Youths of Ikot Akpan Obio Ekot in Etinan LGA have been
encouraged and challenged to take their academic pursuits very seriously as
this forms the bedrock of success and fulfillment in life.
The immediate past Commissioner for Science and
Technology,Akwa Ibom State, Dr. Elizabeth Donald Obot gave the indication
yesterday when she launched her scholarship scheme for youths of the village at
the Salvation Army Church, Ikot Akpan Obio Ekot, an edifice she built.
She stated that the scholarship scheme was in fulfillment
of the pledge she made on the 26th of December 2016 during the annual solemn
assembly of the village held at the town hall. She promised to pay JAMB fees
for interested and serious minded youths of the community and also to sponsor
any Ikot Akpan Obio Ekot youth who wished to pursue a career in medicine.
The initiative she said was not a party affair or
political jamboree but a community project born out of her burning passion for
the educational emancipation of the community as she decreed the unfortunate
scenario where youths of the community abandoned their education to pursue
menial and degrading jobs in strange places.
Dr. Obot maintained that it was her earnest desire to see
young people emerge from the community take over from the older generation of
professionals like herself who would one day bow out. Furthermore,she promised
to use her connections and goodwill to secure tertiary admission for those
qualified.
In his response,the village head of the Ikot Akpan Obio
Ekot, Eteidung Rev. Dr. I. Idem thanked God for blessing the community with
such an illustrious and thoughtful daughter describing Dr.Obot as a blessing to her people.
He lauded her for her unparalleled benevolence and kind
gesture and urged the beneficiaries and their parents to make the best use of
the opportunity. He expressed dismay at the low turn out of beneficiaries
despite the many names on the list who indicated interest,labeling such
attitude as tantamount to the progress of the community.
He was optimistic that turn out would improve in
subsequent editions of the scheme and prayed God to richly bless and reward the
sponsor and her family immensely.
In a separate reaction, The Husband of the sponsor, Obong
Engr. D. A Obot expressed his overwhelming happiness at such a historic event
that will reposition the community. He reiterated the importance of education
to any society and challenged the youths to rise to the occasion as their
destiny was in their hands. He appreciated his wife for the initiative and
commended the beneficiaries for responding accordingly.
One of the parents who spoke on behalf of parents
showered encomiums on Dr. Obot and thanked her for remembering her people and
for paying attention to their yearnings. He expressed optimism that the
beneficiaries would justify the huge investment in them
Delivering his vote of thanks, a PDP ward elder
representing the Ward leader Southern Iman Ward 1, Obong Friday Brownson lauded the
initiator of the scheme for undertaking such a worthy course, thanked the
village for their support and urged the beneficiaries to be good ambassadors of
the village. He prayed God to grant the sponsor the ability to do more for the
community.
Also in attendance at the event were the wife of the
village head, Obonganwan Promise Ndem, PDP Women Leader,Southern Iman Ward
1 Obonganwan Victoria Joseph Akpan, Deputy Ward Chairman, Southern Iman
Ward 1, Ekere Oscar
This initiative by Dr. Elizabeth Obot is one of other
landmark projects undertaken by her for the community which include Free
community medical outreach held last year, rural water project, building of the
Salvation Army Ikot Akpan Obio Ekot corps and others too numerous to mention.
These are all projects aimed at bettering the lot of the community.
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