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RHI Education Support: Five Rivers Indigenes Among 200 Scholarship Awardees
The unceasing encouragement given by wife of the Rivers State Governor, Lady Valerie Siminalayi Fubara to nudging children to take advantage of available opportunities have led to five Rivers university students winning the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) scholarship award among 200 Awardees.
Awarded under the Education Support Programme of the RHI, the scholarship is to help the 200 benefiting Nigerian youths to access qualitative education and also pursue their studies to logical conclusion.
RHi, which is a brainchild of Nigerian First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, and coordinated in Rivers State by wife of the Governor, Lady Valerie Siminalayi Fubara, worked in collaboration with AUDA-NEPAD and African School of Economic to ensure that the scholarships are available to the beneficiaries.
At the unveiling of the recipients of the AUDA-NEPAD, African School of Economics and RHI scholarships programme at the Banquet Hall of the State House, Abuja, on Thursday, the five students of Rivers extraction were also presented with their certificates of award alongside the other 195 beneficiaries.
Speaking after the presentation of the scholarship certificates to the five students, wife of Rivers State Governor, Lady Valerie Siminalayi Fubara, who was represented by a former Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Hon Tonye Briggs-Oniyide, expressed appreciation to the wife of the President, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, for paying priority attention to the education of the youths in the country.
She praised the effort of the wife of the President to address the key needs of the people by laying a solid foundation for their future, saying that any initiative aimed at advancing the educational career of the youths would help catalyse the accelerated development of the State.
The team leader of the winning students, Kingsley Eke, who returned to Port Harcourt on Friday, explained that the experience was rewarding for the beneficiaries, who emerged purely on merit.
This, he noted, was because the winners had waited for feedback after they sent in their essays on designated topic, as entry for the completion together with copies of Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) score slips and other documents.
Eke said, “I am the team leader that took them to Abuja for the award. At least, they did a lot for them, and the president’s wife promised and emphasised the need for this scholarship award, and at the end, said it will help them now and in the future.
“This went through a process and these winners are the first batch. The next batch will come in September. They are five awardees of the scholarship as seen now as pioneers of RHI, a programme of the First Lady that she is using to enrich and empower Nigerian children.
“The initiative will help them to actualise their educational goals to have competitive academic knowledge. There will be more selections because we are expecting the next batch, maybe soon.”
On her part, an awardee, Alfred Munachimso Precious, expressed excitement over winning the scholarship, adding that the award will propel her to concentrate more on her study without the worries of paying school fees.
“I give God all the thanks for this great opportunity. I didn’t know I was going to get this scholarship award.
“First, we just submitted WAEC, the essay and every other thing they requested, and to God be the glory. Through the opportunity from our First Lady, I got the offer. I am a student of Rivers State University, studying Medical and Laboratory Sciences.
“I want to say to our First Lady, Her Excellency, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, a great thank you for what she has done. I also want to thank our First Lady, Lady Valerie Siminalayi Fubara for this. I say a very big thank you to her.”
Also, Waribo Walter Fubara, who is studying Human Physiology at the Rivers State University, said it is by the grace of God that he was able to get into RHI Scholarship competition and won, and expressed appreciation to Senator Oluremi Tinubu and Lady Valerie Fubara for the great financial respite to him and his parents.
On his part, Blue-Jack Nelson Tamunotonye, said he is impressed with what he called a straight-forward and transparent selection process that has given him confidence of unimpeded finance to see him through study of Electrical and Electronic Engineering.
He said, “I recently just received a scholarship offer from the RHI Foundation. It aims at selecting the best 200 people in Nigeria, equally divided between the 36 States of Nigeria and the FCT.
“There was a very rigorous selection process, and I am actually very grateful to the First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, and to the First Lady of Rivers State, Lady Valerie Siminalayi Fubara, because without them, it won’t have been possible.”
Also speaking, Bright-Worlu David Chimenem, an awardee, said he is filled with gratitude to the wife of Rivers State Governor for creating the atmosphere for the award and to the First Lady of Nigeria for midwifing the initiative.
Speaking further, another beneficiary, Jack Adolphus Patricia Ibingo, thanked Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu and wife of Rivers State Governor, Lady Valerie Siminalayi Fubara, for making her dream of successfully completing educational pursuit possible with the financial support.
She prayed for the initiative to be sustained to give other students, particularly brilliant but indigent children, the opportunity to realise their full potentials educationally.
My-ACE China, known as the Mayor of Housing, has won the 2024 Man of the Year. The award was announced by board of trustees of the DMOMA Awards Academy in Port Harcourt at the week.
The organisers also declared his company, the Construction and Housing Mayor Limited as the brand promoter of the year, the third in a row.
The award ceremony which was held at the Arena Event centre in the GRA area of Port Harcourt was attended by several dignitaries in the society.
The organisers led by Dr. Ezebunwo Nyeche (chairman) and Stephen Chidiebere Okoye (Awards organizer) said in a statement that China was picked for his support and impact to small and medium enterprises in Rivers State, his media footsteps and his consistent propagation and promotion of Rivers State.
They noted that China won over 10 prestigious awards in 2024 alone on his track to promote Port Harcourt as a brand destination and Rivers as a peaceful state.
Handing the award to China, the organisers said the Mayor of Housing always comes to the rescue of events that aim to promote Rivers State, saying the DMOMA Awards would be held in two more cities in 2025.
Responding, Mr China said there is need for more sponsorship of talents in Port Harcourt and the Niger Delta, saying what they lacked was support.
“There is more talent in Port Harcourt but there is more support in Lagos to artistes than in Port Harcourt. So, the top talents in Port Harcourt work 10 times harder than those in Lagos to attract sponsorship.”
He also said Nigeria has a treasure base which is Port Harcourt but that the treasure is not oil and gas but talents. He said he was highly elated to win the of Man of the Year Award with his firm winning brand of the year.
In an interview, My-ACE China said he was particularly impressed with the diligence demonstrated by the organisers and the processes they used to pick winners every year.
He also said the victory showed attention paid by the organisers to unveil the personality behind the corporate masquerade, not just focusing on the company. “It actually reaffirms one of my quotes that a brand can only grow as big as the character of the visioner behind it.”
On his plans to help Port Harcourt compete with Lagos, China said 2025 will meet him doing things with the youths of Rivers State to push the Port Harcourt brand in the social media and rally the traditional press to create a positive narrative of Rivers State beyond violence and political negativity.
“The Garden City has not been enjoying the best of media perception for some years now but this is the first time we have a governor committed to non-political bias in doing his work. He does not consider whether you are a member of his party or not before doing what is right. For the first time, we have a true father of the state to all, and he has been diligently following the blueprint that stakeholders developed at the last Rivers Economic and Investment Summit, making sure he is doing it without political cronyism.”
He said his company would be building the biggest estate and the best, the ‘Alesa Sustainable Smart City, to move from brand perception to brand experience so as to move Rivers State to the next level.
He appealed to entrepreneurs not to be carried away by the old perception but to join the new way. “Position yourself because there is going to be a boom. People are rushing into Port Harcourt and new entrants may take the ground. Think expansion not contraction, think investment not divestment. Else, you miss it.”
To fellow estate investors, he admonished them to gear up for regulation. “It is no longer going to be business as usual especially for land peddling and land grabbing. Try to grow up because tangible development is going to take over.
“It is no longer going to be who sells the most land but who develops the most houses. The housing deficit in the land requires effective land development strategies. Any serious land seller should grow into a housing developer because developments are going to be coming into Rivers State and a lot of people are coming into the state.”
He said those that have grown to be developers will be many times richer than those that are just starting or are mere land sellers and peddlers. People should also position themselves because all the foreign investments and local ones will take advantage of this influx.
“The value of influx is coming, so prepare and take advantage. Be one of those that are big enough to take advantage. Remaining small will not be good but grow big in your products, in your services, because the market is going to grow big.”
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has expressed shock and sadness over the death of a former military governor of the State, Major-General Godwin Osagie Abbe (rtd).
Late Abbe, who hails from Edo State, was military governor of Rivers State between August, 1990 and January, 1992.
Governor Fubara described late Gen Abbe as one leader who dedicated himself to the service and wellbeing of Rivers people and humanity during his administration in the State, saying that the death of the distinguished military officer, politician and administrator was a very huge loss to the State, the Niger Delta, and indeed, the entire country, having traversed the length and breath of the nation in the cause of his military and political careers.
“On behalf of my family, the Government and good people of Rivers State, I condole with the family of the Abbes, the Edo people, and the Nigerian military on the demise of this colossus, whose contributions to the unity, peace and development of the nation are legendary.
“While we mourn his painful exit at this difficult time, we pray for the eternal repose of his soul, and urge the family to take solace in the fact that late Gen Abbe lived a fulfilled life in the service of his fatherland.”
Wife of Rivers State Governor, Lady Valerie Siminalayi Fubara, has noted with delight that Rivers children are well behaved, and has admonished them to remain supportive of their parents while striving always to make a difference wherever they find themselves.
Lady Fubara gave the counsel at the 2024 Christmas Children Party, attended by children from the 23 Local Government Areas of the State, including non-indigenes, at Government House in Port Harcourt on Thursday.
The Christmas Children Party also witnessed the presence of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, who stopped over to share moments with them, walking from one canopy to another, waving at them, and at other times, shaking hands with them to leave lasting memories on them.
The Rivers First Lady pointed to the importance of the celebration of Christmas, which draws attention to the birth of Jesus Christ, demanding that people have a deep reflection of the love that is demonstrated and mission of the birth, which is to redeem mankind.
Lady Fubara recalled how she took out time to visit the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital and the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital, where she appreciated God for safe delivery of children born on Christmas day while felicitating with the nursing mothers.
She also stated the valuable time spent with motherless babies when she visited the Port Harcourt Children’s Home in Borikiri, old Port Harcourt Township, and celebrated their meekness, innocence and the beauty they bring to the world.
She said, “Even today, as we continue the celebration, efforts were made to extend invitation to our children in all the 23 local government areas of our State. In doing this, children from all classes of society, including the physically challenged, have been offered the opportunity to sit together as brothers and sisters, play, eat and dance.
“Whilst contemplating the uniqueness of celebrating Christmas on a Boxing Day, steps were equally taken to provide gifts for the children who are there, and also to pray for them, a qualitative fun session that will last in their memories.”
Lady Fubara advised all children in the State to remember that Jesus came into the world to make a difference, advising that they must emulate him so that they can positively impact their families and society.
She urged them to pray fervently to God to bless and prosper their mothers, daddies, aunties and uncles to better cater to their needs.
She added, “Be humble, obedient and supportive at home. Do household chores, and don’t forget to make excellent grades in school next academic session. Children are the joy of every home, and we are glad to have beautiful, well-behaved children in Rivers State.
“Thank you all for witnessing this 2024 Children’s Party, and I pray God Almighty to protect, shield and keep you safe from all negative companies in the name of Jesus. I wish you a Merry Christmas and a Prosperous 2025. God bless you all,” she said.
Lady Fubara expressed appreciation to her husband and Governor of Rivers State, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, for his absolute commitment to the growth of children, and the immeasurable support that ensured that Christmas Children Party was a success.
There were performances by Virtue Dancers, Kalabari Iria dancers, Wonder Time Children of Opobo Kingdom, Children of Rivers State Council of Arts and Culture, Diseye the Poet and DJ Arnold.