Otti pledges N10m for vulnerable students, school upgrade

File: Abia State Governor, Alex Otti.

Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has pledged N10 million for students, particularly vulnerable learners, of his alma mater, Ngwa High School, Aba.

Otti also set up a committee to coordinate the comprehensive rehabilitation of the school, with a mandate to identify and prioritise the institution’s critical infrastructure and educational needs.

Otti announced this on Wednesday during a reception organised in his honour by the Ngwa High School Old Boys Association.

He explained that, out of the pledged sum, N4m would augment the N1m pledged for vulnerable students by Prof Jasper Jumbo, bringing that component to N5m.

The governor named Dr Reginald Stanley as chairman of the committee, with Prof Jasper Jumbo, Akasha Wata, Prince Uzor Nwachukwu and himself as members.

He said, “The proposed intervention would go beyond ongoing renovation projects to restore the school’s standing as an institution capable of providing quality education and nurturing future leaders.

“Every child deserves equal access to quality education, irrespective of family background or financial status.

“The policy has increased school enrolment across the state, prompting the recruitment of 5,394 teachers in the previous year and an additional 4,075 teachers to strengthen teaching and learning.”

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The governor maintained that poverty should not prevent talented individuals from realising their potential.

“Good governance must create equal opportunities for all citizens, particularly children from disadvantaged backgrounds,” he added.

He cited the Abia State Senior Citizens Act and the scholarship programme of the Alex Otti Foundation as examples of interventions aimed at extending social protection and educational opportunities to vulnerable groups.

In his remarks, the President-General of the Ngwa High School Old Boys Association, Rt Rev Christian Ugwuzor, described the event as the return of a son to the cradle that nurtured him.

According to him, the old students were proud of Otti, who had exemplified Ngwa High School’s values of excellence, integrity and discipline in governance.

Earlier, the chairman of the occasion, Dr Reginald Stanley, said the governor’s schoolmates had gathered to assure him of their unwavering support.

In his welcome address, the Chairman of the Planning Committee and Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Uzor Nwachukwu, described the reception as a celebration of one of Ngwa High School’s finest products.

In their goodwill messages, Chibuike Achugbu (1982 set), Sunny Ajala (SAN) and Prof Jasper Jumbo pledged to mobilise support for Otti’s re-election.