…AS INSTITUTION HONOURS LATE OGBONNAYA ONU WITH POSTHUMOUS AWARD.

Abia State Governor, His Excellency, Dr. Alex Otti, OFR, has announced one million naira grant each to 100 graduating students of Ogbonnaya Onu Polytechnic, Aba, and a 6-month field technical training programme for 200 students, as the institution graduates 2,178 students.

The Governor announced the 100 million naira grant and technical programme on Friday, 5th December, during the 22nd convocation Ceremony of Ogbonnaya Onu Polytechnic, Aba (Formerly Abia State Polytechnic), held at the Convocation Arena of the School.

In a speech titled “Education as a Responsibility,” Governor Otti recalled how he announced one million naira business support for 150 students, amounting to 150 million during the 2021/22, 2022/23, and 2023/24 combined convocation ceremony held last year to graduates with demonstrable interests in entrepreneurship. While confirming the disbursement of the funds to the beneficiaries, Governor Otti said, “I am happy that the exercise has now been concluded and funds disbursed to those who met the strict qualification criteria. Let me congratulate the beneficiaries and inform them that we shall be monitoring their progress; those who do well shall get more support from us,” Governor Otti assured.

Speaking further, the State Chief Executive said, “For the new class of graduates, permit me to inform you that we have made available another N100 million to support 100 of you who have business ideas that are feasible, bankable and scalable. Interested graduates who made Distinction in their final result are invited to submit their comprehensive business plans to my office for evaluation sequel to the final selection of beneficiaries. All submissions should be sent electronically to oggh@abiastate.gov.ng by or before December 31, 2025.”

“Beyond the business grants, I have also directed the Honourable Commissioners for Works, Housing, Power and Public Utilities, and the heads of the 3 regional development authorities to develop a 6-month field training programme for 200 of you with proven technical competences in the operational areas of the establishments. The selection criteria shall be announced soon. Our aim is to ultimately create a system that empowers the young people in the State to be part of our development journey, supporting project execution in road infrastructure, housing, electricity, public water supply and more.

“The days of letting our best and brightest brains to wander off after graduation and begin to struggle in far off corners of the world without support are gone. The message to students in all our tertiary institutions is clear: do your best and we shall offer you further material leverage to find genuine success right here in Abia,” the Governor stated.

Governor Otti commended the management of the institution for the holistic success recorded in the last 2 years. In his words, “Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, may I crave your indulgence to specially appreciate the Management of Ogbonnaya Onu Polytechnic Aba for the holistic success this Institution has witnessed in the last 2 years. I was sincerely impressed with the infrastructural developments taking place at the Permanent site of the School at Osisioma which will be commissioned in due course.

“I would like to use this auspicious occasion to specially appreciate the Rector of the Polytechnic, Dr C. K. Okoro, and his team for being resolute in leading the holistic transformation of this Institution,” the Governor added.

Presenting the posthumous award conferred by the school on late Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu to the wife, Dr (Mrs) Chinyere Onu, Governor Otti said that aside being the first civilian Governor of the State, it was the ingenuity of late Dr Onu that led to the establishment of the Institution, formerly Abia State Polytechnic, which was renamed after him as Ogbonnaya Onu Polytechnic as a way of immortalizing him.

The Chairman of the Governing Council of the Polytechnic, Engr. Stanley Egege expressed his immense gratitude to Governor Otti, attributing whatever achievements recorded to the unwavering support of the State Government.

The Rector, Engr. Dr. Christopher Kalu Okoro disclosed that in the past 14 years, the Institution has had three convocations and two of those happened during his 22-month-old administration with the all-round support of the education-loving Governor of the State – Dr. Alex Otti, OFR. While noting that this is the first convocation since the institution was renamed Ogbonnaya Onu Polytechnic, he informed audience that institutions and organizations now write to them specifically demanding for the services of their students for internship and industrial attachments.

Dr Okoro thanked Governor Otti for the massive funding of infrastructural projects in their Osisioma Campus, announcing that they will begin routine institutional functions in that location by January 2026. He equally disclosed that all the 31 programmes presented for accreditation sailed through the rigorous regulation procedure, which he doubts has happened in the history of tertiary education in Nigeria before.

In their speeches at the convocation, the Speaker of the Abia State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Emmanuel Emeruwa and the Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Prof. Eme Uche Eme, commended the Governor for the massive transformation that has taken place in the institution within 2 years. The speaker said that the incident of malpractice has become a thing of the past in the institution, while Prof. Eme described the school as the pride of Abia State.

The event featured the Presentation of awards and rewards to the best graduating students from each of the Faculties, with Nwosu Goodness Chimamanda, with a Cumulative Grade Point average (CGPA) of 3.94, from the Department of Computer Science, emerging the overall best graduating student.

The Governor was joined by Sen. Darlington Nwokocha, many members of the Abia State House of Assembly led by the speaker and his deputy, the secretary to the State government, Prof. Kenneth Kalu, Honourable Commissioner for information, Prince Okey Kanu among other senior Government appointees.

Ctz. UKOHA, NJOKU UKOHA
Chief Press Secretary to the Executive Governor of Abia State.
December 5th, 2025.