By Murtala Muhammad
With the myriad difficulties that face Nigeria and the rest of the world, ASUU-KUST is making the planet a better place by generously supporting indigent students. The Union supports students from low socio-economic backgrounds with a total sum of N2,302,000.00 (Two Million and Three Hundred and Two Thousand Naira Only) to have the same educational opportunities as those from privileged families.
This noble gesture is in line with ASUU National Executive Committee resolution at Gombe State University in 2018 in which N100,000.00 (Hundred Thousand Naira) was earmarked to be awarded to one most indigent student across public universities (both states and federal) to be paid by ASUU National. In order to complement the effort of the ASUU National, the Congress of ASUU-KUST benevolently resolved on Thursday, 9 and 26 September 2019 to donate money from members’ hard-earned salaries to provide financial support for the payment of registration fees, maintenance fees and project assistance to many other students who are finding it difficult to survive where even life basics are hard to come by.
Comrade Dr Muhammad Sani Gaya, the Chairperson of the branch said during the award ceremony on Wednesday, 27 January, 2021 that the Union believes that even the toughest challenge become easier with the right support. He further said financial assistance through sponsorship is definitely important.
Comrade Prof. Abdulkadir Muhammad, the Convener of the ASUU-KUST indigent Scholarship Committee declared that following the Committee’s interaction with hundreds of students who applied, analysis of the students documents and thorough verification of information provided by the students, the Union approved N100,000.00 (Hundred Thousand Naira) to one most indigent student, N51,000.00 (Fifty One Thousand Naira) to two students; N50,000.00 (Fifty Thousand Naira) to four students; N45,000.00 (Forty Five Thousand Naira) to thirty seven students; N25,000.00 (Twenty Five Thousand Naira) to four students; N20,000.00 (Twenty Thousand Naira) to six students and N15,000.00 (Fifteen Thousand Naira) to one student. The recipients came from across the Nigerian federation with different identities. He further stated that ASUU is not happy with the state of the Nigerian economy. The subjection of the nation’s economy to the dictates of neoliberalism has destructive implications of chronic economic crisis, poverty and insecurity.
Among other dignitaries that graced the occasion from the students Unions are comrade Uwaisu Babba, Ustaz Aminu Zubair and Ustaza Sadiya Lawan Isah, the KUST SRC President, KUST MSSN Amir and KUST MSSN Amira respectively. The dignitaries applaud ASUU and called on other organisations to support the education of students from low socio-economic background to touch lives and build our communities, states, Nigeria and Africa at large.
Murtala Muhammad, is the ASUU-KUST Branch Secretary
