Ekweremadu Grants N22.3m Scholarships to 525 Students

Senator Ike Ekweremadu, deputy president of the Senate, has given out N22.350 million as scholarship and bursary grants to 525 students from Enugu state for the 2013-2014 academic sessions.

The grant was made through the IKEOHA foundation established and funded by Senator Ekweremadu during the Ikeoha Foundation Adult Literacy Day and 2013/2014 Scholarship and Bursary awards ceremony  at Saint Paul’s College, Oji River, Enugu State recently.

Mr. Uche Anichukwu, special adviser (Media) to Deputy President of the Senate, in a press statement made available to Nigeria CommunicationsWeek gave a breakdown of the grant which shows that 25 students got N500,000 as Scholarship awards, while 83 students each from the five LGA’s in Enugu West Senatorial District as well as 80 students from Enugu North and Igboeze North got N30.000 each as bursary awards.

Speaking on the occasion, Senator Ekweremadu who noted the prevailing atmosphere of intimidation and harassment in the state, said the foundation would not waver in its efforts to create a better society through its scholarship scheme for the youth and adult literacy programme for adults.

He charged the recipients to be dedicated and ensure judicious use of the grants.

Senator Ekweremadu assured that both programmes would be sustained and welcomed the new working partnership between the National Adult Literacy Commission and the Foundation, which is set to expand the scope of the Foundation’s activities.

He said, “Today we renew our contract with mankind. Today we renew our commitment to fight illiteracy in Enugu West, in Enugu state and Nigeria and I am happy that we are winning this war. I know the time we have found ourselves. We know all the intimidation and harassment going on, but I would like to assure you that as it is written in the book of Psalm 91, a thousand will fall at your left and ten thousand by your right but they will never come near you. Only with your eyes will you see the fall of the wicked. As I keep saying, in matters of right and wrong, Good will never be neutral. So God is with us in this journey.

“I am also certain that we will conquer illiteracy. We will conquer poverty, and we will conquer ignorance. So, I would like to thank everybody who is here for this programme. I would like to congratulate our dear students, for out of so many who applied for this privilege, we have 500 students who will receive our grants and we have 25 for the scholarship programme. We will continue to support this programme, especially now that we have working partnership with the National Commission for Adult Literacy”.

Earlier, Mrs. Cindy E. Ezeugwu, executive director of the Ikeoha Foundation, said the foundation had provided basic education to over 5,000 adult learners through its 24 Adult Literacy Centres and had also commenced fulltime scholarship awards from 2012/2013 academic Session in addition to the annual bursary grants by the Foundation.

 In his goodwill message, Alhaji Jibrin Y. Paiko, executive secretary of the National Commission for Mass literacy, Adult and Non-Formal Education, who was represented by Alhaji Musa Gusau, described  the achievements recorded by the Foundation as “unprecedented in the history of adult literacy programme in Nigeria” and worthy of emulation by others.

He said the Certificate of Partnership granted the Foundation would enable it access the training programmes and facilities of the Commission as well as those of the United Nations Educational, scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).

 The highly successful event was graced by various dignitaries and organisations, including UNESCO, town unions, and royal fathers led by the Chairman of Enugu West Council of Traditional Rulers, HRH Igwe Harford Agana.