By Olukayode Michael, Maiduguri
The Former Senate Majority Leader, Sen. Ali Ndume has launched an educational fund for students in his constituency in higher institutions.
Launching the Ndume Educational Fund (NEF) in collaboration with Southern Borno Students Council ( SBSC) at the weekend, Ndume who was at a time the minority leader in the House of Representatives said the Fund will take care of 1,000 students at kick off.
He said N10 million has been paid into the account of SBSC from where it would be disbursed to the 1000 students with each getting N10, 000.
Ndume, who is presently representing Borno South at the Senate, said he has already set aside the sum of N10 million Naira through his newly established foundation Ndume Educational Fund to support indigene of Borno South schooling in tertiary institutions in Borno State.
He said: “Today is very significant to me, students of Southern Borno and the Educational development of the zone. I have set aside N10 million to support students in my constituency. We have selected 1000 students from University of Maiduguri, Ramat Polytechnic, Kashim Ibrahim College of education among other tertiary institutions, where each student will get a support of N10,000. “
He said: ‘We have brought together the leaders of the students union of these tertiary institutions and form Southern Borno Student Council, a body trusted to manage the fund. The payment is going to be done through E-payment. We have collected their account numbers and BVN number and by Monday InSha Allah all of them will get their alerts”.
Senator Ndume explained that ” we have categorised the zone into three, Biu, Gwoza and Askira-Uba constitutes category A, where we selected above N1000 students, category B which consist of Hawul, Shani and Damboa will get 75 to 100 students while category C has Kwaya Kusar, Chibok and Bayo with above 50 students each. We are hoping to expand the number of the students with time. I know it was just last two weeks when i told myself that am clocking 60 years and I need to otganise my foundation to support more students. This just a begiining.So definately going to expand it.”
He said:” In addition to the scholarship, right now my wife is in Biu disbursing the sum of N10,000 each to 625 widows and indigent women, 100 of them will get sewing machines, 500 will be getting a support of N10,000 each. The male are also not left out as 500 men will also be empoveted with N10,000 each, as part of our empowerment programme to support Federal government trader money programme.”
While flagging off the Fund, the Borno state Governor, Professor, Babagana Zulum said ” in the last few years the state have been faced with security challenges of Boko Haram, hence the need for setting up this kind of fund to support goverment, more especially in its quest to revive the education sector, I therefore commend and appreciate Senator Ndume for coming up with this fund to support students of his constituency.
“I urge other individuals, philanthropists, NGOs and corporate organisations to emulate senator Ndume.”
The governor, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Usman Jidda urged the Southern Borno Student Council to manège the money judiciously and the benefiting students to make good use of the money.
Earlier in his address, the Vice Chancellor, University of Maiduguri, Professor Aliyu Shugaba said ” cost of education and funding of educational institutions is increasingly becoming a challenge and difficult, any support such as Ndume Educational Fund is very important, I therefore call on philanthropists, individuals, politicians and NGOs to support education sector.”
He said University of Maiduguri is always ready to partner with any individual, politician and corporate organisation to bring assistance to indigent students, stressing that the University will provide a befitting Secretariat to the Southern Borno Students Council and that his doors are always opened for the council.
Speaking on behalf of the students, the chairman, Southern Borno.Students Council, Comrade Abdulmajid Haruna thanked the Senator for the gesture and promised to prudently and transparently manage the fund.