ASUU Gives Scholarships To 22 Indigent Students

The Ibadan Zone of Academic Staff Union of Universities has awarded scholarships to 22 students under the ASUU Indigent Students Scholarship Scheme.

The cheques were presented to the awardees on Wednesday at the Ladoke Akintola University Ogbomoso by a former National Treasurer of ASUU, Prof. Ademola Aremu; Financial Secretary of ASUU, Prof. Ade Adejumo, and chairpersons from the zone.

The Ibadan Zone comprises of University of Ibadan, University of Ilorin, Ladoke Akintola University, and Kwara State University.

The Ibadan Zonal Coordinator of ASUU, Prof. Oyebamiji Oyegoke, while speaking stated that the ASUU leadership had 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.

He said, “The national secretariat of the union is giving out scholarship worth N100, 000 per session to at least 73 students accross all public universities while individual varsities also give awards to their Indigent students.”

Speaking after presenting the awards, Financial Secretary of ASUU, Prof. Ade 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.”

Adejumo said that the Union believes that being Indigent should not be a reason not to go to school.

In his remarks, former National Treasurer of the Union, Prof. Ademola 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 that pay her lecturers very poorly. Nigerian professors after spending 10 years in professorial cadre earn 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 way for their children schooling abroad to come and rule them”

Present at the occasion were Prof. Ayo Akinwole (UI), Dr Biodun Olaniran (LAUTECH), Dr Wasiu Raji (UNILORIN) and Shehu Salam (KWASU).