The Ebira Education Trust Fund (EETF) has decried the low level of primary and post-primary school enrolment in the Kogi Central Senatorial District, saying without adequate enrolment, it would be difficult to offer tertiary-level scholarships to the people.
Chairman, Board of Trustees of the Fund and former Vice-Chancellor, Federal University of Technology Minna, Prof. Muhammed Salihu Audu stated this in Abuja at a ceremony to mark the first anniversary of the organization and commence the first phase of its scholarship scheme.
While students undergoing their doctoral degree programmes would get N200, 000 per session for three years, those pursuing their Masters would get the same amount for two years.
In his opening remarks, Audu said; “Investigations and findings reveal that our primary and secondary public schools at home do not presently have the usual compliments of students population as in the past. This calls for concern. We hereby call on well-wishers of Anebira to come to our aid to stem this ugly trend, as government alone cannot shoulder all the responsibilities of public schools.
“I am particularly glad today that this anniversary coincides with the award of scholarships to well-deserving four beneficiaries: two each at the Masters & Doctor of Philosophy Categories.
“Ebira Youth Congress (EYC) conceptualized and launched Ebira Education Trust Fund for Kogi Central youths as a potent avenue by which frontiers of knowledge could be further widened. The underlying rationale and beauty of the scheme are actually intended to speak to a bourgeoning crop of quality intellectuals of diverse disciplines to emerge from among our youths in the next few years courtesy of the Trust Fund.
“The core mandate of the Trust Fund does not qualify the youths to run it by themselves, which is why the BoT was carefully constituted by the same youths from across the five Local Government Councils of Kogi Central Senatorial District at an enlarged EYC Congress held at Okene. A maiden Ebira Education Summit was later held at Lokoja in December 2020 to officially unveil and launch Ebira Education Trust Fund whose membership cuts across diverse intellectuals and philanthropists of Kogi Central Extraction, here present today”.
He specifically thanked a former Group Managing Director of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation NNPC, Mr Austin Oniwon, the late Justice Moses Bello, Dr Sanusi Abubakar Gamji and a former Deputy Governor of the state, Dr Philip Salawu for contributing to the educational development of the area.
He also urged political appointees from the area as well as contractors working on projects in Kogi Central to contribute to the educational well-being of the people.
Dignitaries at the event were Dr Philip Salawu, a former Managing Director of Dangote Cement, Engr. Joseph Makoju, Prof. Audu, Mallam Hussein Obadaki, Prof. Angela Okatahi and President General of the Ebira Youth Congress, Comrade Ateiza Obiyo.
One of the recipients, Yahaya Otori Muhammed who is undergoing a PhD programme on Atmospheric Physics said he almost withdrew from school due to lack of funds to actualize his dreams.
“This is the first time I am getting external help in my educational journey. All the money I have been using was from the hard work of my late father who was a farmer.
“We are pledging not to fail you and we want to say that we will come back when we are done and also assist others to benefit from this scheme.
“I was going to drop out of the programme due to financial constraints because after paying my first fees, COVID-19 came and I had no money to continue with the programme”, he stated.
Credits: Omeiza Ajayi | Vanguard
