ASUU awards scholarship to indigent students in Bauchi

Rauf Oyewole, Bauchi

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU) branch has on Tuesday awarded scholarships to seven indigent students of the university to assist them achieve their academic potential.

Chairperson of ASUU-ATBU Bauchi branch, Dr. Angulu Haruna said that the gesture was necessitated by the union’s sensitivity to hardship and economic challenges the learners face while aspiring for greatness.

According to him, the National Leadership of the Union awarded two scholarships while the branch added an additional five. Haruna who said that the scholarship is an annual gesture from the Union as part of its contributions to the students educational pursuit.

Two of the students (Tahir Suleiman of Petroleum Engineering and Christiana Thomas Haruna of Industrial Design) were given N200,000 each by the National Leadership of the Union.

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The five beneficiaries from ASUU-ATBU are: Musfaru Usman Abdulkarim (Civil Engineering), Rahmatu Ahmad Musa (Environmental Management Technology), Abdulaziz Isah (Statistics), Ayuba Abdullhamid (Computer Science) and Hassan Nenchi Elisha (Construction Tech Education) were given N100,000 each to offset their school fees.

The Convener for the selection process, Prof Usman Aliyu Jalam, said that one of the key selection criteria is 3.0 CGPA and economic status of the learners. “We have our programme coordinators and heads of department who identified their students based on the requirements and we also embarked on background checks,” he said.

The Branch Chairperson, Haruna urged the government to give education grants rather than student loans, saying that many of the students would still have to struggle to pay after their education.

“Developed countries that have done it have realised that it wasn’t helping. We have never supported the student loan, we have made it clear that the students deserve a grant and not a loan.”

One of the beneficiaries, Christiana Thomas Haruna, who spoke on behalf of others commended the Union for the timely intervention to rescue some of the students who were on the verge of giving up. “We appreciate you and pray that the Lord continues to bless you and replenish the source. We promise to recommit to our study and make you proud.”