Poverty level among students worries V-C

NSUKKA—Vice Chancellor of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Prof, Barth Okolo, has expressed shock over the increasing number of students serving as masons at different building sites at Nsukka to pay school fees.

Prof. Okolo, who spoke through Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academic, Prof. Isaac Asuzu, while receiving in his office Chief Samuel Maduka Onyishi, initiator of  scholarship award at the Institute of African Studies of the university, lamented the difficult times students were going through to sustain themselves in institutions of higher learning across the country.

He noted that it was surprising to see students from poor background engaging in petty jobs to eke a living.

Prof Okolo expressed the university’s appreciation to Chief Onyishi, owner of Peace Mass Transits, for granting scholarships to over 100 students of the university in the pursuit academic work.

He noted that education remained the best gift anyone could be given in life, and appealed to the beneficiaries of the scholarship to make judicious use of  it to better their lives and be good ambassadors in different fields of their study.

The vice chancellor urged other philanthropists and spirited individuals to key into education to build a virile society.

Earlier, Chief Samuel Onyishi said the 2012 edition of the scholarship award scheme was the fourth since its inception in 2009, adding that he had expended over N150 million on the scheme in the past four years.

He disclosed that about 2000 students applied for the scholarship but regretted that the foundation could only approve scholarship for only 100.

He, however, promised to increase the number to 300 in future.