The Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO) branch of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has awarded scholarships to 10 academically outstanding but financially disadvantaged students to support their educational pursuits.
The scholarship presentation took place on Wednesday at the ASUU secretariat in FUTO, where the union’s chairman, Chinedu Ihejirika, handed out cheques to the beneficiaries. He disclosed that the national ASUU body sponsored two students with ₦200,000 each, while the FUTO branch provided ₦100,000 each to eight other students under its annual scholarship scheme.
“The union has decided to support students who are making efforts to excel in their academic pursuits. This exercise is a yearly event that encourages education among the youth,” Ihejirika stated.
He emphasized that the selection process covered various faculties within the university, reflecting ASUU’s commitment to assisting students across different disciplines. “We do this to extend our assistance to the generality of Nigerians. We are not only interested in academic advancement and the revitalization of universities; we are also committed to supporting the less privileged,” he added.
Ihejirika further revealed that the national ASUU leadership had encouraged all branches across Nigeria’s 79 universities to initiate scholarship programs for intelligent but indigent students.
Beyond educational scholarships, ASUU is also actively involved in humanitarian efforts, particularly supporting internally displaced persons and victims of natural disasters across the country.
“You can see that ASUU is beyond what people think. We are touching the lives of those who struggle to fund their education. The lecturers are contributing to this humanitarian cause to ensure students remain in school,” Ihejirika said.
One of the scholarship recipients, Ayatabu JohnPaul from the Department of Medical and Surgery, expressed deep gratitude to ASUU for the financial aid, which he described as a lifeline. “I was at the point of leaving school until ASUU came. This ₦200,000 given to me today is indeed a lifeline,” he said.
Leave a Reply