The Sanko Educational Foundation has commenced the distribution of Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board’s (JAMB) Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) forms to no fewer than 400 indigent students in Kaura Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
Inaugurating the distribution in Kagoro on Friday, its founder, Mr. Obadiah Sankyai, stated that the gesture was born out of his love for the development of education at the grassroots.
“Having found myself as an educational entrepreneur, I have to give back to the society and community where I come from. This is my way of saying thank you to my community for raising me to the level I have found myself today. I am very passionate about education, and that is why I decided to help our young ones in this area,” he said.
Sankyai said that the beneficiaries would receive free JAMB lessons and free transportation to their various centres on the examination day.
He also announced plans by the foundation to offer scholarships to 500 students of higher institutions from Kaura LGA before the end of 2024.
In his remarks, Prof. Ben Gugong, Commissioner for Sports and Youths Development, commended the foundation for reaching out to the downtrodden in society.
Gugong donated 200 additional forms to be given through the foundation and called on other well-meaning individuals and organisations to emulate it. He pledged to work with the foundation to help secure admission for the successful candidates.
On his part, Mr. Paul Ikom, the Nigeria Union of Teachers Chairman in the area, lauded the initiative, describing education as the bedrock of development in any society. Ikom pledged the support of the foundation in ensuring that the forms get to individuals who needed them the most.
Earlier, the foundation’s Programme Manager, Mr. Lucky Mamman, said the initiative was targeted at the less-privileged members of society.
According to him, the forms will be distributed equitably across the three Chiefdoms of the local government area.
Some of the beneficiaries, who spoke with newsmen, thanked the foundation for the invaluable gesture. They prayed to God to replenish its founder’s pocket and to grant him the wherewithal to do more for the people.
(NAN)
