The Matthew Okpebholo Foundation wishes to sincerely thank every scholar, family, and community that participated in the 30th Anniversary Edition of our Educational Support Initiative. The response this year was extraordinary, and the Foundation is humbled by the trust thousands of Edo State indigenes continue to place in our mission.
Following our award ceremony of Saturday, 20 June 2026, and the careful deliberations of the Foundation Committee on Saturday, 27 June 2026, we write to formally close the disbursement process for the 2026 edition and share our final resolution.
On Physical Attendance
The condition of physical presence on the day of the award is not merely procedural — it is the Foundation's primary mechanism for identity verification and genuine need confirmation. Payment tokens are issued in person and in real time; they are not, and have never been, issued remotely or in absentia. Scholars who were unable to attend the ceremony have regrettably not met this core eligibility threshold for disbursement.
An attempt was made to accommodate remote participants, but this process was unfortunately exploited and could not be completed securely. Given the significant fraud uncovered in the lead-up to and during the event — a coordinated scheme traced back to the very beginning of the application window in May 2026 — the Committee is not in a position to transfer funds to individuals whose identities and circumstances could not be personally verified on the day.
The Foundation also identified vulnerabilities that were exploited at the point of electronic application filing, where third parties took advantage of indigent applicants. These realities, painful as they are, make it impossible for us to proceed with confidence in unverified disbursements.
We recognise that this decision will disappoint many genuine and deserving scholars. We do not take it lightly.
On the Redirection of Remaining Funds
The available disbursement balance will be directed to verified and certified indigent scholars who demonstrated extraordinary commitment — those who were physically present at the venue on 20 June 2026 and participated in good faith, but who could not be accommodated within the final list of 1,000. These individuals took a step of faith, travelled at personal cost, and deserve recognition for that. The funds will stretch as far as they can.
⚠️ Urgent Warning — Fraudulent Token Circulation
The Foundation has become aware that certain individuals are generating, selling, and distributing counterfeit 4-digit payment tokens to members of the public, accompanied by pre-written template emails designed to impersonate legitimate scholarship recipients. These messages are being sent in large volumes to the Foundation's contact address.
The telltale signs of these fraudulent communications include: the wrong Foundation name ("Monday Okpebholo Foundation" instead of Matthew Okpebholo Foundation); fabricated reference numbers bearing the format MOF2026-XXXXXXXX; and near-identical template wording shared across hundreds of senders from different schools and faculties.
We wish to be unambiguous: no token, reference number, or email of this nature carries any validity with this Foundation. Our 1,000 awardees are known, named, and on record. No undocumented participant will be considered for disbursement under any circumstance.
Please remember: The Foundation's scholarship award is, and has always been, entirely free at every level — application, selection, and disbursement. No legitimate agent, coordinator, consultant, or individual is authorised to charge any fee, collect any payment, or demand any consideration whatsoever in connection with this award. If you paid anyone for a token, a reference number, a shortlist position, or any form of access to this programme, you have been defrauded — and that payment automatically disqualifies you from any further consideration under this or future editions of the initiative.
Students knowingly participating in this scheme — purchasing fraudulent tokens, submitting false claims, or circulating template emails — are engaging in a criminal act. The Foundation has reported this development to law enforcement and reserves the right to pursue all legal remedies available.
A Closing Word
To the 1,000 scholars of the 2026 cohort — you carry an honour that is not diminished by the challenges this process encountered. You are the 30th class of the Matthew Okpebholo Foundation Educational Support Initiative, and that distinction is permanent.
To every applicant who was not reached this year — we see your effort, we acknowledge your circumstances, and we encourage you not to lose faith. The Foundation's mission endures, and future editions will reflect the lessons we have learned this year.
