Tears of joy as 120 UNIZIK students bag scholarships from Senator Uba

Beneficiaries of Senator Andy Uba scholarship scheme from the Faculty of
Pharmaceutical Sciences, UNIZIK with officials of the scheme

DISBURSEMENT of N50,000 to each of the 120 students of Nnamdi Azikiwe University who were beneficiaries of the scholarship scheme instituted by the senator representing Anambra South senatorial zone, Dr. Andy Uba, has begun, with the beneficiaries shedding tears of joy and praising the senator for the gesture. 

The handing over of the cash to the students began last month at the Awka campus of the university and it was the turn of the beneficiaries in the faculty of pharmaceutical sciences of the university last week. At that occasion,18 students received their cash from the dean of the faculty, Dr. Uzochukwu Ikemefuna.

Beneficiaries of the scholarship scheme, according to the stipulated condition, were students whose cumulative point grades were four points and above and for one to continue to enjoy the scheme, the student must sustain the grade throughout his stay in the university, otherwise it would be given to another person.

Two officials of Senator Andy Uba Foundation, Dr. Charles Nweke, who is a director in the foundation, and Professor Alex Asigbo, coordinator, were on hand to ensure that the money was actually handed over to the rightful beneficiaries. According to Nweke, the scholarship was to enable the students pay their school fees and attend to other financial problems.

Fortunately for the beneficiaries, the school fees in UNIZIK are far below the worth of the scholarship. For instance, school fees paid by students in the faculty of pharmaceutical sciences is about N30,000, which means that they have some money to attend to their other needs after paying the official fee.

Coordinator of the Foundation, Professor Asigbo said it was not the intention of the senator to use the scholarship scheme to advance his political career, adding that it was for that reason that he decided not to make the disbursement to the benefiriaries of the scholarship scheme during political campaigns.

He added that Senator Uba’s interest in the welfare of students in the state would not end with Anambra South senatorial zone, adding that he would ultimately extend it to the other two senatorial zones of Anambra North and Anambra Central and to other tertiary institutions in the state. He also recalled that Senator Uba single-handedly built the magnificent Mass Communication building of Nnamdi Azikiwe University and had been assisting in the general development of education in Anambra State.

Senator Andy Uba

Two of the beneficiaries, Mr. Peter Muchie and Miss Chinelo Okafor commended the senator for the gesture, noting that many of them never believed it would be a reality when they applied for the scholarship scheme.

Muchie, a 400 –level student from Nanka in Orumba North North Local Government said: “When I applied for the scholarship, I never knew it would turn out to be real, considering my experience in applying for other advertized scholarships. My joy, therefore, knew no bounds when I received the message that I was among the winners.

“My prayer is that God would continue to give the senator the wherewithal to continue to service the scheme because investment in human being is the greatest investment one can make.” To Miss Okafor from Azia in Ihiala Local Government Area, the money would surely reduce the burden on her family and she prayed that other wealthy Nigerians would emulate Senator Uba.