Maryam Abeeb
T
he immediate past President of the Court of Appeal, retired Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa has offered scholarship to 50 indigent female students in Gombe State.
Bulkachuwa stated this at the inauguration of the scholarship scheme in Gombe.
She said the gesture was borne out of her desire to give back to the society and enhance girl child education in the state.
The scholarship, she said, was the first phase pilot scheme initiated under the ADDA Girl Education Foundation (AGEF), adding that the girls were selected from Nafada Local Government Area of the state.
According to her, the scheme is targeting 200 girls for the 2022 academic year with Akko, Gombe and Balanga LGAs to benefit from the subsequent phases.
Bulkachuwa said the move was to improve girl-child education by ensuring that girls from the state were educated to hold strategic leadership positions in the society.
“Given the number of girls in this state, it becomes crucial to pay attention to the status of the girl-child.
“We believe in their potential and the power of education to unleash it. That’s why we are here today,” she said.
She said the girls would be given school supplies, tuition fees, breakfast and monthly stipend in addition to “mentorship, internship and job placement,” she said.
According to Bulkachuwa, the motto of the foundation is “from cradle to leadership,” adding that the girls would be supported from when they were identified until they become leaders.
“We visualise a society where every girl has access to quality education. We will ensure that her education can open doors for her and guarantee her a seat at the decision-making table.
“They will be confident enough to discuss intelligently, proffer solutions, and cascade knowledge gained to her community.”
Dr Aliyu Modibbo commended Bulkachuwa for her efforts aimed at empowering girls to reach their full potentials in life.
Modibbo, a former minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), said such empowerment was needed for girls in northern Nigeria to contribute their quota effectively towards the development of the country.
On her part, Hajia Asma’u Yahaya, Wife of Gombe State Governor, lauded Bulkachuwa for complementing the state government’s effort in boosting girl-child education.
Represented by Mrs Naomi Awak, the state’s Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Yahaya said the impact of the scholarship would benefit Gombe State and the country at large.
One of the beneficiaries,Amira Abdullahi, 17, said that she was happy to return to school after dropping out seven years ago.
Abdullahi while appreciating Bulkachuwa for the gesture, said she would want to become a medical doctor in future.
The beneficiaries include 18 girls of basic and 19 post basic schools while 13 others drawn from different tertiary institutions across the state.
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