By Gabriel Chy Alonta
The Labour Party standard-bearer for Awka North and South Federal Constituency, Prof. Oby Lilian Orogbu, has assured that she would facilitate exchange programmes including the federal government and international scholarships for Awka North and South Youths if given the mandate come 2023.
According to the frontline candidate for the House of Representatives elections, efforts are at top gear to partner international institutions for the undergraduate, Masters and Doctorate degree programmes.
Prof. Orogbu disclosed this to newsmen in Awka, the Anambra state capital, when responding on her plans for the students/youths in her constituency.
The former Dean, Faculty of Management Sciences, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, while disclosing that the Federal Government shortlisted over 8,800 Nigerian students for overseas scholarships in 2022, decried that no youth in Awka North and South was selected. This, she said, was due to poor representation of the zone at the Green Chambers, even as she promised to fill the lacuna to ensure that the Constituency members are not left out of such opportunities.
“Educational empowerment, skills and knowledge transfer to students and youths in Awka North and South Federal Constituency will be my utmost priority and focus in the National Assembly.
“I will tirelessly pursue and ensure that my Constituents benefit from scholarship programmes available to Nigerian students at undergraduate, Masters and Doctorate degree levels”, Prof. Orogbu assured.
According to her, she will be facilitating such scholarships as the federal government, foreign and local scholarship awards, Presidential Special Scholarship for Innovation and Development (PRESSID) and NYSC EX-Corps Scholarship, Commonwealth Scholarship, Fulbright Foreign Student Scholarship.
“Also, the Chinese Government/African Union Scholarship for Nigerian Students interested in studying in China, Italian Government Master’s/PhD Scholarship for foreign students with a monthly grant of €900 for each full academic year, the Japanese Government’s MEXT Full Scholarship Program which covers bachelor’s or master’s degree, will all be made available.”
Other scholarships programmes that she will be willing to attract to the Constituency include the DAAD German Scholarship for Sub-Saharan African Students, which comes with a monthly allowance aimed at covering the cost of living in Germany for Nigerian students who desires to obtain master’s degree or a PhD, as well as the Swedish University Programme Awards.
She seized the opportunity to appeal to all stakeholders in the region to embrace the Labour Party and support her vision, passion and drive to represent the good people of Awka North and South in the National Assembly by ensuring they register and collect their voter’s card in preparation for the 2023 general elections.
Prof. Orogbu is a quintessential scholar, who before her candidacy, has successfully
supervised four (4) PhD students and over 19 Postgraduate students. She is prepared and well-grounded to provide the good people of Awka North and South Federal Constituency a quality representation.