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The Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, weekend, awarded N29 Million in scholarships and bursary to 399 indigent undergraduates of Enugu State.
Also, 302 adult learners from 32 Ikeoha Foundation Adult Literacy Centres, who were educated under Ikeoha free education programme, received their First School Leaving Certificates. This brings the number of beneficiaries to over 12,302.
380 students received a bursary award of N50,000 each, while 19 students across the State also received N400,000 in scholarship each.
Speaking during the disbursements to the beneficiaries at the 2017/2018 Ikeoha Adult Literacy Day and Scholarships/Bursary Awards at Ndeabor, Aninri Local Government Headquarters, Ekweremadu said the gesture was his modest way of giving back to a society that had shown him consistent support over the years.
Although beneficiaries of bursary awards were supposed to be 300, but Ekweremadu, owing to the supports by his friends who donated at the event, increased the number of recipients to 380, while the initial award of N40,000 was increased to N50,000.
He, however, enjoined the beneficiaries to make the best use of the funds and also remember to bless others in their own way, especially when God uplifts them.
“By the grace of God, we will continue to do what we are doing. Our intention is to continue to improve on what we are doing and get more people to benefit. We started with beneficiaries from Enugu west, we now cover the whole of Enugu State, and we want to take it to the next level.
“We are also talking to our colleagues and friends and development partners across the world and if we succeed, we will also try as much as possible to extend it to the South East, to Nigeria also to the rest of Africa.
“The society has offered us so many opportunities and this is just one little way of giving back to the society. The only thing we request of the beneficiaries is to copy what we are doing so that by the time God blesses you, you should also be blessings to others. We are trying to plant this culture of giving in the minds of many people as possible. That is the only way our society can make progress. The best thing that will happen to you is when you are able to put happiness on the faces of ordinary people”.
He urged the clergy and the people to pray for the Foundation so that the human capital building efforts could continue.
On his part, the Governor of Enugu State, Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, extolled Ekweremadu’s benevolence and charged the beneficiaries and members of the pubic to emulate him in their own little ways.
The highlights of the event include match past, cultural dances, recitations, and the unveiling of the 2017/2018 bursary and scholarship awards.
Uche Anichukwu
Special Adviser (Media) to Deputy President of the Senate
