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His Holiness Olumba Olumba Obu
By Akpan David, Calabar
Seventy undergraduates were lucky to have scaled through a examination which qualified them for a four year scholarship award by Association of Brotherhood Academic Scholars, (ABAS).
The examination was held on 24th June 2023 and conducted in Calabar where no fewer than 550 Nigerian youths and non-nationals participated physically and virtually.
The scholarship is worth N4,290,000, according to Prof Emem Ayankop of the Nigeria Defence Academy, NDA, Kaduna who is chairman of the scholarship committee, appointed by His Holiness Olumba Olumba Obu, spiritual leader of Brotherhood of the Cross and Star, BCS.
ABAS is the academic arm of BCS, established to champion educational enhancements of youths irrespective of religious inclinations.
Some of the 70 beneficiaries, according to the official list sighted by our correspondent, include Emeka Christian Emeka of UNICAL, BSc Human physiology, Wilson Zibolum of Niger Delta University, Godwin Nyong Edem of UNICROSS, Oyem Gift Ogechukwu of UNICAL BSc public health, Edith Ogbe of Federal Polytechnic Nasarawa State HND Business Admin, and Odudu Eyo Charles of Akwa Ibom State Polytechnic who is studying HND Computer Science.
A crowd of University students at UNICAL Conference Hall Calabar
The four lucky young Ghanaian undergraduates are Frimpong Kwame in Sunyani, Wiredu Hodson Owusu in Accra, Osuan Sam Stephen and Agyeman Bobie Noble of Accra.
Prof Ayankop confirmed that each of them has already received N70,000 and N60,000 for the first year of the scholarship while the four Ghanaians have also received N100,000 each.
In a statement about the conduct and result of the examination, the international chairman of ABAS, Hon. Ekuma Ngwu said, “550 candidates registered on line while 300 were physically present in Calabar to take the examination.
“The invigilators and markers comprised of very responsible and uncompromising academics and executives of the ABAS International.
“There were 60 objective based exam questions in all and these were set from four areas: English, Mathematics, World current affairs and religious affairs.
“The exam lasted for one and a half hours. To ensure that there was transparency during exam and at the point of marking scripts, candidates were instructed not to write their names on the answer scripts, except their exam numbers. Thus, the scripts were all blind marked.
“To curb exam malpractices, the questions were of four different types- Type A, B, C and D. In each of these, the order in which the subject areas appeared were different. In addition, candidates were well spaced and were not allowed to use their phones during the exams.
The exam was marked over 75: a mark was scored for each correct answer in English, Maths and world current affairs while BCS affairs had two marks per correct question. 38 was picked as the cut off mark.”
Ekuma said they had consideration for candidates who came from distant States to Calabar, capital of Cross River State.
According to him, 53 candidates met the cut off mark and thus were selected on merit.
He explained that only the four lucky Ghanaians got N400,000 because of peculiarities while there are other categories, including those seen to be indigent who also got different sums.
The exercise was a key highlight to mark the 44th anniversary of ABAS.
Ekuma disclosed that His Holiness Olumba Olumba Obu, a Philanthropist par excellence, who bankrolled the scheme, has guaranteed the four year scholarships.
