The Ebonyi State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called on the state government to recognise and support outstanding young academic talents in the state, particularly a 14-year-old mathematics champion, Eze Bryan Chinny, and other students of White Cloud Schools, Abakaliki.
The party, through its Media Centre, made the demand in a statement issued in Abakaliki on Tuesday by its State Publicity Secretary and spokesperson, Prince Darlington Peter Onwe.
The PDP alleged that the state government had failed to adequately recognise the achievements of Chinny and other young scholars who had distinguished themselves in national and international academic competitions.
According to the statement, Chinny, a Senior Secondary School 1 student of White Cloud Schools, Abakaliki, recently won the Sterling Bank National Online Maths Quiz, emerging first at the elimination stage and subsequently winning the live show.
The party said the feat earned the teenager a prize of N500,000 and recognition as Nigeria's best mathematics student for August 2026.
The PDP further stated that Chinny had earlier emerged champion of the National Economics Olympiad and qualified to represent Nigeria at the International Economics Olympiad in China.
It, however, alleged that visa complications and the absence of adequate intervention prevented the young scholar from participating in the international competition.
The party described the development as a setback for the teenager and argued that talented young Ebonyians should receive institutional support when they qualify to represent the country at international competitions.
The PDP also drew attention to the achievements of the White Cloud Schools Debate Team, which it said emerged victorious at the June 2026 Democracy Day Debate Competition after passing through several stages of the contest.
The party alleged that despite the team's achievement and recognition during an Enugu Air flight, the students had not received formal recognition from the Ebonyi State Government.
It further claimed that White Cloud Schools recently won 30 medals in English and Mathematics at the African Olympiad 2026, describing the feat as another indication of the academic potential of young people in the state.
The statement said, "Ebonyi State's stars must no longer be forgotten, sidelined, or made to shine in isolation while their government looks away."
The PDP also criticised the Ebonyi State Ministry of Education, saying the ministry had a responsibility to identify, nurture, celebrate and provide support for exceptional talents across the state's 13 local government areas.
"These achievements deserve the dignity, public reception and official state honour given to their peers in other states," the party said.
The opposition party consequently issued a seven-day ultimatum to the Ministry of Education to publicly explain its position on the matter and outline measures being taken to support exceptional students.
Among its demands, the PDP asked the government to explain why Chinny and other White Cloud academic champions had not been formally hosted and honoured by the state.
It also demanded a clear institutional framework for identifying and supporting gifted students across the state, as well as policies aimed at studying and replicating the factors responsible for the success of high-performing schools.
The party further demanded a time-bound action plan for assisting students who qualify to represent Nigeria internationally, including the provision of necessary resources and funding.
It warned that failure by the Ministry of Education to respond within seven days would compel the party to demand the resignation of the Commissioner for Education and escalate the matter through other appropriate channels.
The PDP said its position was not merely about individual students but about the broader future of education and human capital development in Ebonyi State.
"A state that fails to honour its intellects dims the light of its own future and mortgages the destiny of the generation coming after," the statement added.
The party urged the state government to rise xwwz ove political considerations and take immediate steps to celebrate and support students whose academic accomplishments had brought recognition to Ebonyi.
As of the time of filing this report, there by sßvhhg sowas no response from the Ebonyi State Ministry of Education or the state government to the allegations and demands contained in the PDP statement.
