- Vows to make Southern Kaduna a hub of special skills acquisition
From Noah Ebije, Kaduna
People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Senator for Southern Kaduna Sunday Katung has given scholarship to 200 students of higher institutions from the eight local government areas kn the zone.
Senator Katung who presented the scholarship awards to the benefitting students in Kafanchan, also pledged to make Southern Kaduna region a hub for special skills acquisition.
Reports said Katung, through his foundation had selected 200 students of higher institutions from the eight local government areas that make up the zone.
Represented by one of his Aides, Mr. Edward Marshall, the lawmaker said the scholarship offer was borne out of the need to support financially disadvantaged students in their pursuit of higher education.
He added that lack of white collar jobs in the country called for acquiring skills as one of the ways out of unemployment.
The lawmaker said as part of efforts to bring educational development to his constituents, he had sponsored a bill to establish a Federal University of Technology in the zone which had passed first reading on the floor of the senate.
“We are faced with too many crises at the same time as a people and the only way out of it is through education.
“I will continue to do my best to see to it that our people have the kind of education that brings about transformation”. Katung added
In his remarks, the guest speaker, Prof. John La’ah, said education was the backbone of socio-economic development, hence the need for the zone to invest heavily in education.
Prof. La’ah decried the deplorable state of educational institutions in the area and called for collective action by all stakeholders.
Also speaking, the chairperson of the scholarship committee, Gloria Ballason, said the deserving undergraduate students were selected purely based on merit.
Ballason congratulated the benefiting students and urged them to make the most use of the opportunity and also pray for its sustenance.
On his part, Shedrack Danladi, National President of the Southern Kaduna Youth and Students Forum noted that the forum was satisfied with the selection as it was reflective of the zone’s ethnic and religious diversity.
Danladi stated that the Senator’s efforts at empowering the youths and students was worthy of emulation by other prominent sons and daughters of the area.
Some of the benefiting students who spoke thanked the lawmaker for the gesture and promised to make him proud.
They also prayed God to grant the lawmaker the enablement to do more for other students from the zone.