My name is Master Ugwuoke Samual Chidebere. I am sixteen years old from Umuobir village in Nkpologu in Uzo—Uwani L.G.A of Enugu State. I was born on 30 August 1989. I am in J.S.S III at Saint Theresa’s College Nsukka under the sponsorship of Joe Odo’s Scholarship/free education. I was born into a polygamous family of Mr. and Mrs. Michael Ugwuoke, both in Nkpolugu.
My father is a subsistence farmer with three wives, and my mother is the second wife among them. I have nine half-brothers, six half-sisters and six sisters from my mother’s womb, in which I am the only son of her. I am the only person in secondary school among my father’s sons. Others are serving people outside my town.
When I was six years old, I moved to live with my grandmother in a village nearby because of my likeness to her. So, she took the part of bringing me up, which is associated with moral teachings. I started my primary school at Community Primary School, Nkpougu, in 1996 and finished in 2002. By then, my mother and my father were living but not in good condition. They sometimes quarrelled, but not in a severe way.
After completing my primary school education, I got a nice common entrance result that attracted many people. But there was no money. Fortunately for me, an evening lesson was established by some devoted people, which I attended for a year.
During that time, I heard about a scholarship sponsored by the Diocese. I then applied for free Education to see if God would lead me through.
I bought the form by my self with the sum of one hundred naira (N100.00), filled the form and submitted it to our Reverend Father John Ugwu our Parish Priest, hence he assured me that he will submit it to the secretariat with hope, I assumed that he has submitted it. I then started preparing for the forthcoming Exams. On the day of the examination, I left my town early in the morning to go to the Diocese for the exams.
Then, our coordinator, Rev. Fr. Charles Onu Summoned all of us who applied for free education and called our names according to the form we submitted. Unfortunately, my name was not called, and some other names were not called. So, I was full of dismay and despair about that observation.
They told us that one seminarian was with some of the forms and that we should wait until he returned. I then waited, hoping that my own would be among the ones he (the seminarian) was with. Later, they told us to go and start the Exams because the seminarian did not come so that, in the end, they would know what to do about that. After the examination, about a week later, during Sunday Mass, my name appeared in the Sunday Bulletin as an announcement number 11(b) demanding that I should meet the co-ordinator for social development, justice and peace (SODEJUPE) at Ovoke Parish for clarification/verification about my result.
Later that Sunday, I went to Ovoko, and he told me that I should find out where my form was to participate in the forthcoming interview. But I told him that my Parish Priest had submitted it, and we came back. Another day, my Parish Priest and I went to his Parish, but we couldn’t see him that day.
On the following day, we met him at the Cathedral, and he said that we should collect a written note from our priest to find out where he submitted the form. When we submitted the written note to Fr. Onu, he said that the specific place where the form was submitted was not indicated. By then, we were totally confused about that.
We later went to the Bishop’s house to tell him the story, but he was not around. Fortunately, we saw his secretary and told him everything, urging him to help us and tell Fr. Onu to give us another form to refill as far as we had filled out the first form, which was missing.
But he (Father Onu) insisted on that. Some of my colleagues would be interviewed on the day of the interview, but I lost hope about my own. I just went to answer to try my luck. Fortunately for me, my name was called to be interviewed. Then I went to answer the questions they asked me. After that, I went home.
Thereafter, on the next Sunday, my name appeared in the bulletin, pointing out that my name was included in the Scholarship award. Then, I always said my prayer.
After that, they issued me a clarification/certification of scholarship, demanding that I forward it for registration at Saint Theresa’s College Nsukka, where I will spend my Secondary School Education.
During this time of running helter-skelter, my mother and my father quarrelled, and for that, he refused to sponsor me by giving me pocket money. I then started struggling to use this opportunity that had been allocated to me better. My father later chased my mother away from his house, and she hired a house outside to live in.
Up until now, I have been financially independent, but my mother has been trying as she can because she is just a petty trader and caters for my junior sisters because I am her only son. Whenever we leave school, I will work for her and also work for other people because there is no other person to cater for us.
I thank God, who gave me the opportunity, and pledge that I will make better use of this opportunity.
Ugwuoke Samual Chidebere.
