By Bassey Nkponam
UYO
The Akwa Ibom governor has approved a scholarship award for an Akwa Ibom child, Miss Priscilla Samuel Daniel, to enable her further studies at the College of Aviation Technology, Zaria.
The gesture by Pastor Umo Eno came as a response to a viral social media appeal and in line with his commitment to educational advancement and youth empowerment as contained in the ARISE Agenda blueprint of his administration.
Eno, who made the pronouncement, Thursday, when he invited Priscilla who had been admitted for pilot training, to his office at Government House, Uyo, directed the commissioner for education and special assistant on humanitarian services, to work out the details of the scholarship for her and the two others financially challenged Akwa Ibom people who had been identified as having the same challenge despite gaining admission into the prestigious institution of learning.
He said the gesture followed a message of appeal by Priscilla on the social media which was forwarded to him by the first lady and progenitor of the Golden Initiative For All, GIFA, Pastor Patience Umo Eno.
The governor said he was moved when he got the message from his wife that an Akwa Ibom daughter was offered such choice admission but could not afford the fees, noting that the state government,under his watch, was ready to support and encourage girl-child education as well as every Akwa Ibomite who is making effort to earn a decent living.
He applauded her for scaling through the processes that earned her the admission and urged her to remain focus on her dreams.
The beneficiary, Priscilla Daniel, in a chat, was appreciative of the humanitarian disposition of the governor, saying she was overwhelmed with joy.
Daniel,a graduate of Electrical Electronic Engineering Technology from Auchi Polytechnic, recalled that since childhood, she has always wanted to fly an aircraft, and that at some point she was discouraged to further the dream, given the huge financial involvement.
“I love aviation, and it all started from my nursery school days when I was asked to act as a pilot in one of our presentations. That day, I was given a very big cardigan with belt to demonstrate one who is about to fly.
“After my nursery school, I attended Girls High School, Ikot Ibiok, Eket, and each time I walked to school and saw an helicopter landing at the then Mobil Airstrip, I always said to myself, I must fly this.
Though some people actually discouraged me because I am a woman, giving the impression that it is a job for men only, I never gave up. After my HND programme in 2020, I applied to the College of Aviation Technology, Zaria and it took the school three years to call us for evaluation exams, but thank God that I made it.
“I feel very excited, I don’t know how to express it but I am very happy. When I stood in there with the governor, I was just saying in my heart, ‘thank you God for passing through Governor Umo Eno to make my dream a reality, because at some point it felt like it was just a dream that won’t come through, but I just had to keep pushing. I told myself that I won’t give up. This is not just for me, but for Akwa Ibom State, I will continue to be a good ambassador of our dear State.”
She appreciated the Akwa Ibom first lady, Pastor Patience Umo Eno, for taking her case to the governor, and prayed that God will continue to guide and guard her to remain a blessing to the girl-child, the state and humanity in general.
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