Abia State Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu has given a Scholarship to Master Chibuike Ibekwe, the 15 years old Ariaria scavenger whose video went viral on social media.
Abacityblog.com reported that on 15th of December 2020, the 15yrs-old Master Ibekwe and his mother met with the governor at his (Governor’s) country-home in Umuobikwa, where he promised to fund his secondary education.
Fulfilling his Scholarship promise, Governor Ikpeazu, represented by his Special Adviser on Media, Mr. Enyinnaya Appolos, handed over the schools fees of Master Chibuike to the Chairman of Ariaria International Marker, Elder Emeka Igara and Mr. Chibuike Okebugwu.
Elder Igara, on behalf of the Governor, will tomorrow take Chibuike, in the company of his mother, Mrs. Chika Ibekwe, and others, to register him at Living Word Academy, Aba.
Recall that the 15-year old boy, Chibuike Ibekwe, who dropped out of school and resorted to scavenging at the Ariaria international market, Aba, to assist his poor mother, Mrs Chika Ibekwe.
Luck smiled at him 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, thinking it was trash.
When Chibuike got to where he disposes waste and discovered that the content of the bag given to him by Mrs Uzoukwu was not waste but goods, he decided to return the shoes to her, refusing to listen to those who wanted to buy them from him.
Getting to Mrs Uzoukwu’a shop, she was happy and rewarded him and made a video of the innocent and honest Chibuike, thanking him for returning her goods and she posted the video on her Facebook page which in turn went viral.
When the attention of Governor Ikpeazu was brought to the video, he sent for Chibuike for a meeting with him saying that such honesty as displayed by the boy is what the society needs.
Mr. Chibuike Okebugwu, a trader in Ariaria and one of the leaders at the market, was contacted and he went in search of Chibuike Ibekwe, the 15-years old scavenger, got him and brought him to Chibuikem the Governor.