15-Year-Old School Dropout In Abia Gets Gov Ikpeazu’s Scholarship For ‘Being Honest’

Abia State Governor, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu has rewarded a 15-year-old boy, Chibuike Ibekwe, with a scholarship offer for his honesty.

Master Chibuike, who dropped out of school and resorted to scavenging at the Ariaria International Market, Aba to assist his poor mother, Mrs Chika Ibekwe, a petty roadside trader, attracted the attention of Governor Ikpeazu after the boy was shown in a viral video returning pairs of new shoes mistakenly given to him as trash.

THE WHISTLER gathered that while receiving master Chibuike, his mother, and the chairman of Ariaria International Market, Elder Emeka Igara, at his native home in Umuobiakwa in Obingwa Local Government Area of the state, Gov Ikpeazu said; “Your name is Chibuike, and mine is Chibuike, too. I am happy you’ve proven to be very honest.

“Honest people go far in life. Those who do not take what does not belong to them are people that God helps and saves in their times of difficulty. Thank you for being honest and for not taking what did not belong to you. You will go far in life.

” Your today can’t decide your tomorrow because you are honest. You will go back to school. I will ensure you finish your secondary education because you are honest. If you remain honest, you will remain my friend and I will make sure you see me every month. What you have done by returning the goods to the owner is a mark of honour and proof of your honesty. Thank you, once again, Chibuike for being honest. ”

Luck smiled on Chibuike, who hails from Mbano in Imo State, the day one Mrs Goodness Uzoukwu, a trader in Ariaria, who deals in shoes and other wears, gave him a bag containing brand new shoes to dispose of, thinking it was trash.

When Chibuike got to where he disposes waste and discovered that the content of the bag given to him was not waste but goods, he decided to return the shoes to her, and refused to listen to those who wanted to buy them from him.

When the attention of Governor Ikpeazu was brought to the video, he sent for Chibuike for a meeting, saying that such honesty as displayed by the boy is what the society needs.

One Chibuike Okebugwu, a trader in Ariaria, was contacted and he went in search of Chibuike, the 15-year-old scavenger, got him and brought him to the governor.

Chibuike’s mother, who also got a huge financial boost for her petty trading business as a result of her son’s honesty, was unable to control her emotions for what God had done for her family.