By Amuda Dan Sulaiman Fab
In keeping with his avowed commitment to always empower and reach out to the less privileged in the society, the African Democratic Congress, (ADC), Candidate for Kogi West Senatorial District, in the 2023 general elections, Dele Bello-Williams, has again doled out scholarships worth hundreds of millions of Naira to over 2000 students in Lokoja, on Saturday.
The ADC Senatorial candidate took time off his busy schedule where he has been mobilizing support for his senatorial bid to attend to one of the programmes organized by Two-Baba Support Group for Bello-Williams.
The senatorial hopeful, shortly after the even awarded scholarships to about 2000 indigent secondary students, gave financial assistance to 20 physically challenged students and 50 primary school pupils.
Speaking at the presentation ceremony in Lokoja, Bello-Williams said the scheme was his little way of encouraging the future leaders of the country to be educated and equipped to confront the challenge of leadership in the near future.
The ADC senatorial flagbearer who reiterated the importance of education at the scholarship grant award event described it as “the only thing we can give the children of the underprivileged to compete with that of the rich.”
He urged the beneficiaries to encourage the sustenance of the scheme by shunning cultism, exam malpractice and all forms of social vices.
A 17- year-old SSS 2 Student, Ladi Usman Isah, from Muslim Community Secondary School in Lokoja, described the gesture as a great intervention which will enable her complete her secondary school education.
Ladi, whose parents are peasant farmers, said her school fees have not been paid for almot one year, and that her parents had only managed to pay the fees from previous years through pain and difficulty.
“I am so happy,” Ladi said. “In fact I have been relieved of nightmares that I was going through. Each time I go to school, my heart skips when they mention school fees. But for now I will concentrate on my studies and my parent will sleep for sometime.”
Meanwhile, the coordinator of Two-Baba Support Group for Bello-Williems, Alhaji Alhassan Abdullahi, aka Two-Baba, said the group endorsement of Bello-Williems was as a result of his milestones as l a philanthropist.
Abdullahi stressed that they foresee a greater Kogi West in 2023 with Bello-Williems on the saddle as Senator.
Pictures at the event below:
