The Academic Staff Union of Universities on Wednesday awarded scholarships totalling ₦5.8 million to 29 indigent students of the Ogun State-owned Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye.
Each beneficiary received ₦200,000.
While the OOU branch of ASUU provided scholarships to 27 students, the ASUU national body awarded its own scholarships to two students, bringing the total number of beneficiaries to 29, in an effort to ease the burden of university education.
During the presentation of the grants at the ASUU-OOU Secretariat after its Branch Congress, the ASUU-OOU Chairman, Olukayode Oyenuga, said the beneficiaries were selected based on their financial needs and outstanding academic performance.
Oyenuga, represented by his Vice Chairman, Eniola Olooto, urged the students to use the funds judiciously and consider saving part of the money for future semesters.
“ASUU National sponsored two students, while ASUU-OOU branch sponsored 27 students, making a total of 29 beneficiaries.
“We hope to sponsor more scholarships, but our capacity depends on available funds. This year, ASUU increased the scholarship amount by ₦100,000 due to economic factors.
“ASUU members are like local parents to students. Within our financial limits, we’ll continue assisting indigent students,” he said.
Speaking at the event, the ASUU-OOU Chairman appealed to the federal government to preserve the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) and not to replace it with the National Education Loans Fund (NELFund) proposed by the current administration.
He emphasised that TETFund is responsible for the visible infrastructural development in public universities, warning that scrapping it would lead to a return to the era of infrastructural decay.
“TETFund is a product of ASUU’s struggles. About 90% of university structures are TETFund-sponsored. If we renamed our university ‘TETFund University,’ we wouldn’t be wrong.
“These funds have enabled us to develop our universities. Without TETFund, we are going back to the pre-TETFund era, characterized by archaic structures.
“It is TETFund that is not making the absence of government to be felt in universities,” he said.
Two of the beneficiaries, Zulaikha Omayoza, a final-year Pharmacy student, and Oppoola Kingdom, a 500-level Crop Production student, expressed their gratitude to ASUU for the financial support, stating that it would significantly address their needs.
“The scholarship has changed my perception of ASUU. I learned about the opportunity through a lecturer and I am grateful I took advantage of it. This grant has inspired me to practice generosity when I’m able,” Oppoola Kingdom said.
