By Favour Nnabugwu
Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State has awarded five -year full scholarship to Solomon Ukoha who constructed an electricity sub-station with crude oil and other locally sourced materials.
This is coming days after the young inventor’s work surfaced on the social media.
The scholarship according to Gov. Ikpeazu is for the investor to further his education in any tertiary institution of his choice.
Ikpeazu who made this pronouncement at the Governor’s lodge in Aba while receiving the Amekpu Ohafia- born 24 year- old inventor expressed joy over the technical ingenuity exhibited by the young innovator, noting that Abia has youths who can compete favourably with their international counterparts in technical education if given the opportunity.
Ikpeazu noted that power supply had been a major problem facing the country and as such has impacted negatively on economic growth and industrialization especially in the shoe, leather and garments sub sectors for which Aba is well known.
The Governor encouraged Solomon to train some other youths and impart same knowledge to them for the greater benefit of society.
Ikpeazu also encouraged him to build a more presentable prototype of the sub station to enable it compete in external exhibitions revealing that the scholarship covers his tuition fee and accommodation immediately he gets admission.
Showcasing his innovation to Ukoha who said he had completed his secondary school education without any hope of going to the university due to financial challenges revealed that he got the inspiration from God.
He appealed to the State Governor to assist him further his education, a step he said would help him in fulfilling his ambition and expressed his readiness to teach other youths as advised by the Governor.
The inventor whose video went viral on the social media last week tested the electrical sub-station before the Governor.
