Ihiala Local Govern-ment Area of Anambra State have benefitted from Anayochukwu Orjiako Edu-cation Support Project.

The educational support pro-gramme which is a pet project of the incumbent council chairman of Ihiala Local Government Area Hon. Anayochukwu Charles Oji-akor, was a platform for the bene-ficiaries who could not purchase JAMB forms for themselves to pursue their university education.

It was a a festival of smiles and joy as Orjiako rewarded candidates who clinched first, second and third positions in this year’s JAMB ex-amination in the council area with cash prizes and consolation prizes for others who were outstanding too.

The overall best in the JAMB ex-amination Miss Hannah Ele who hails from Uzoakwa and applied to study law at the Nnamdi Aziki-we University, said Anayochukwu Orjiako Education Support Project was worthwhile as she believes it is a medium to empower those at the grassroots in realizing their dreams of acquiring higher edu-cation.

Emmanuel Ilechukwu, a 16year old young lad and a native of Osu-moghu in Ihiala Local Government Area, who aspires to study Medical Laboratory Science at Chukwueme-ka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, said that the council chairman’s education support programme is the first of its kind because it of-fered opportunity to the less priv-ileged to actualise their ambitions of obtaining university education. Ilechukwu was also recognized for his sterling performance in this year’s JAMB examination.

Chiagoziem Victor Ndubuokwu a native of Uli, who bagged second position and hopes to study Medi-cal Laboratory Science at Dr. Alex Ekwueme Federal University as well as his third position counter-part Master Chukwuemeka Hen-ry Chinecherem from Okija, who applied for Accountancy at the University of Port Harcourt River State, thanked Engr. Anayochukwu Orjiako for his magnanimity and kind disposition in giving them op-portunity to pursue their dreams and aspirations.

Miss Janet Bassey Effiong, a serving corps member in Ihiala Lo-cal Government Area, who was one of the teachers that prepared the candidates for the JAMB examina-tion in the extra-learning classes sponsored by the chairman, dis-closed that Ihiala got talents from her interactions with the young-sters even as she also appreciated the council chairman for providing the platform for the participants to harness their talents and poten-tials.

Meanwhile the Secretary-Gen-eral Anayochukwu Orjiako Edu-cation Support Project, Mr. Enzo Uzodimma Nzeribe, said that the scheme would continue because its primary objective is to assist as well as encourage citizens of Ihi-ala Local Government Area to go to school as education, according to him, is key to societal develop-ment and that the council chair-man placed so much premium on education.

Nzeribe, however, called on oth-er well-to-do individuals in Ihiala Local Government Area to borrow a leaf from the council chairman and further assist the less privi-leged ones who cannot afford to purchase JAMB forms to help so as to encourage children of the less privileged to go to school to enable them to contribute to the develop-ment of the society.

Also the Director-General of Anayochukwu Orjiako Education Support Project, Mr. David Wole Olugbemi, said that the education support will not end at just buying JAMB forms and rewarding out-standing candidates.

He emphasized that the foun-dation will closely monitor bene-ficiaries of the support scheme to ensure that they secured admis-sions into their respective choice institutions of higher learning and also provide necessary assistance whenever the need arise, until they graduate and give back to society.

The Olugbemi maintained that the education support scheme for empowerment of Ihiala youths would be sustained even if the benefactor seizes to be the local government chairman.

Presenting the cash and conso-lation prizes to the best performing candidates in the 2025 JAMB exam-ination, Ihiala Local Government Chairman and founder Anayo-chukwu Orjiako Education Sup-port Project, Hon. Anayochukwu Charles Orjiako, admonished the beneficiaries not to be carried away by youthful exuberance and juve-nile deliquescence or get involved in acts that could jeopardize their future instead they should channel their youthful energy and ingenui-ty to the realization of their dreams and aspirations in their respective educational pursuits, adding that his foundation is determined to empowering youths with literacy.