Leaders Are Born, Not Made: Sir Monday Onyeme, A New Face of Delta North, Making a Difference

By Century CEO

Great leaders are often recognised not merely by the positions they occupy, but by the lives they touch, the opportunities they create and the legacy they leave behind. Great leaders are also great givers, and they do not hesitate to give back to society whenever the opportunity arises.

Sir Monday Onyeme, the Deputy Governor of Delta State, is a compassionate man. Compassion is a language the deaf can hear, the blind can understand and the heart can recognise. It is a quality that goes beyond words; it is expressed through action, sacrifice and genuine concern for others.

An epitome of selflessness and a man with a genuine heart for the people, Sir Monday Onyeme has consistently demonstrated a commitment to improving the lives of others and creating opportunities that can positively shape the future of generations yet unborn. In many respects, his approach to service reflects a simple understanding: that leadership is most meaningful when it is used to lift others.

One of the clearest expressions of this commitment is the Monday Onyeme Foundation (MOF), a philanthropic initiative dedicated to improving the quality of life of individuals and communities, particularly through education and social empowerment. Through the Foundation, many people have received support that has helped them pursue opportunities that might otherwise have remained beyond their reach.

Education has remained a major focus of the Foundation. Sir Monday Onyeme began the scholarship initiative with students from the Ndokwa Nation and has continued to extend the programme across Delta North. Many young people who may once have wondered how they would continue their education have benefited from the Foundation’s intervention. Today, some of these beneficiaries have graduated and are contributing their own quota to society.

This is what makes such interventions meaningful. A scholarship is not simply financial assistance; it can be the difference between a dream abandoned and a dream pursued. It can bring relief to a family, restore confidence to a student and open a door to a future that once seemed uncertain.

Recently, 301 undergraduates from different institutions of higher learning emerged successful in the Monday Onyeme Scholarship Scheme for the Aniocha/Oshimili Federal Constituency. The exercise formed part of the Foundation’s annual scholarship programme and was designed to identify and support deserving students.

A total of 650 undergraduates from the constituency were shortlisted for the aptitude test, while 474 candidates eventually appeared and sat for the examination. At the end of the exercise, 301 candidates emerged successful.

Each successful candidate is expected to receive a minimum of ₦200,000. In addition, the top-performing candidates will receive further financial rewards. The overall top scorer from the constituency will receive an additional ₦200,000, while the candidates who place second and third will receive an additional ₦150,000 each.

The aptitude test, held at Dennis Osadebay University, Asaba, was personally supervised by Sir Monday Onyeme. Addressing the students, he explained that the scholarship was intended to encourage and support undergraduates across Delta North.

He noted that the exercise represented an improvement compared with the previous year and disclosed that eight successful students would be selected from each ward in the Aniocha/Oshimili Federal Constituency.

Among those who distinguished themselves was Miss Ubaka Treasure from Aniocha South Ward 4, who scored 45 marks to emerge as the overall top scorer from the constituency. Ubaka Treasure, a student of International Relations at Admiralty University, Ibusa, expressed gratitude to God and appreciation to Sir Monday Onyeme for the opportunity and for putting smiles on the faces of undergraduates.

The Foundation’s scholarship initiative subsequently continued with the Ika Federal Constituency, where the qualifying examination was held at the University of Delta (UNIDEL), Agbor.

Again, 650 students were shortlisted for the examination, 478 candidates sat for the test and 212 emerged successful. Of the successful candidates, 108 were from Ika North-East, while 104 were from Ika South.

Each successful candidate will receive ₦200,000, while the highest-scoring candidate will receive an additional ₦200,000. The second position will receive an additional ₦150,000, while the third highest scorer will receive an additional ₦100,000.

Miss Ojeme Goodness from Ika South emerged as the overall best candidate with 51 points. Idioma Peace, also from Ika South, came second with 50 points, while Akoreh Michael from Ika North-East took third position with 47 points.

Speaking after the examination, Sir Monday Onyeme congratulated the students and noted the improvement in participation and performance compared with previous editions. He also encouraged students who were unsuccessful not to give up, reminding them that the scholarship programme is an annual initiative and that they would have another opportunity to participate.

That message is important because true empowerment is not only about rewarding success; it is also about encouraging people to keep pursuing their dreams when things do not work out the first time.

The scholarship programme is gradually becoming an important platform for supporting young people across Delta North. Following the exercises for Aniocha/Oshimili and Ika Federal Constituencies, the Foundation is expected to proceed to Ndokwa/Ukwuani Federal Constituency, where another aptitude test will take place in Kwale.

The examinations have also attracted the participation of relevant education officials and other stakeholders, including officials of the Delta State Ministry of Education, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Delta, Prof. Eric Eboh, members of the university management and the Deputy Chief of Staff, Government House, Sir Chris Osakwe, among others.

For many people, leadership is often associated with political positions, influence and authority. But there is another, perhaps more enduring, way to measure leadership: by the number of lives that become better because of one’s service.

This is where the story of Sir Monday Onyeme becomes particularly significant.

His interventions through the Monday Onyeme Foundation demonstrate an approach to service that places human development at the centre. The beneficiaries are not merely numbers on a list. Behind every name is a student, a family, a dream and a future.

A young person who remains in school because of a scholarship may eventually become a professional, entrepreneur, teacher, doctor, engineer or community leader. The impact therefore extends far beyond the initial financial assistance.

Delta North is blessed with a vibrant population of talented, intelligent and ambitious young people. What many of them need are opportunities, encouragement and individuals willing to invest in their potential.

Sir Monday Onyeme’s work through the Foundation is contributing to that process by creating opportunities where they are most needed.

His story, therefore, is not simply about scholarships. It is about hope. It is about giving young people a reason to believe in themselves and a chance to pursue the future they envision.

Leadership may be born with character, but it is ultimately revealed through service. And perhaps the most enduring legacy any leader can leave is not what he acquires for himself, but what he makes possible for others.

For the students who have benefited from the Monday Onyeme Foundation, the intervention is more than a scholarship. It is an investment in their dreams, an expression of compassion and a vote of confidence in their future.

And for Delta North, it is a reminder that when leadership is driven by compassion, generosity and a genuine commitment to human development, its impact can reach far beyond one individual and touch generations yet unborn.