Sen. Nwebonyi Awards Scholarships to 21 Ebonyi Young Footballers

Deputy Senate Majority Whip, Senator Onyekachi Nwebonyi handing over trophy to the winner of football

From Nabob Ogbonna, Abakaliki

The Deputy Senate Majority Whip, Senator Onyekachi Nwebonyi, has awarded scholarships to 21 young footballers from Ohaukwu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.
The beneficiaries include students currently enrolled in, or intending to enroll in, any federal or state university of their choice.
Senator Nwebonyi, who represents Ebonyi North Senatorial District, made the announcement while celebrating the Ohaukwu football team for defeating their counterparts from Izzi Local Government Area in the final of the 2025 Ohamadike Super Football Cup, a tournament sponsored by him.
The final match was played at Pa Ngele Oruta Township Stadium, Abakaliki, and was decided by a penalty shootout that ended 5–4 in favour of the Ohaukwu team.
The winners went home with the trophy and a cheque of ₦5 million.
Abakaliki FC, which finished in third place, received ₦2 million, while Izzi, who emerged as runners-up, were awarded ₦3 million.
Addressing the players, Senator Nwebonyi said: “You, the Ohaukwu boys, have won for yourselves automatic scholarships. Check yourselves whether you are already in the university or about to enroll, your school fees will be paid 100 percent until you graduate.
This is the ‘catch-them-young’ initiative. If we cannot catch you to play for Abakaliki FC, national teams, or international clubs, we can catch you to become graduates. That is why we are here,” he stated.
With this latest intervention, no fewer than 500 indigent and non-indigent students are currently benefiting from higher institution scholarships sponsored by the senator across various tertiary institutions in Nigeria.
Impressed by the standard of the tournament, Senator Nwebonyi further disclosed that he would increase the prize money for the competition from ₦10 million to ₦50 million beginning this year.
According to him, “The motive is to complement the efforts of Ebonyi State Governor, Francis Nwifuru, in sports development and in engaging the youth in meaningful ventures.”