The Senator representing Akwa Ibom South Senatorial District at the National Assembly, Senator Ekong Sampson, has disbursed N100 million grants to boost educational pursuits of 500 students drawn from the senatorial district.
Speaking at the venue of the event on the premises of the Eket Local Government Area secretariat on Tuesday, Sampson said each of the beneficiaries will receive N200,000 each.
He said, ‘When you show support for education sector, you are showing support for progress because without education we are in danger.
‘Within one year in office, we were here at this venue where I gave out the first tranche of support to students. And today we’re here on a bigger scale; I am empowering not less than 500 students with N100m and each of them will receive not less than N200,000 each. Their names will be published from now’.
Senator Sampson who chairs the Senate committee on Solid minerals expressed his obsession with education sector, adding that he refused the idea of some people who advised him against empowering students.
These people according to him advised him to rather purchase tricycles and distribute to people and become more popular rather empowering students who would use the money to reconcile with their estranged girlfriends and to attend clubs at night
The senator said, ‘I thought differently. I look into the future to protect and I throw my hat into the ring to protect the future of the people.
‘In the Senate I have been very consistent that until and unless we get our bearings right on education, we will remain in the woods. Education is first; that is why we are here today. If you can see the concern of my bills and my advocacy, you will notice that I have a strong liking for education’.
He disclosed that he has sponsored a bill for the establishment of the Federal University of Technology, Ikot-Abasi, as well as a bill for the establishment of the Federal University of Medical Sciences, adding that he remained active in the struggle that the Federal University of Maritime Studies takes off.
Earlier, the chairman Empowerment Committee, Ini Ikott, lauded the senator’s intervention of N100 million to students, adding that the unique gesture represents the Senator’s commitment to education development, youth development and human capital development.
