Kemi Olaitan in Ibadan
Six students of the University of Ibadan (UI), Oyo State, yesterday benefited from the 2023 Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) Indigent Students’ Scholarship Award.
The awards, which comprised of national and branch categories, were presented at the institution by the UI branch of the union.
The national award of N200,000 each was presented to two students by the Ibadan Zonal Coordinator of ASUU, Prof. Oyebamiji Oyegoke while the branch award of N100,000 each was, however, presented to four other students by different members of the union.
The beneficiaries of the national award were Mr. Abdulkabir Ilori, a 200-level student of Medicine and Surgery, and Ms. Mariam Busari, a 200-level student of Microbiology, both from UI.
The branch beneficiaries were Mr. Olanrewaju Osiga, a 400-level student of Aquaculture and Fishery Management and Hope Adesina, a 200-level student of Archaeology.
The other two branch awardees were Ms. Ruth Folorunsho, a 200-level student of Medicine and Surgery and Mr. Samuel Ekpo, a 200-level student of Electrical and Electronics Engineering.
One of the beneficiaries, Busari, appreciated the union on behalf of her colleagues.
She said that the gesture would go a long way in encouraging students from poor background to have access to education.
Prof. Oyegoke of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso Branch, commended the UI branch for its contributions and faithful representation of the union.
He said that the presentation of the ASUU indigent students’ scholarship awards is one of UI’s good works.
“If you look at the branches that are in Ibadan zone, UI is giving the highest,” he said.
Earlier, ASUU Chairman, UI branch, Prof. Ayo Akinwole, said that the presentation of the awards started in 2018 and had continued till date, except for 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Reiterating the union’s commitment to sound and quality tertiary education, Akinwole said that the process of selecting beneficiaries was stringent, as indigency and brilliance were considered.
“We want to continue to contribute our quota to sound minds and quality education despite the fact that government still owes us seven months and 13 days’ salaries.
“Yes, it is tough for us as a union but we are still doing this out of our meagre resources,” he said.
