Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello has promised to contribute the sum of N300 million, for a period of three years to the education fund, launched by Ebira Youth Congress (EYC).
The Governor spoke yesterday, December 5 at the maiden edition of Ebira Educational Summit and launch of Education Trust Fund to support indigents of Kogi central. It was held in Lokoja, the State capital.
Governor Yahaya Bello, who was represented at the event by his Chief of Staff, Abdulkareem Jamiu Asuku, restated his commitment to the development of education sector in the state.
He said that his administration had decided to establish the Confluence University of Science and Technology (CUSTECH in Osara, to create an enabling environment for the development of education in the state.
According to him, the establishment of CUSTECH is a wakeup call for the training of valuable youths to enable them partake fully in the government’s plans.
He said this realisation made him to support and donate towards the trust fund, adding that the funds would be used to sponsor worthy and qualified Ebira sons and daughters towards attaining the peak of academic pursuit.
The governor said that a reputable Board of Trustee had been put in place to serve as a watchdog for accountability and proper allocation.
The governor also tasked the Ebira Youth Congress to launch campaign against cultism, drug abuse and other forms of vices as a means of ensuring peace, progress and development of the zone.
Earlier, in his welcoming address, the President-General of EYC, Comrade Aliyu Ateiza Obiyo, acknowledged the fact that that government alone cannot solve the problem of education, hence the need for Non-Government Organisation to be created to complement it.
He assured that the Foundation would be opened for every qualified individual to benefit from through “a well-structured and integrity-proven modality that would ensure judicious use of funds.”
Obiyo commended the governor for establishing Confluence University of Science and Technology, saying that such foresight would go a long way to bringing development to the region, while several opportunities would also be created for the youths.
The Chairman of the occasion, Mamman Yusuf, in his remark, commended the President-General of EYC and his team for their hardwork in putting up the summit, adding that the summit would help advance education in ebiraland.
Yusuf urged the youths to take full advantage of the opportunities made available by the trust fund, assuring that the Foundation would ensure the fund is judiciously used for what is meant for.
In her Keynote Address, Dr. Juliet Okibayi challenged the group to quickly put in place well structured programs to harness the funds promised by the government and other individuals, stressing that, without such plan, it may be difficult to access such funds.
