OVERWHELMED by the severe toll the falling Naira value in foreign exchange takes on its growing overseas university scholarship funds, Omega Power Ministries (OPM) has terminated the goodwill to channel annual voted resources into establishing Nigeria’s first free university.
Founder of OPM, Apostle Chibuzor Chinyere, reflecting Wednesday on the difficulty with keeping up with overseas scholarships against the free falling naira against the dollar, said he has already mobilised an erudite Professor to visit Abuja in quest for approval for the varsity to be called OPM Free University.
The Port Harcourt, Rivers state based philanthropist affirmed, “I’m left with no other option. From January 2023, no more new intakes for OPM overseas scholarship because of the overbearing dollar rate. So all those we just paid their school fees last week to study in Cyprus that will be traveling this August and those for Germany traveling September are the last intakes for overseas scholarships.
“With others already in different universities around the world, we shall continue to pay their school fees and accommodations till graduation. They have to look for small jobs to augment their feeding and clothes.
“Like our 20 free schools, 2 world class free hospitals, 1 multi skill acquisition center, 18 free estates etc, the intended OPM Free University shall be ran 100% free of charge, open to both Muslims and Christians from other churches.
“Serious OPM members, not visiting members shall have 90% slots, 10% for Muslims and other denominations. The Professor has also promised to bring in some foreign Professors to train some of our Nigerian lecturers free of charge on how to teach with technology, not black boards.
“I’m so excited for this dream to come true, like the specialist hospital which started 8 years ago. Every week through Head of Welfare, we spent millions in hospital bills on health charity . Then one day I woke up and said enough is enough, we must build our own hospital and God made it possible.
“I will also speak to those American universities that gave me honorable doctorate decree if they can affiliate with OPM Free University even if it means paying them monthly so the planned university can be high standard.”
