The President of the Abia Leadership Academy and former Secretary to the State Government, Prof Kenneth Kalu, has expressed gratitude to Governor Alex Otti for establishing the Abia Leadership Academy bootcamp, describing the initiative as a visionary programme aimed at equipping young Abians with strong ethical values and leadership competencies.
Speaking while monitoring the just-concluded CBT test for applicants for the 2026 bootcamp at the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike CBT centre.
Prof Kalu described the exercise as seamless and well-coordinated, noting that the overwhelming interest demonstrated by young people reflects their eagerness to acquire ethical leadership and life skills.
According to him, “Over 7,000 applications were received this year and only the best 1,000 candidates will be selected after the screening process”, he explained.
The President urged the applicants to remain committed to the virtues of empathy, civic responsibility, and discipline, stressing that these values are essential for building a better society.
He further encouraged the candidates to become responsible citizens who will contribute their quota to creating a decent and progressive society, irrespective of the outcome of the selection process.
Prof. Kalu also commended the smooth conduct of the Computer-Based Test (CBT) , and expressed satisfaction with the high level of organisation and the massive turnout of applicants.
In an interview, some of the candidates, including Christian Ugochukwu, Amarachi Vincent, Jubilee Francis and Angel Chikara, thanked Governor Alex Otti for bringing such a program.