From Maiharaji Altine Gusau
The Speaker, Federal House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, under Gbaja Professional Volunteer Network in collaboration with Rikiji Foundation will sponsor 500 less privileged children from Zamfara state to study up to the university level.
This was revealed by the Chief of staff to the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Sanusi Garba Rikiji during the flag off of the program at the palace of Emir of Gusau in Zamfara state on Thursday.
Rikiji maintained that, the intervention woul enrol them into primary school with full provision of uniforms, foot wares, and learning materials.
He said, “This scholarship is complete from enrolment, to retention in school up to completion of primary education”.
“The scholarship will also continue up to the university level as long as we are alive by the grace of God”.
“This commitment is out of our conviction and support for President Muhammadu Buhari and Governor Matawalle’s agenda of education for all”
“This will further reduce the number of out-of-school children in Nigeria”.
He also said that the program would give the children of the less privileged a sense of belonging, love and care.
“It will also provide the children with access to education for human capital development”.
Rikiji also added that the program would remove the vulnerable children from roaming around in the street which could lead them to ending up being menace to the society.
He maintained that, “the intervention is shrouded with clean intention and proactive action towards ensuring that we provide an enabling platform that will facilitate education for all irrespective of economic status, tribe, religion, or geographical location”.
“While the Hounourable Speaker has designed and mandated his team, under my leadership as Chief-of-Staff, to ensure that this sponsorship of the less privileged children will be replicated in all the 36 states of the Federation”.
“I also joined hands with him to ensure that it is scaled to each of the 14 local governments in Zamfara state”.
He lamented that, the alarming rate of out-of-school children in Nigeria was unacceptable.
“We must do something quick about this problem because it is a time bomb that we as leaders and concerned citizens must not allow to explode”.
Rikiji commended the Zamfara state government for the recent rehabilitation and reconstruction of some primary and secondary schools in the state.
“May I further say KUDOS to his Excellency Governor Bello Mohammed Matawalle as despite the security and other socio-economic challenges sponsored over two hundred (200) indigenes to study different courses abroad”.
“These students are mostly from the poor family”.
