PDP Gives 7-Day Ultimatum To Ebonyi State Govt To Honour Winner Of Sterling Bank National Online Maths Quiz
Alex Odeh
The Ebonyi State chapter of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), has issued a 7-day ultimatum to the Ebonyi State Ministry of Education to explain to the public in a clear and unambiguous terms while it has failed to recognize and honour Eze Bryan Chinny, Winner of 2026 Sterling Bank National Online Maths Quiz.
This was contained in a press statement issued on Tuesday by the Ebonyi People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Media Centre captioned “RE: EBONYI, A STATE THAT NEGLECTS HER OWN — THE CASE OF A GENIUS, EZE BRYAN CHINNY, THE UNHONOURED WHITE CLOUD CHAMPIONS, AND WHY THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION MUST RESPOND WITHIN 7 DAYS”, and signed by Prince (Hon.) Darlington Peter Onwe, State Publicity Secretary|Spokesperson
PDP Ebonyi State.
According to him, “a state that fails to honour its intellect dims the light of its own future and mortgages the destiny of the generation coming after.
The statement reads, “1. The Ebonyi State PDP Media Centre raises its voice today, with a heavy heart but an unshaken resolve, to confront a deeply troubling pattern of neglect by the current administration — a pattern in which exceptional, home-grown intelligence is repeatedly overlooked, and the brilliance of our own children is left to wither without so much as a word of encouragement from the government sworn to nurture it.
2. A stark and painful testament to this failure is the persistent disregard for Eze Bryan Chinny and other young academic heroes, whose intellectual contributions continue to be met with silence by the state government.
It is nothing short of tragic that while other states actively seek out, mentor, celebrate, and invest in their brightest minds, Ebonyi State, under the current administration, appears content to let its own stars rise and shine unnoticed, unaided, and unclaimed. A child does not choose where he is born; but a state chooses, every single day, whether or not to see him. Ebonyi has, thus far, chosen not to look.
3. Particularly, for the benefits of emphasis, the teen Eze Bryan Chinny is a 14-year-old SS1 student from White Cloud Schools, Abakaliki, and his class’s overall best student. He is a standout young academic talent drawing national and global attention. Recently, he won the Sterling Bank National Online Maths Quiz, placing first at the elimination stage and winning the live show, earning a ₦500,000 prize and the title of Nigeria’s best Maths student for August 2026. Prior to this, he emerged champion at the National Economics Olympiad and qualified to represent Nigeria at the International Economics Olympiad in China. Tragically, a lack of State Government intervention and visa complications cost him that global spot—a devastating setback that left him reliving public disappointment while the government looked away.
4. This pattern of systemic neglect goes beyond a single student. In June 2026, the White Cloud Schools Debate Team conquered the Democracy Day Debate Competition through grueling stages to emerge victorious, earning in-flight recognition from Enugu Air, yet receiving zero formal recognition from their home state.
5. Furthermore, White Cloud Schools recently brought home 30 medals in English and Mathematics from the African Olympiad 2026. Yet, the state government offers only defensive social media posts and pictorial presentations of routine projects, rather than according these champions the dignity, public reception, and official state honor given to their peers in neighboring states.
6. Similarly, the Ebonyi State Ministry of Education bears direct and inescapable responsibility for this silence. As the custodian of academic excellence, youth development, and human capital growth, the Ministry’s continued indifference toward Eze Bryan Chinny and his peers is not merely an oversight; it is a disservice — a betrayal — of the educational future of our youth and the promise every child in this state is entitled to.
7. It is noteworthy that this failure did not arise in a vacuum. It is a direct reflection of how Gov. Nwifuru’s administration is leading the state backward, rewarding frivolities and encouraging self-imposed trek-a-thon fraud, while our contemporaries commit to growth, progress, and human capital development. The Ebonyi State Government must rise above political distractions, admit these communication gaps, and immediately comply with our Charter of Demands.
8. CHARTER OF DEMANDS
Flowing from the hopelessness and consequences of this gross failure, we hereby issue a 7-day ultimatum to the Ebonyi State Ministry of Education to address the public and provide clear, unambiguous responses to the following, failing which we will demand the Education Commissioner’s immediate resignation and escalate this matter further:
i. Official Explanation and Public Reception: Why has the Ministry and Gov. Nwifuru turned a blind eye to the achievements of Eze Bryan Chinny and the White Cloud champions? When will the state formally host, honour, and integrate these champions into the state’s official gallery of excellence and hall of fame?
ii. Institutional Framework and Learning from Excellence: What concrete, transparent policies are being implemented to identify, support, and honour exceptional talent across all 13 LGAs of Ebonyi State?
iii. Furthermore, what steps is the Ministry taking to study top-performing schools like White Cloud to replicate their success in public schools?
iv. Action Plan and Talent Protection: A clear, time-bound commitment detailing how the state intends to rectify this neglect, assist students facing international representation barriers, and fund gifted individuals with resources attached and published for public scrutiny.
9. In concluding, we want to be plain: . state that fails to honour its intellect dims the light of its own future and mortgages the destiny of the generation coming after. Ebonyi State’s stars must no longer be forgotten, sidelined, or made to shine in isolation while their government looks away. Excellence does not expire because it was not immediately celebrated, but a government that delays in honouring its best teaches young people to aim lower. We will not stand by and watch that message take root. The Ministry has seven days. Ebonyi is watching, and continued silence is complicity”, it concluded.
