80 N’Delta Youths Get Scholarship Awards

The Chris Nkwonta Foundation, a non-governmental organisation, has awarded scholarship worth N12 million to 80 Niger Delta youths to curb youth restiveness in the region.

The beneficiaries comprised 20 university students spread across the country and 60 from other higher institutions for skills acquisition at designated centres within the region.

Mr Chukwuemeka Nwankwo, the Coordinator of the foundation, said on Friday at a workshop for the pioneer beneficiaries at Akwete, headquarters of Ukwa East local government, that it would also help to turn their minds away from violent crimes.

He explained that Chief Chris Nkwonta, the Chairman, Board of Trustees of the foundation, having come from a poor background and denied good things of life while growing up, did not wish youths to suffer the same fate.

Nwankwo said each university scholarship beneficiary would receive N300,000 annually, but must not at the end of any semester have below 3.5 GPA.

He said each polytechnic scholarship recipient would get the same amount, but must not score below 3.00 in a semester.

The measure, he said, was a condition for each beneficiary to continue to enjoy the scheme and to make them not only well grounded in their chosen areas of endeavour, but also turn out to be responsible citizens.

Nwankwo said the skills acquisition programme was basically for indigent youths and the beneficiaries must exhibit a high a sense of commitment and responsibility.

He said each of them would get N200,000 as take-off grant at the end of the two-year training programme solely financed by the foundation.

The coordinator said it had also concluded arrangements to give 150 secondary school scholarships to deserving students from the region.

He said the scholarships, which would be tenable only in federal and good private schools, placed a high premium on efficiency and high standards and urged the youth to make maximum use of the opportunity to improve their future.

Boniface Nwaigwe, one of the beneficiaries, commended the foundation for the gesture and gave assurance that they would make good use of the opportunity to better their lives.