The Senator representing Kogi West Senatorial District, Smart Adeyemi, has given customised Automated Teller Machine debit cards to all the 500 indigent students, who are on his scholarship.
This year, the senator offered N12m bursary awards to students in higher institutions.
The lawmaker presented the cards, loaded with N20,000 each, to the beneficiaries through the representatives of Skye Bank, the financial institution coordinating the disbursement, in Ijumu on Tuesday.
Adeyemi explained that card holders could use them at any ATM or Point of Sales machines anywhere in the country.
He said, “We are doing this because we know that some students are from homes where their parents are struggling to pay their school fees. We will continue to do our best to augment whatever their parents are able to do.”
He advised them to be committed to their studies and to be of good character in order to be successful individuals who will, in future, assist the less privileged in the society.
He said, “Over the years, I have been assisting students individually by sending money to their accounts; but we felt that there is need to centralise it. I will continue to do my best to make an impact.”
The senator, who pledged to increase the numbers of the beneficiaries from 500 to 1,000 next year, also promised special bursary awards to indigent students who are pursuing professional courses in various tertiary institutions.
“I assure you that we will gather here in April 2015 again to award scholarships to students pursuing professional courses. That is different from the annual bursary scheme which will also be disbursed next year.”
He said, “You can start to withdraw from your account with this card as from January 5 when you would have resumed from the Christmas and New Year holiday. If you start withdrawing from your account before then, the money will end up in pockets of ‘mai suya’ and other people.
