The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), on Wednesday, January 22, 2024, awarded scholarship grants of N5.8m to 29 indigent students of the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye (OOU), who received N200,000.
According to Punch, the OOU branch of the ASUU bore the burden of 27 scholarships while the ASUU national body awarded two students.
Presenting the grants at the ASUU-OOU Secretariat on Wednesday, the ASSU-OOU Chairman, Dr Olukayode Oyenuga, said the beneficiaries were chosen based on their financial needs and impressive academic records.
Oyenuga who was represented by his Vice, Dr. Eniola Olooto, advised the students to utilise the grant wisely and consider saving part of the money for future semesters.
He added that the gesture was to lessen the burden of university education on them.
“ASUU National sponsored two students, while ASUU-OOU branch sponsored 27 students, making a total of 29 beneficiaries.
“We hope to sponsor more scholarships, but our capacity depends on available funds. This year, ASUU increased the scholarship amount by N100,000 due to economic factors.
“ASUU members are like local parents to students. Within our financial limits, we’ll continue assisting indigent students,” he said.
Speaking further, he appealed to the Federal Government to sustain the existence of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund and not sacrifice it for the National Education Loans Fund scheme.
“TETFund is a product of ASUU’s struggles. About 90 per cent of university structures are TETFund sponsored. If we renamed our university, TETFund University, we wouldn’t be wrong.
“These funds have enabled us to develop our universities. Without TETFund, we are going back to the pre-TETFund era, characterized by archaic structures.
“It is TETFund that is not making the absence of government to be felt in universities.”
Two of the beneficiaries, Zulaikha Omayoza, a final-year Pharmacy student and Oppoola Kingdom, a 500-level Crop Production student, thanked ASUU for the financial palliative, saying it would go a long way to address their needs.
“The scholarship has changed my perception of ASUU. I learned about the opportunity through a lecturer and I am grateful I took advantage of it. This grant has inspired me to practice generosity when I’m able,” Oppoola said.
