Former Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, has congratulated the 71 students of four tertiary institutions in Kwara State who benefitted from the annual scholarship Programme of his foundation, the Abubakar Bukola Saraki Foundation (ABSF), for the 2024/2025 academic session.
Saraki in a statement released in Abuja Thursday expressed happiness that the managers of the Foundation were able to complete on time the process of selecting the beneficiaries and releasing the school fees directly to the four tertiary institutions whose students formed the catchment area for the second phase of the scholarship Programme which was formalized in 2023/2024 academic session.
The 71 students were selected from Kwara State College of Health Technology, Offa, with 14 beneficiaries, Kwara State College of Education, Oro (6 students), Kwara State School of Nursing Sciences, Oke Ode (31 students) and Federal Polytechnic, Offa, (20 students).
“I am happy that the selection process was verifiable as the chairman, a senior university lecturer, explained to me at the weekend. The process of paying the school fees directly to the bank account of the institutions attended by beneficiaries would also help to achieve and promote accountability, transparency, and promptness in the execution of the scholarship scheme”, he stated.
He also commended members of the education committee of the ABS Foundation for continuing to improve on the scholarship process after the first one that was implemented at the Kamaldeen University, Ilorin in 2023 when 100 students of the new institution were granted four and five-year scholarships with a total sum of about N200 million immediately released to the institution.
The former Senate President noted he was happy that the new beneficiaries were selected from institutions that are located in Kwara South.
He said the exercise fulfilled his promise that after the award of scholarship to students of Kamaldeen University, Ilorin, many of whom are from Kwara Central, other zones in Kwara State will also benefit from the award.
He added that now that the scholarships had been awarded successfully in Kwara South, he has directed the ABSF committee on education to commence the process of awarding scholarships to students of higher institutions located in Kwara North after which the opportunity will be extended to institutions in North Central Zone of the country and two nearby states close to the zone.
“The involvement of the committee has made a positive difference. Before now, we have been giving scholarships based on people we know, those who approach us, or members of families of associates who died or are financially incapable.
“Sometimes we award scholarships to students who have done something that we consider brilliant and impressive. Now, the committee working under the ABSF has made the award of scholarships formal, consistent, wide-reaching, and more effective. I thank the members for this positive development.
“The scholarship Programme is our way of giving back to society, helping to cushion the harsh impact of the present state of the economy on our people as well as helping to create a better citizenry for the country”, he stated.
