The Academic Staff Union of Universities, on Thursday, gave scholarship grants to two students of the Ebonyi State University Abakaliki, to the tune of N200,000 each.
The two beneficiaries, Ms Onwe Emmanuella C. and Chukwuemeka Ogar P. were final-year students of Medicine and Surgery at the EBSU.
Presenting the cheques to the students, in Abakaliki the ASUU Chairman, Ebonyi State University chapter, Dr. Okechukwu Igwenyi, said the beneficiaries were selected based on some stringent but transparent determinable parameters.
He observed it was wrong to blackmail the ASUU as a body known for only strikes and industrial actions, adding “We are here to inform the public that apart from fighting for improved funding and protect the autonomy of universities, we also care for students by providing annual scholarship awards to successful indigent students from all the public universities in Nigeria.”
He said, “There is no gainsaying the fact that the ruling class is surreptitiously making education very expensive and unaffordable by common Nigerians. School fees, meals, consumables and other sundry expenses have become so expensive and beyond the reach of a common man such that students who refuse to drop out have been pushed into unthinkable ventures to stay on campus and acquire the necessary university education.
“The terrible excruciating economic conditions students and parents are subjected to, has occasioned a high rate of drop out of diligent and intelligent students due to poverty and frustration.
Igwenyi expressed concerns over the deplorable conditions of students welfare, security and the depressed and unpredictable national economy which has compelled some students to seek for other distractive sources of income to afford their school fees and other basic needs.
“Currently, most students do not know what Bursary award by states and local governments , as it were , is all about and possibly do not understand that an ordinary student can win a scholarship or grant on merit.”
He added, “Our scholarships award scheme has been running for years and we provide research support presently to the tune of N500,000 as Ph.D Research Grant to selected members of ASUU in all public universities in Nigeria. Three of our members have benefitted from that scheme.
“Beyond our members, we also have our students in our plan. It is, therefore, imperative to mention now that over the years and as part of our Corporate Social Responsibility, ASUU National Executive Council has been dispensing monies from our check-off deductions and offer the same as scholarship grants to selected indigent students across the country based on some stringent but transparently determinable parameters.”
He noted that consequently, ASUU-EBSU has in the last couple of years put forward some nominee students of its university and in most parts, its nominees have always been successful.
One of the beneficiaries, Ms Onwe Emmanuella, said she was elated when information got to her that she was selected for the scholarship award, adding with the sum of N200,000 she will offset her outstanding school fees.
She said, “I feel elevated, because I have waited for a long time for the outcome of the screening. And I’m surprised that at the end , it yielded results and I am happy about it.
With this scholarship, I am sure I will be able to offset my outstanding school fees that have been waiting for me for a long time now to pay ; and also, take care of other courses I am yet to register.”
According to the second awardee, Ogar Peter, “I am just too emotional to express what I feel over the scholarship. I am grateful to ASUU-EBSU chapter. I am also sure that this grant will go a long way at solving some of my basic needs in school.”
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