BY AKINWALE ABOLUWADE
The Ibadan zone of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, on Wednesday, awarded scholarship to 22 students under the ASUU Indigent Students Scholarship Scheme.
Cheques for the scholarship were presented to the awardees at the Ladoke Akintola University, Ogbomoso by former National Treasurer of ASUU, Prof. Ademola Aremu; the Financial Secretary of the union, Prof. Ade Adejumo; and chairpersons from the zone.
ASUU, Ibadan zone, comprises of University of Ibadan, University of Ilorin, Ladoke Akintola University, and Kwara State University.
Announcing the awards, the Ibadan Zonal Coordinator of
ASUU, Prof. Oyebamiji Oyegoke, stated that the ASUU leadership directed that all chapters of the Union should institute the scholarship as a way of ensuring that indigent but brilliant students were not denied quality education.
According to him, the National Secretariat of the Union gave scholarship worth N100,000 per session to, at least, 73 students accross public universities while each university independently gave awards to indigent students.
Speaking shortly after presenting the awards, Adejumo urged Nigerians, including “those who have stolen from Nigeria and Nigerians, to support the education of indigent students so that they can realise their full potentials and contribute to national development.”
He added that the Union believed that being indigent should not be a reason not to go to school.
In his remarks, former National Treasurer of the Union, Aremu lamented that those who benefitted from scholarships and free education during their time were now the one underfunding education.
He said, “It is a pity that Nigeria is about the only country that pays her lecturers very poorly. Nigerian professors, after spending 10years in professorial cadre, earns about $800. Even Republic of Benin pays around $2,000. Nigerian leaders only want to keep the poor down by denying them quality education to pave the way for their children schooling abroad to come and rule them.”
Present on the occasion were Prof. Ayo Akinwole (UI), Dr Biodun Olaniran (LAUTECH), Dr Wasiu Raji (UNILORIN) and Shehu Salam (KWASU).
