The Abia State Government has instituted automatic university scholarships for bright students who excel in the West African School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).

The scholarship, which takes off this year, would be awarded to the best student from each of the 17 local government areas as a way to encourage students from the state to maintain their excellent performance in WASCE.

Already, following the supremacy of Abia students in this year’s WASCE which placed the state on the top spot above the rest 35 states and Abuja, Governor Okezie Ikpeazu has approved the award of scholarships to 17 students, one from each local government area.

The Governor, while congratulating students and teachers in the state over the ranking of the state as the Number One state in the May/June 2015 WASSCE result as released by the West African Examination Council (WAEC), said the scholarships would be in any Nigerian tertiary institution.

A statement endorsed by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr Enyinnaya Appolos, indicated that Ikpeazu has directed the Commissioner for Education, Professor Ikechi Mgboji, to forward to him the list of the best student from each LGA of the state in the 2015 WASSCE examination results to enable him to formalise the scholarship awards.

Appolos said the Governor has also directed that, from henceforth, the best performing student in WASCE from each of the 17 LGAs will receive automatic tertiary education scholarship from the state government.

It would be recalled that WAEC recently released details of performance of students, state by state, and Abia State came first as the best performing state, above the other 35 states and Abuja.

Abia has consistently maintained top position in the WASCE performance chart for the past five years. Results released for 2014 and 2013 showed that Abia came second behind Anambra State but has now overtaken Anambra as the overall best and first in the WASCE performance chart for 2015 examinations. The State topped the chart with 33, 762 of its 52, 801 candidates, scoring 63.94 per cent.

According to Appolos, “The governor is challenging the Commissioner, teachers and students in the state to ensure that the state maintains this top position.” He added that Ikpeazu promised that he would do everything possible to ensure that the welfare of students and teachers were very much improved to enhance the performance of Abia students in future examinations.

Recently Ikpeazu donated three cars to the best primary school teachers from each senatorial zone of the state during this year’s Teachers’ Day celebration.

Ikpeazu, a university teacher prior to his emergence as Governor, Appolos said: “Is also appealing to private individuals and organisations to support his ‘adopt a school’ programme to help his administration fast-track infrastructural renewal in Abia schools.”

The CPS assured that Ikpeazu was equally committed to ensuring that the recently launched school feeding programme which the Abia State Government was doing in partnership with farmers in the state was sustained.

•Photo shows Governor Ikpeazu.

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