Accolades, high hope in Abia community as foundation moves to promote education
By Steve Oko
Worried by low level of education and its consequences in Abala- Ibeme community, Obingwa Local Government Area of Abia State, Justice and Brenda Ogbonna Foundation (JBOF), has announced the extension of its annual scholarship scheme to promote education among youths in the area.
Abala, for some years now, has not been in the news for the right reasons following high rate of violent crimes in the area always associated with low level of education and under development.
Determined to change the narrative, JOBF Foundation, said it was prepared to sacrifice more to promote education among the youths of the community.
Announcing scholarship to 60 students and pupils drawn from different schools within the Old Ibeme community in the current Abala-Ibeme town, Director of JBOF, Mr Justice Ogbonna said time had come to re-write the history of Abala through education.
The scholarship, according to him, covers tertiary education of the beneficiaries, hinting that the foundation will kick off its entrepreneurship skill acquisition programme for the youths of Abala-Ibeme which will equally be extended to other communities in Obingwa.
He explained that the foundation which was established eight years ago, was borne out of the desire to empathize with the economically-disadvantaged folks.
Ogbonna who recalled his childhood experiences, said the Foundation would stop at nothing in changing the narrative of Abala and making me community a referral point for positivity.
“We saw what our people while growing up were passing through. Most of us at that time could not go beyond primary school because most parents were unable to fund their children’s education through primary school.
“You know that any community that lacks education lack development. If you want to destroy a people, you, first of all, deny them education. So, my wife and I sat down and decided we had to contribute something to make our land better.”
In a remark, National President of Abala Ministers’ Forum and the lead Pastor Assembles of God Prefab Owerri, Imo State, the Rev. Chinedu Ekwenye, applauded the foundation for its intervention which he described as “dinine”.
He urged the foundation to sustain the gesture while praying for God’s endless blessings on it.
Similarly, former National Youth Council President, Obingwa LGA, Comrades Sunday Nwulu, said the foundation had changed the story of education in Obingwa through the scholarship programme.
“This foundation has completely changed everything about my town Abala. With what JBOF is doing in Abala-Ibeme, a town seen to be deep down Abia boundaries that’s hardly remembered, our history will change for the better.”
End
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