Godwin Obla sends Idoma First-Class Law Graduate, Ochanya abroad for Masters, pays £33,000 tuition, ₦25m upkeep

Chief Godwin Obla, SAN, has fulfilled his promise to sponsor Ochanya Owoicho, the first female of Idoma extraction to graduate with first-class honours from the Nigerian Law School, for postgraduate studies abroad.

Obla, founder of the Godwin Obla Foundation, disclosed this at a ceremony held in Abuja to mark the fulfilment of the scholarship promise made to Ochanya less than a year ago, IDOMA VOICE reports.

Ochanya has been admitted to Queen Mary University of London, where she will undertake an LLM programme in Artificial Intelligence and the Law.

Obla said the foundation had paid her tuition of £33,000 directly to the university, while ₦25 million had been paid into her personal account as upkeep allowance for her studies in the United Kingdom.

“Today marks a fulfilment of that promise,” Obla said.

“I can confirm today that her school fees of £33,000 and her upkeep of ₦25,000,000 have been fully paid. The tuition was paid directly to the school’s account and the upkeep to Ochanya’s personal account.”

He recalled that he made the pledge at a reception organised by the Association of Idoma Lawyers in Otukpo for newly elevated Senior Advocates of Nigeria of Idoma extraction.

According to him, the scholarship was part of his commitment to mentoring and creating opportunities for younger Idoma professionals.

“As a minority that is overwhelmed by the tyranny of the majority, we must be our brother’s keeper and helper at all times,” he said.

Obla urged Ochanya to see the scholarship not only as a reward for her academic achievement but also as a responsibility to help others in the future.

“Ochanya, this scholarship is a challenge and a call for you to commit to the ideals of carrying others as you have been carried.

“I expect you to be a future burden bearer for our people and to live this ideal all your life,” he said.

He also disclosed plans to introduce Ochanya to members of the Idoma community in the UK who would assist and guide her during her stay.

Obla further called on other Idoma sons and daughters to support the development of young people, saying the next scholarship initiative could be targeted at aeronautics.

“Possibly, we are looking at sponsoring a young Idoma girl as a pilot. Fingers crossed as we work on this,” he said.

Speaking at the event, the President-General of Ochetoha K’Idoma, Prof. Yakubu Ochefu, commended Obla for his philanthropic interventions and described the scholarship as another demonstration of his commitment to developing people.

Ochefu said he had witnessed Obla’s promise to sponsor Ochanya at the Otukpo reception and was pleased to be present at its fulfilment. 

On his part, Audu Anuga, SAN, described Obla’s intervention as part of a longstanding culture of mentorship and leadership.

Anuga said Obla had consistently created opportunities for others to grow rather than seeking personal recognition for his interventions.

“We’re all Senior Advocates today because he made a commitment that this is how he wants his own legacy of Senior Advocates to be,” he said.

He urged Ochanya to maintain the same spirit of hard work and excellence that earned her a first-class degree.

Anuga also advised her to apply her studies in Artificial Intelligence and the Law to challenges facing Nigeria and Africa, particularly ethical issues and algorithmic bias in artificial intelligence.

Also speaking, the Secretary-General of Ochetoha K’Idoma, Barr. Paul Edeh, described the scholarship as a testament to Obla’s commitment to quietly empowering people.

Edeh urged Ochanya to reciprocate the gesture by supporting others when she becomes established.

He also advised her to remain focused on her academic and professional development.

The Chief Medical Director of the Federal University of Health Sciences Teaching Hospital, Otukpo (FUHSTHO), Prof. Teddy Eyaofun Agida, also commended Obla for his philanthropic contributions to healthcare and other sectors.

Agida, who said he was present at the Otukpo reception where Obla made the scholarship pledge, described the payment as the fulfilment of a promise.

He highlighted some of Obla’s interventions at the university and its teaching hospital, including the construction of a kidney centre equipped with six functional dialysis machines. 

Speaking after the presentation, Ochanya expressed gratitude to the Godwin Obla Foundation for the scholarship.

She described the occasion as a major milestone in her life and said the support had brought her closer to achieving her dream.

“The Godwin Obla Foundation has touched my life in a way that even I myself did not expect,” she said.

Ochanya also encouraged young girls aspiring to excel academically to believe in themselves and remain committed to hard work.

“There’s no other secret but hard work, purely hard work and dedication. Believe in yourself and in your capability. Believe that you can do it and you will do it,” she said.

“To every girl child out there, I want you to know that if I did it, you can do it too.”