Otti pledges to support JAMB top scorer’s education

Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has announced plans to support the education of Abia-born Master Michael Offorkaile, who scored 367 in the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, ranking fifth among the highest scorers nationwide.

Receiving the student, his parents and the management of Grundtvig International Secondary School, Oba, Anambra State, at his office on Monday, Otti congratulated the teenager on the achievement, saying the state government does not take such excellence for granted.

He vowed to support Offorkaile’s further academic pursuits.

The governor directed the Commissioner for Tertiary Education to work out the details of the support, while also instructing the Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Mr Dodoh Okafor, to liaise with the beneficiary’s parents on the necessary follow-up.

Otti said the state would continue to celebrate excellence in every sphere of society, adding that it expects the student to achieve even greater success as he progresses in his academic journey.

He said, “We don’t take this for granted. The whole idea is to celebrate our own when they do well. As a government founded on meritocracy, we will not stop celebrating people who do well. We also want you to be a source of encouragement to those coming after you and to know that when they do well, they will be celebrated.

“We also want this to be an encouragement to him because the journey has just started. JAMB is the little roadblock you have to go through to now start a degree programme of four years. So, having been celebrated because you came first, we expect that you even do better as you go to the university.

And as a state, we will support you. I believe that the details of the support will be worked out with the Commissioner for Tertiary Education. But I think what is most important is for you to know that your state is behind you, recognises the feat that you have achieved and encourages you to even do better.”

Introducing Offorkaile, the Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Prof. Uche Emeh Uche, said the governor had directed her to locate the student and bring him to the state for recognition.

The Principal of Grundtvig International Secondary School, Oba, Mr Ige Bello, and Offorkaile’s father, Mr Odinaka Offorkaile, from Umunneochi Local Government Area of Abia State, said they were not surprised by the student’s outstanding performance, given his consistent academic excellence.

They thanked the governor for honouring Offorkaile and commended his commitment to education and good governance in Abia State.

Responding, Michael Offorkaile thanked Otti for the recognition and praised his transformational leadership in Abia State, describing him as a role model.

He said, “I want to thank you for what you have done for me and my family, and also my school today. I will also try my best to keep performing, keep inspiring, and keep encouraging students from Abia and Nigeria.”