It was James Freeman Clark, an American Theologian and author who said that “A politician thinks of the next election; a statesman thinks of the next generation”.
The second part of the statement is particulay true with Chief T.A. Orji, the Senator representing Abia Central Senatorial District at the National Assembly and there is no other more cogent evidence to prove this fact other than the award, in one fell swoop, of scholarships to 240 undergraduates of Abia origin.
The annual award of scholarship to the 240 beneficiaries which is taking place today at the International Conference Centre, Umuahia, is the sixth in its series having taken place every year since 2015. The Senator himself had said that education is the bedrock of any nation’s development and that investment in it is never a waste but is a bedrock upon which nations grow and develop.
However, some students have found it challenging to either continue with their education or complete it due to financial constraints. Some perform poorly in certain courses not because they are not intelligent enough but because they do not have the funds to purchase needed books to aid their studies.
To ensure that such challenges are ameliorated and that students do not have to drop out of school or perform poorly due to financial constraints, Ochendo Global as Senator Orji is fondly called has been giving the sum of N100,000 to each student of Abia origin selected on their own individual merits since 2015. Today, a whopping 240 of such students will each be receiving the cash sum to support their education.
This immense support of the youths through their education by Senator T.A. Orji is in tandem with his declarations that he will retire from politics in 2023 and dedicate his time and resources to mentoring the young ones.
The general elation that greeted the scholarship award and the joy expressed by the beneficiaries is testament to the fact that this is one gesture that hit the right chords with the youths.
No doubt, with this scholarship award, Ochendo has made a copious and cogent statement as a statesman that the next generation is at the centre of his heartbeat. It is now left for the beneficiaries to ensure judicious use of the funds so that the nation can continue to rely on them as her bedrock of growth and development.
Jude Ndukwe
Umuahia
