JSS 2 student of Uniport International Secondary School (UISS), Nkpolu-Oroworukwo, Port Harcourt Local Government Area, Master Roni Chiemerie Asinobi has emerged winner of a scholarship scheme instituted by the school.
Roni, son of Port Harcourt based journalist and Editor of sizzling National Network newspaper, Ken Asinobi, bagged the ‘one-term’ scholarship which would relieve his parents the burden of funding his tuition fees for the coming second term in year 2022.
The Save For Scholarship promo, according to the Principal of UISS, Mrs. Ngozi Ene Achala, is powered by U & C Micro Finance Bank Limited, aimed at promoting a savings culture to ease the burden of fees payment and other ancillary expenses for the student.
She revealed that the scheme was the product of a long and exhaustive engagement between the school, bank and the Parents Teachers Association (PTA), with a view to finding feasible ways of alleviating the burden of fees payment to parents and guardians.
“These are some of the innovations we have put in place, to see how our parents and guardians, who are burdened with the current economic realities, can be relieved of the struggle for fees payment”, she said.
On the criteria for qualification, the Principal said all that is required of the student is to have a savings account opened and ensure that such account is funded.
Mrs. Achala added that a raffle draw is done among the eligible account holders, adding that the raffle draw is done in the open and in the full view of the PTA, bank and school management, to avoid suspicions of foul play.
She said it was from this transparent process of raffle draw, that Master Roni Chiemerie Asinobi beat others to emerge the first winner of the scholarship promo, while urging parents yet to open an account for their ward or wards in U & C Micro Finance Bank, to do so.
Speaking while presenting the already processed second-term fees tellers to the winner at his office on Monday, the Branch Manager of U & C Micro Finance Bank in UISS, Mr. Eseoghene Ejogbamu, described the event as dream come true.
According to him, it became a source of worries for him each time students were asked to go home on account of non-payment of school fees.
“Watching these students, through my office window, as they leave the school premises dejected, it gave me a deep thought and I told myself that something must be done.
“That was how this idea came to me that if their parents had saved up for them, the embarrassment of being chased home, would have been avoided.
“And so, we approached the school management and the PTA, and we sold the savings idea, and you can see the result today”, he explained.
The Bank Manager, while assuring that the bank had the capacity to sustain the scheme on a long-term, urged every parent whose wards are in UISS to key into the scheme by opening an account for them ward so as to participate in the raffle draw.
Mr. Ejogbamu said the bank is working to expand the scheme to enable winners enjoy a full session scholarship spanning three terms, soon as participation becomes more competitive.
He also disclosed that the bank would in some circumstance, augment the school fees for students who are able to pay about 80 percent of the tuition fee.
