No fewer than 210 indigent students of Katsina State have benefitted from the N640 million scholarship approved and released by the Governor Dikko Umaru Radda-led government.

The students, which were drawn from the Umaru Musa Yar’Adua University, Katsina; Federal University, Dutsin-ma; Isa Kaita College of Education, Dutsin-ma; Federal College of Education, Katsina, and Hassan Usman Polytechnic, Katsina, received their scholarship grant on Monday.

While disbursing the scholarship allowances to the students, Governor Radda reiterated his administration’s determination and commitment to revamp the education sector and improve the livelihood of students in the state.

He said his government would do everything humanly possible to ensure prompt payment of scholarship to students of various higher institutions in order to assuage their sufferings orchestrated by the economic meltdown.

Radda said: “It is important to support students, especially at this time of the economic situation, which is not too favourable to the parents and as well as to the students. 

“We will also make sure that we choose the best out of these students and sponsor them to study abroad so that they will have the kind of exposure that they need to provide the kind of leadership that is needed in our state in the future.”

The governor, however, announced a personal donation of N50,000 each to the 210 students, amounting to N10,500,000.

According to him, “It is my singular honour to flag off the distribution of scholarship of N640,648,546 bursary allowance and also the presentation of award of excellence to our best and brightest students in the state. 

“I also want to make a personal donation of N50,000 each to these brighter students that have excelled in their academic performance. This is not a government donation; it is a personal donation coming from me.”

In his remarks, the Executive Secretary of the Katsina State Scholarship Board, Aminu Salisu-Tsauri, said the N640 million was released by Governor Radda as bursary allowances for new and returning students of 2020/2021 and 2021/2022 academic sessions.

He explained that the gesture showcased the governor’s commitment towards bringing relief to the plights of the Katsina State students studying in tertiary institutions across the country.

Culled from This Day