Over 500 students benefit from Essien Udim Local Government bursary
Not fewer than 500 students of Essien Udim Local Government origin studying in tertiary institutions have benefitted from the bursary payment by the Essien Udim Local Government Council, under the able leadership of Mr Anthony Luke even as commendations have continued to trail the Chairman’s gesture.
The bursary which was for the 2022/2023 academic session was paid to eligible students from Essien Udim in various institutions of higher learning across the country, including schools of nursing as well well as foreign students. Each student received ten thousand naira (N10,000).
The Chairman who personally undertook the trip to the University of Calabar (Unical) for the payment, reasoned that the gesture was to ameliorate their suffering and save them from the risks of paying their way to Essien Uddim Council for the bursary, adding that the effort had gone a long way to reducing the risk of mishaps due to deplorable condition of Ikot Ekpene – Calabar highway.
The students were properly screened to ensure that only eligible students collected the largese and payment was done through the direct supervision of the Chairman and the bursary committee headed by the Supervisor for Education, Mr. Itoro Akpan.
It could be recalled that the last time bursary was paid to students from Essien Udim was in 2009, during the administration of Rt Hon. Nse Ntuen as Chairman.
In his opening remarks, the Chairman, Mr. Anthony Luke stated that the decision was in fulfillment of his campaign promise to the students’ community during his election for the office. He acknowledged the support and cooperation his administration has also enjoyed from the students’ community since the assumption of office, which according to him was overwhelming.
His words: “Students’ welfare remains a top priority under my administration, being it a fact that education is the bedrock of sustainable development. My administration will continue to invest in education and grassroots development for posterity.”
Luke who regretted the inability of the council to have paid the bursary before now, attributed it to the crisis that rocked the local government area, following the invasion by criminal elements who unleashed mayhem on security formations and attacked government facilities which brought socio-economic activities in the area to a halt for a long time. The Chairman also expressed gratitude to the students’ community for their support and prayers during the crisis and lauded Governor Udom Emmanuel for his prompt and proactive measures to quell the crisis and restore peace and sanity back to the area.
“You people stood by me during the campaigns and election. You believed in me as a young man like you to be your Chairman and I did not take that for granted. What you are seeing today is in fulfillment of my vow to you that I will in turn support your academic activities in my own little way.
“I have been a beneficiary of the bursary and I know how it helped me then with my academics so, there is no way I will not pay you too. This has always been in my mind but we were constrained due to the recent security breaches in the area which you all are aware of. A lot of people were displaced, a lot of lives were lost and properties were destroyed.
“As I speak, we have just completed the rebuilding of the Divisional Police station, which was burnt to ashes by the hoodlums. All the same, we are grateful to our dear governor, Mr. Udom Emmanuel, who out of the love for Essien Udim swung into action to quell the crisis and restore peace and normalcy that we are all enjoying today otherwise all of us would have been refugees in another place,” the council boss remarked.
He also commended members of his executive and legislative arms of the council for accepting and cooperating with him to appropriate money for the payment and also commended members of the bursary committee headed by the Supervisor for Education and the leadership of the National Association of Essien Udim Students (NAEUS) in various institutions for making the exercise seamless.
In response, students who benefitted from the exercise expressed gratitude to the Council Chairman, Mr. Anthony Luke for being magnanimous with the students’ community and for reviving the payment of students’ bursary in Essien Udim and appealed to the Chairman to make the payment an annual event so as to assist the students in their academic activities while in school.
In his goodwill message, the President, National Association of Akwa Ibom State Students (NAAKISS), University of Calabar (Unical) Chapter, Master Akwainyene Patrick, described the Chairman as a gift and blessing to Essien Udim Students and Essien Udim people in general and pledged the continuous support of the students’ community to the Chairman’s administration.
In his remarks, the President, National Association of Essien Udim Students (NAEUS), University of Uyo Chapter, Master Ekomobong Innocent Idiong, described the Chairman as a Promise-Keeper and a man of integrity and character who does not play politics with education.
Also, NAEUS President, Akwa Ibom State University (AKSU) Chapter, Master Umoh Idongesit Joseph also lauded the Chairman’s passion for education and development of Essien Udim positing that Essien Udim is blessed to have him as the Chairman at this time.
On his part, the President, National Association of Essien Udim Students, University of Calabar (Unical) Chapter, Mr. Joseph Cletus Etokudoh, described the Chairman as a compassionate man and education-friendly leader and thanked him for taking the pains to come over to Calabar to pay them the bursary and also interacted with them to know how they are fairing in school. He described the visit as uncommon and a morale booster to the students who are highly encouraged and also have a sense of belonging and patriotism to their local government of origin.
In the same vein, NAEUS President, Akwa Ibom State Polytechnic, Ikot Osurua, Master Ephraim Favour, who described the Chairman as “a jinx breaker and visionary leader with a golden heart” confessed that they only heard of bursary in their Aluta song and never believed they could be beneficiaries.
The representative of Schools of Nursing Students, Miss Abigail Paulinus while thanking the Chairman for considering nursing students for the bursary said the Chairman is ” a loving father and a lover of education”
