By Joyce Remi-Babayeju
The University of Lagos Alumni Association FCT Chapter on Monday gave scholarships to over 25 indigent and brilliant students in public secondary schools in the territory to complete their education.
The National President Worldwide of the Association, Engineer Ifeoluwa Oyedele at the award giving ceremony to the students on Monday in Abuja, said that the gesture of giving the scholarship awards is to provide opportunities to children to go to school.
“This scholarship award is for students who have scaled through.”
the rigorous process. It is to ensure that education in the FCT is one of the best in Nigeria.”
He pleaded with students to be proactive, instead of taking to criminality.
Earlier, the Chairman, Scholarship Committee of the association, Dr. Emmanuel Ibe, said that 24 students selected from six public secondary schools would benefit from the gesture.
Ibe said that one secondary school was selected in each of the six Area Councils of the FCT.
He said the association would disburse N2.5 million under the bursary award, adding that each of the 24 students would receive over N100,000 to cover tuition fee for six terms.
Ibe also said the scholarship would cover the students’ WAEC and National Examination Council registration fees.
The association Chairman in FCT, Aliu Akoshile, also said that the goal of the scholarship was to impact on society.
Akoshile said that the decision to support the indigent students was influenced by the need to provide opportunities to children from poor households to grow academically and socially.
The Mandate Secretary of Education Board in FCT of the FCT Education Board, Dr Danlami Hayyo, commended the association n for the support, which he described as encouraging.
“This is what we are expecting from many people. People that have enough should contribute to the education sector, especially in provision of infrastructure, scholarship, and other needs. This is because the government cannot fund education 100 percent.”
“We wish other people would emulate what the Lagos Alumni Association is doing in the education sector,” Mr. Hayyo said.
One of the students, Grace Dantani, an SS II student of Government Day Secondary School, Bwari, said she who never sure of graduating until now.
Dantani said her father is a bricklayer, but that the job comes once in a while, a situation which made it difficult for him to pay her school fees.
“Honestly, we feel so happy, and we are rejoicing for the scholarship support. Many of us were not sure whether we were going to sit the West African Examination Council with our fellow students, but because of the scholarship support, we are confident we will graduate,” she said.
