By Stanley Onyekwere
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), has commenced disbursement of N210,319,640 to 8,236 students for the 2020/2021 session in the Territory.
Secretary for Education Secretariat, Sani El-katuzu, disclosed this yesterday, while performing a symbolic presentation of scholarship award letters to some of the beneficiaries at the FCTA Secretariat.
El-Katuzu reiterated commitment of the Muhammad Musa Bello led FCTA in providing education assistance to indigent pupils and students of the FCT at all levels.
He charged the beneficiaries to make judicious use of the “learning materials and money given” to them, and called on well-meaning individuals, corporate bodies and organisations to support education of “our children”, because it was no longer feasible for government alone shoulder the responsibility of educating Nigerians.
Earlier, in a welcome address,
Director, FCT Scholarship Board Mrs. Hannah David, disclosed that out of the beneficiaries, primary schools got 2,229 slots, junior secondary schools benefited 2,184; 948 for senior secondary schools and skills acquisition centres were awarded 179.
She added that other categories include special needs centres which got 343, Nigerian tertiary institutions 2318, while foreign tertiary institutions got 30 and five braille students, among other.
She revealed that the Board has been granted approval by the FCT Minister to key into a special needs programme with the Nigerian Farm Craft Centre for the Blind, Isheri Olofin, Lagos, under the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs.
She also stated that the Board has been given another ministerial approval to begin batched-training of best 20 indigenous FCT students in WAEC and NECO examinations in foreign tertiary institutions every award session.
In his remarks, Chairman, FCT Scholarship Board and the Gomo of Kuje, Alhaji Haruna Jibrin Tanko, commended the Secretary and FCTA for keeping fate with the awards, even as he decried dwindling scholarship budget, saying insufficient funds kept piling up scholarship applications.
The Gomo, represented by Mr. Usman Adejo, also charged the beneficiaries to use the scholarships judiciously and make the FCT proud.
Responding on behalf of the beneficiaries, President, Abuja Indigenous Students Association (AISA), Abdullazeez Ibn Abdullahi expressed gratitude to the board and FCTA, and pledged they would make them proud by justifying the investment in them.
He also appealed for increment in the funding to enable more students to benefit.
