News: ABUAD's N87m Scholarship Woos Students

Afe Babalola University Ado-Ekit (ABUAD) - Many students were all smiles as the news was broken - N87,658,176 was expended on scholarships to students of the Afe Babalola University Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD) at the university’s fifth Founder’s Day.

The figure ballooned from N28 million spent in the previous edition courtesy of endowments, grants and other private donations to the university.

Ten students who made Cumulate Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 5.00 were presented with N500,000 cheques each. Other students also received cheques ranging from N50,000-N300,000, depending on their performance.

The scholarships were split into categories, including: Hayford Alile scholarship for the College of Law; Chevron Star Deep Water Petroleum and Partners Award; Raymond Zard award for free tuition and accommodation; and the Ewi-In-Council award for five best graduating Ado-Ekiti indigenes, grants for educational advancement, compassionate grants and prizes by individuals.

The occasion was also used to usher in new students who took the oath of matriculation for the 2014/2015 session, which the founder, Aare Afe Babalola said gave them the opportunity to see what they can get if they work hard.

Aare Babalola said ABUAD spent N5 million on the 10 university scholars, another N16,605,000 on compassionate grounds; N15,108,176 and N1,100,000 went into  grants on educational advancement and merit award to workers.

Other donations, according to him, came from companies and organisation as well as individuals.

The celebrated lawyer said the award on compassionate ground was to help indigent students study at the university.

He said: “The reason we have the award on compassionate ground is because ABUAD is committed to ensuring that the dream of every students here is fulfilled. If in the course of study, any student loses his or her parents or that the parents loses their job, this university will take up the financial responsibility of the child in question till he or she graduates. Similarly, if we have a brilliant student from a poor home, we will take care of such student's tuition until graduation.

"This is the only university established as a non-profit making nationwide. "Every kobo that is made by the university goes back into the university." There is no shareholding here, and I am not entitled to a kobo as profit. In fact, if the university runs into a problem, it is my duty to rescue it financially.

Babalola also praised the dedication of ABUAD teachers.

"Here, our lectures begin by 8am everyday and our lecturers are already in class before the time. This is a university where lecturers make extra sacrifice to teach between 7pm and 10 pm.

"I have a crop of dedicated lecturers because I shopped for them myself. That is why our students graduate in record time. We have graduated two sets and some have completed their youth service while 12 of them are already teaching in the college,” he said.

Babalola, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), enjoined parents to visit the Engineering complex and the Talent Discovery Centre, which houses 28 types of sports and skill acquisition centre.

Acting Vice-Chancellor Prof Michael Ajisafe admonished the news students to get set for greater challenges.
“You will be challenged by the transition from a dependent child to an independent young adult. There may be no shoulders to lean on. Sometimes the environment may appear choking and unfriendly. You must constantly remind yourself that you are not the first person to attend a university. Remember that others before you faced same or even worse challenges; and yet they overcame, “he said.

A parent Mrs Stella Akintade told The Nation that the vision of the Founder motivated her to bring her ward.

"I was impressed by the vision and achievements of the founder” she said. “I am also impressed by the aesthetic outlay of ABUAD, its infrastructures and drive for morals. My daughter just came in, but I'm hopeful that with an academic-friendly environment like this, the sky is her limit,” she added.

Source: The Nation