By Josephine Baker
The Southern Kaduna Youth and Students Forum (SKYSFORM) has commended Sen. Sunday Katung (Kaduna South-PDP), for awarding scholarship to 200 indigent students of higher institutions in his senatorial district.
Katung, through his foundation had selected 25 students from each of the eight local government areas that make up the zone.
According to the foundation, the selection was done based on merit by a committee which comprised of journalists, lawyers, academicians and leaders of community associations.
In a statement, the National Publicity Officer of the group, Mr Yakubu Garga said the senator’s efforts at empowering the youths and students was worthy of emulation.
Garga prayed God to grant the lawmaker the enablement to do more for students from the zone.
He congratulated the benefitting students and urged them to make the most of the scholarship scheme and also pray for its sustenance.
“This scheme since its inception has directly impacted the lives of over 400 students of Southern Kaduna extraction across various institutions.
The statement reads: “Even before becoming a senator, Katung has offered scholarships to deserving students of higher learning through his Marshall Katung Foundation.
“We pray and equally appeal to the senator to increase the number of beneficiaries going forward, as most of our students across institutions are still struggling to pay their school fees.
Garba dismissed allegations of bias in list of beneficiaries, noting that the forum was satisfied with the list as it was reflective of the zone’s religious and ethnic diversity.
He stated that it was regrettable that mischief makers were out to sow seeds of discord and disunity by their attempts to rubbish the list on the basis of bias.
“We want to advise mischief-makers and enemies of the region who are trying hard to rubbish the recent shortlist as a means of settling political scores to immediately desist from doing so.
“As a body whose executives comprise of both Christians and Muslims, we have investigated and are satisfied with the selection process, which was based on spread and merit, ” he said.
Garba said the forum would not allow anyone to kill the joy that the scholarship by the senator had brought to the faces of beneficiaries and their families.