Sen. Ahmed Wadada (SDP- Nasarawa ) has paid the 2024 West African Examination Council (WAEC) registration fees through his education foundation for 744 less privileged students in public schools in his senatorial zone.
Chairman of the 2024 Education Foundation Committee, Mallam Ismaila Nuhu, disclosed this during the disbursement of fees at Karu Local Government Area Secretariat on Saturday.
According to Nuhu, the gesture was borne out of the compassion of Wadada to support less privileged students.
He said 744 students were selected across Nasarawa West Senatorial Zone comprising Karu, Keffi, Kokona, Nasarawa and Toto local government areas.
Nuhu said N25 million has been earmarked for the programme.
“This is a wonderful initiative by the distinguished senator because we discovered that we will have brilliant students qualified to write for WAEC but cannot because of this little amount of money.
“So the he thought it wise to intervene and support those unable to pay their fees.
“This is just the beginning. We understand that the WAEC registration fees is N33, 600 per candidate and Wadada released N25 million for this gesture.
“So if you divide fees by the amount released by the senator, you will get 744 slots. That is the number of students to be supported across the five local government areas in the Senatorial Zone,” he said.
Nuhu said that merit in terms of academic performance was used in the selection of the students.
He explained that each local government got 134 slots making it 670 while the remaining slots were offered to opinion, and political leaders for their candidates.
Nuhu assured that the programme would be sustained and the number of students to be supported increased in future.
He urged the beneficiaries to reciprocate the gesture of the by doing well in their examinations.
In a goodwill message, Mr James Thomas, Chairman of the council described the gesture as impactful.
He was represented by Mr Emmanuel Cheto, Supervisory Councillor, Social Services in the council.
“Many before him have been senators but none of them have thought of this noble gesture.
“We in Karu are fully in support of his efforts and pray that the good effort that he has started, he will surely sustain it,” he said.
Speaking in an interview, Mrs Mercy Ayuba, Acting Chief Evaluator of Education (CEE) in Nasarawa local government area applauded the senator for the gesture and called on student beneficiaries of the initiative to reciprocate the gesture by excelling in their forthcoming WAEC examinations.
“Our expectations from the students in response to this noble gesture is that they will come out in flying colours.
“However I want to urge parents not to tamper with the money given to these children. If they do, it is future of their children they are tampering with,” she said.
Miss Hafsat Yunusa, a beneficiary from Government Secondary School, Kuru in Toto local government area, said the gesture was the first time any lawmaker had supported her education.
“I promise to use it for the purpose for which the money was given to me. I really appreciate what the senator has done for me,” she added.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the committee also visited Keffi and Kokona local government areas to disbursed the WAEC registration fees to students. (NAN)
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