The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) on Friday disbursed scholarships to 10 indigent students studying different courses in Usmanu Danfodio University Sokoto (UDUS).
The UDUS Branch Chairman of ASUU, Prof. Nura Almustapha, said that the national body of ASUU introduced the scheme by selecting a beneficiary for N100, 000 education support in each of the universities across the country.
Almustapha said that when the branch considered the impacts of the bursary scheme, it added another nine students to benefit N40, 000 education support each.
“The UDUS branch of ASUU saw the need to complement that gesture hence giving scholarship to additional nine indigent students of the institution”, Al-Mustapha said.
He said the union set up a committee that would accept students’ applications from less privileged background families in the school.
Almustapha commended the committee for its thorough exercise and appreciated the university management for its support and cooperation.
Presenting the bursary awards, the ASUU Zonal Coordinator, Sokoto Zone, Prof. Abubakar Sabo, said that ASUU also donated N50 million to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in North-West and North-Central zones.
According to him, ASUU is the last defender of the common man as it opposes polices that are anti-masses, and promotes better alternatives of doing things to the government aside impacting knowledge.
Sabo added that ASUU also presented N4 million education support to a student with disability in Gombe state.
The university don said that ASUU should not be misconstrue as synonymous to strike, rather a body concerned with humanity, equity, justice and development of the country and people.
Earlier, UDUS Vice Chancellor, Prof. Lawal Bilbis, commended ASUU for the gesture and urged beneficiaries to utilise the support to improving their wellbeing.
Bilbis, who was represented by Prof. Yusuf Saidu, Deputy Vice Chancellor, Research, Innovation and Development, also inaugurated the fitness centre, describing it as a booster to social interaction and physical fitness.
Responding, Safiyanu Muhammad, a beneficiary, thanked ASUU for the support and assured that they would make judicious use of what was given to them.
Another beneficiary, a 400 level student of Physics Department, Comfort Lawal said that the the ASUU’s support was commendable, saying that she had to go to class most times on empty stomach.
“I sometimes sleep in class without eating anything. At times, I will call people for assistance but all I get most times is excuses and promises.
” With these challenges, I am honestly grateful to ASUU for putting smile on my face,’’ she said.
(NAN)
